What exactly is the defenition of a Pullet?

[ams3651]

This is the general information I found and have believed...
A pullet is a young chicken, more specifically a hen (female) at least 20-weeks-old which has begun to lay eggs but has not yet moulted. Pullets are more productive than the older laying hens; they often produce eggs for an entire year, while hens will lay for six-to-seven months.


this is what I found in the learning center
1. Should I buy pullets or straight run chicks? top
Pullets have been sexed by the hatchery and are usually sexed 90%
accurately. Most hatcheries or feed stores will refund your money or buy
back the cockerels which exceed 10%. Straight run chicks are usually less
expensive, but they are 50% pullets and 50% cockerels (more or less).

And in looking to buy them I have also read chicks refered to as pullets.

I am not looking to raise chicks and would like to get them a little older, which is what I thought pullets were but now Im confused.

 

[Wooden_Pony]

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A pullet is a young chicken, more specifically a hen (female) at least 20-weeks-old which has begun to lay eggs but has not yet moulted.

 

[Cluckin' crazy]

Quote:
That's what I told the lady at Orscheln's when they advertised pullets for sale. She told me that as a poultry expert she knew for a fact that a pullet is a chick that has been sexed. She then showed me their pullets for sale. I asked for 5 and she told me they couldn't guarantee that they were females. I then asked her if the definition of pullets had just changed again. After a dirty look she explained that they got it right 95% of the time. I told her if they sold them like the hatcheries do (at around 17 weeks) they would get it right 100% of the time. The wife drug me out before the argument ended badly.

 

[bigzio]

Hope I can help some.
Chicks that are born, are either cockerals (male) or pullets (female).

Cockerals become roosters when they are one year old. Pullets become hens when they are one year old.

Production varies greatly with the breeds, not only numbers of eggs but also longevity in regards with how long they stay productive.

Heirloom breeds lay well for many years, and provide backyard flocks with eggs and pets that prove commercial abuse of chickens, is nothing more than greed.

My 3 year old hens lay almost daily, the way life was ment to be, in my opinion.

bigzio

 

[farmerchuck]

That's what confused me !!!! Day old chicks aren't pullets !!
They sell chicks as pullets or cockerels to designate sex but at that stage they are all chicks.

 

[ams3651]

glad to hear im not the only one who is confused. I guess I will just have to ask the age when I go shopping. I will not have a set up for keeping chicks nor do I have the time, I wouldnt mind if the chicken wants to do it but when the weather gets warm enough I want to know all i need to know to get started.

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

According to the APA standard of perfection, a pullet is any female chicken under one year of age. I call female chicks pullets and male chicks cockerels. Normally alot of people start calling females that lay hens.

 

[Marlinchaser]

Most of your hatcheries have Pullet Packs(all female day olds)

Some sell 17 week old Pullets

the confusing part is whether she remains a pullet till a year old, or when they start to lay

 

[mommy9994]

I always thought a pullet was a female chicken under 1 year.

 

[farmerchuck]

I was also told you can tell the age of a hen by the color of the legs. A pullet will have bright yellow legs while the older a hen gets the more pale the coloring.
By the way...I had 4 older hens, probably 3 yrs+, that used to lay every other day or so. I introduced 6 new pullets to the coop, next thing you know the 3 yr olds are laying every day !!
You can teach an old hen new tricks !!!