getting egg laying hens as adults or as chicks. we are hoping to have the coop ready for chickens in a couple of weeks. but, it will be into late September. Not set up for chicks right now. No heat lamps etc. Raising from chicks just makes them more social to humans???? is that the advantage?
Raising from chicks means you know they are healthy as far as they don't have mites and such, I LOVE raising the chicks. Easiest though, is adults or started pullets.
If you don't have an eggsisting flock then either would be OK for you. the trouble may be in finding started pullets or laying birds that someone will part with. If they will part with them you have to ask yourself WHY? even if it is late in the season try to get fast feathering breeds that will be fully feathered in as few as 3 weeks. this should give you enough time before the really cold weather hits.
there seems to be alot of chickens looking for new homes here on the Island. One fellow raises them and sells them at egg laying age, so I may check his out. He's a reputable fella, so probably the safest bet. I think I will save the chick raising for the fancy hens next spring, haha. nothing replaces the real mommy.
l loved having my chicks in the house. They were in the bathroom in the basement. I would run down after work each day and sit for hours with them. Who needs TV when you have baby chickens?
For me it was part of the whole experience, getting them as 2 day old chicks and seeing how quickly they grow and change. Next we did the incubation thing to take it back another level. It does seem like it helps with the bonding and taming when you've held them from day 2 or 3.
