Starting a flock

Thanks so much! I think I will start with a few hens once we get the coop finished. I'm doing everything I can to predator proof it after hearing neighbors' horror stories. Same for the yard I hope to give them supervised access to every so often.
 
All the best; chickens are lots of fun! Please be really careful if you are getting birds from another source; read some of the threads in the diseases and Marek's disease threads! I've had chickens for over 20 years, and am totally paranoid about biosecurity. So far no Marek's disease or disasterous respiratory crisis, but like i said___ totally careful about things. I started with a few bantams from a neighbor's flock; still have that family line going here! I'd observed her birds for a year or so before getting mine, so that worked out well. Enjoy! Mary
 
To each their own I suppose, in my experience I started with two young hens that were laying, I wanted eggs and I wanted them now! I had 20 babies in the brooder, knew I didn't want them all so I sold off my least favorites down to 10, when they were old enough I moved them to the coop. I lost 3 to a family of possum
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and 2 to the cold, I guess they were weak. Now I have 6 eggs in the incubator waiting for 6 more. I like to add as I go, it gives me room to pick my fav breeds and especially room for that thing they call chicken math...
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I worked with chickens a long time ago, as a teen at a petting zoo. The little bantams were cute, but the big white leghorns actually kind of scared me.

Starting with chicks helps them to get used to you and the other way around. It helps with the bonding experience.
 
I started with chicks. Great fun to watch them grow, and you may find you become rather fond of them. My girls come when I call them because I give them lots of greens and table scraps. I did introduced a fully grown rooster to the flock when half were a about a year old and the others two. They were quite keen on him from the moment he arrived, and he loved his girls. He is their protector, and maybe one day a father to new chicks.
 
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I started with Pullets. My choice right now even after about 8 months of ownership is to still buy pullets/point of lay birds or ones who have just started laying within 6 months or so.. but that's just my choice!
 
Are you in the city, where you only want a few hens for eggs? Do you have room for a larger flock? Do you want egg laying hens, dual purpose, or meat birds? Are you going to breed? Do you want production quality, or exhibition quality? These things factor in somewhat as to how you might want to start your flock. As a rule of thumb, I would suggest pullets, and/or a cockerel, if you intend to breed production quality. Again, pullets if you are wanting a small backyard flock for eggs only. If you plan to breed exhibition quality, a breeding trio would be wise to begin with. By getting pullets/cockerel(s) for a production flock from a breeder, they have been started, and tend to be heartier, so they are easier for a beginner to care for while learning, and building skills. Their sex tends to be more obvious, so you don't end up with a bunch of roosters. You will still get to enjoy the "first egg" experience, without having to wait 6 months. They will still be young enough to bond with you. This gives you a bit better edge at being successful, which will bolster your enthusiasm. Chicks tend to be more fragile, and require more care. Later on, when your skills have grown, and you are ready to step it up, then go with eggs, and/or chicks. It's an ongoing process. This is simply my humble opinion.
 
I started with adult hens that were just starting to lay, from a reputable source. We bought eight golden sex links. I have had no problems whatsoever. We added ten more adult hens since then. The only reason we started with adults was that I spent too long building the coop and I was anxious for eggs. I was also concerned about the fast approaching winter and did not want to deal with chicks in frigid temps nor did I want to wait until spring to get started. From now on, I plan to only get chicks. I think you are less likely to run into issues with parasites and diseases when buying chicks from a dealer.
 
If you get adult hens, they won't be used to you and you won't know their personalities as well as you would if you started with chicks. Chicks are just so cute, I don't see how anyone could resist. But they do need extra care and take up more time then pullets or adult hens. You mentioned you are going to start with some hens, which is great but if you also want chicks, DO NOT PUT THEM IN WITH THE ADULT HENS. They are not like dogs, the adult hens won't help the babies, in fact they might pick on them. If you want to introduce new chicks to the hens, do it when they are older and can defend themselves. Best of luck.
 

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