Started Pullets in Arizona?

[Prester John]

Greetings all.

We are getting ready for Chicken life, and my wife is very concerned about losing a large percentage of chicks due to our inexperience, and is asking about purchasing started pullets.

I know Meyer hatchery has them, but shipping costs are awful.

Is anyone aware of owners/hatcheries in AZ that sell started pullets?

Other hatcheries perhaps closer to AZ?

Thanks!

 

[ArizonaDesertChicks]

Hi and Welcome to BYC.

As for losing chicks, we've never lost any, even at our first attempt, but they do take time and you will have to wait 4-5 months for the first egg. If you want to try your hand at the babies, I'm sure you will find enough information here to keep you from losing more than 1 or 2 (if any). I've always bought our chicks at the local feedstore and other than my EEs being labeled as Ameraucanas (which hatcheries do too) and my BSL being labeled as gold wyandottes (which they're not), I've been happy with them. They've been healthy and all females.

As for buying pullets or hens:
I don't know of any hatcheries in AZ, but occasionally the feed shops receive hens to sell. There are also private sellers on craigslist that have adult birds - usually ranging in price from $10-$15 (make sure you get young ones, so they have their peak laying years ahead of them). There is one lady that advertises about once a week on craigslist - she currently has her 7 week old BO, RIR, BR, & BSL advertised for $8 each. She has RIR & Red Stars that have just started laying for $20 each. Her point of lay pullets (16-17 week) are $15 when she has them. She usually has between 100-200 chicks & hens for sale at any one time. She lives in North Phoenix. Use 'pullets' as your key word in the search bar to find her. I've never met her, but have seen her ad several times.

We live in Glendale and will probably be selling 2 of our 17 week old hens (a white leghorn & a barnevelder) and 3 of our 8 1/2 week old chicks (black sex-links) as a group in 3-4 weeks. They'll be about 20 weeks & 11-12 weeks at that time. We're waiting till the little ones are old enough to integrate with the older flock.

Since you are getting adult birds there is a chance that your new chickens could harbor something contagious to other chickens even if they are currently healthy. If you decide to get them from 2 different sources, you will need to keep the 2 flocks separate for about a month to make sure they are both healthy and one group doesn't pass anything on to the other group.