What to look for when buying pullets?

[Karens62]

The shavings in a dog crate sounds like a good option since the dog never uses it. She has to sit on a nice fluffy comforter when she rides in the car

 

[Karens62]

Thanks for everyone's good suggestions. I ended up taking a large rubbermaid storage box (the kind that are about 4 ft long) , lined it with cardboard, then covered it with a large piece of bug net tied around the edges with elastic cord. It worked great and was easy to wash out when we got home.

All six girls are settled in, up on the roosts, having come down into the run for a little bit for after supper scraps. I'm a happy chicken mama tonight.

 

[Dixiedoodle]

Glad you are happy and that they are settling in well. I wish you many happy days of eggs...

 

[Karens62]

Thanks! This forum has been a real help, in lots of different ways.

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:
I second The why not?

 

[Karens62]

Well, I am happy with my decision to not get chicks. With our crazy schedules and the need to have the greatest flexibility, getting chicks was just not an option for us for this year and we wanted to be realistic about what we could manage.

 

[Mrs. K]

I have bought chickens in the past, and have been quite happy with them, and you get to eggs quicker which is fun. Raising baby chicks is fun, but a lot of work, and they are fragile, and sometimes die. I think that starting with pullets is a great way to get started in chickens and get a feel for it. After a bit, you will be peeking into the hatching part or baby chicks of this forum, that is called chicken math.

But best of luck, really after a hectic day, there is something relaxing about watching the girls! mk

 

[PunkinPeep]

I hope you'll show us some pictures of your new girls in their new habitat!

Quote:
I second The why not?

I'm not Mahonri, but i can say that if i were just getting started with chickens, i would probably be o.k. with getting started pullets. But when you have an established flock, and you hear so many horror stories about people losing their flock to started birds who were carrying a disease in dormancy, it makes you very leery of adding chicks.

If i know someone's operation really well, i am less leery, but if i don't know how they think and how they raise their chickens, i am now very unlikely to let their birds past my driveway.

 

[Karens62]

No pictures due to a camera malfunction and I actually ended up getting a mix of hatched this year and hatched last year so not all pullets. But that's okay because egg production is a secondary goal, I really just wanted them as pets. They are starting to eat corn from my hand which is kind of neat and I am starting to see their individual personalities.

I would probably agree about introducing new chickens to an established flock but since they are my first ones and were already living together, there was little risk.

 

[MaSmith]

Hi Karen-

All those things you mentioned are good, but here are some things to consider as well:

They shouldn't have any odd smell about them, and look at their legs too....the legs should be smooth with no bumpy scales. Check under the wing feathers and near the vent for parasites like mites or lice.

Look around at the environment they've been living in....if it's dirty, and you get this feeling like, maybe it's not a good idea, then trust your instincts.

Hope this helps and good luck! I hope they're gorgous and in great shape!

Sharon

what if you get them from a swap and can't see their original environment, what kinds of things should I look for or questions to ask the seller?