In my less than a year chickening one of the things ive found is chicken people dont laugh at, they help
True ya dont want old hens, after a few years they stop laying eggs... Pullets would be fine, people buy and sell them everyday
But chicks!! Ya cant beat chicks and they arent fragile as you'd think... Having a box of day old chicks in a box peeping all the way home from the post office is great... Plus bonding with them when they are young chicks helps with their disposition and friendliness... Ours are pettable, and some pick up-able ... I dont know if they would be as friendly as they are if they were a few months old when we got them
As far as caring for the chicks, they arent much more demanding then the pullets... Same basic needs.. food, water, shelter.. with the addition of a light bulb for heat... Some people get fancy and slowly drop their bulb heat, not us... Just a light bulb on a cord inside a rabbit hutch (it was available) ... When their big feathers start to come in about a week later we ditch the light (not in winter, just wait longer in winter)
But thats it... Chicks need a draft free place thats dry and warm for a couple weeks, and the trouble of a light bulb is well worth the bond you'll get with.chicks