I'm interested in knowing at what age you usually buy chickens (chicks, pullets, or laying hens)? Which do you prefer?

[Farmlife16]

I'm looking to sell some chickens, so I'd appreciate if you guys would vote!!

 

[swamphiker]

I like to buy either as day-old chicks or pullets around 8 weeks old if I don't want to fuss with the brooder and dealing with extra cockerels. I have occasionally sold started pullets when I've ended up with extra and they are in high demand. I'm in a small city where hens (but not roosters) are allowed within city limits. There is a local family that buys large numbers of day-old sexed pullets of popular breeds from hatcheries and sells them as 2-month-old pullets for $20 each. They frequently sell out!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I buy as young as possible to avoid them being exposed as much as possible. But I prefer to buy eggs if they're not from a commercial hatchery

 

[Farmlife16]

I like to buy either as day-old chicks or pullets around 8 weeks old if I don't want to fuss with the brooder and dealing with extra cockerels. I have occasionally sold started pullets when I've ended up with extra and they are in high demand. I'm in a small city where hens (but not roosters) are allowed within city limits. There is a local family that buys large numbers of day-old sexed pullets of popular breeds from hatcheries and sells them as 2-month-old pullets for $20 each. They frequently sell out!

Wow!

 

[nuthatched]

Day olds or adults from reputable people. I've never had great success with started or pol pullets.

 

[Battlepants]

I haven't done eggs yet, but I enjoy the process of raising the chicks, so that one has my vote.

There is a local family that buys large numbers of day-old sexed pullets of popular breeds from hatcheries and sells them as 2-month-old pullets for $20 each. They frequently sell out!

Might be doing something similar here. Currently have too many pullets - if I let them all grow out, I'm going to be pulling like a dozen eggs per day. WAYYY too many eggs for two people. Probably going to be keeping the nicest pullets, selling the ones that I haven't bonded with. Then beyond that, I have a silkie who went broody this year - if she continues this trend, I'll probably just keep letting her hatch out as she wants, then sell the pullets and eat the roos that come from it. (unless, of course, I bond with them)

 

[Aunt Angus]

I prefer day old chicks from an NPIP facility. I have an established flock, and I don't want to introduce anything contagious to them. I have integrated laying hens before, and the quarantine process was long and very difficult.

 

[My Bagurks]

I prefer -3 weeks.

I love when my hens hatch them and raise them. I made a maternity ward inside my run so the broodies can lay and hatch in peace but everybody sees everybody from day one making for an incident free introduction.

But I have bought chickens at many ages. Some mobile walls, detachable nesting boxes, and a crude set of roosting bars makes things easy.

If you are looking to sell chickens of varying ages, you might want to allow people to come check out your whole flock. The times I’ve bought older chickens, I asked to see the rest of the flock first just to get an idea of living conditions and possible health issues.

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm either ordering mine from a hatchery or hatching from my flock. I order/hatch more than I need then sell the extras.

In the future as my breeding project moves forward I'll have hatching eggs to sell or trade.

 

[Farmlife16]

Thanks everybody for all these great answers!!