Buying Chickens To Commencement A Laying Flock

So, you've decided you'd similar to heighten backyard chickens for eggs in addition to you've sentiment virtually the coop, the breeds yous mightiness like and learned how to assist for the chicks, right away yous demand to create upwards one's withdraw heed where to acquire the chickens!

While some people start past times buying older woman mortal chickens referred to as pullets, most opt for chicks. For the most part, chicks in addition to pullets tin move travel purchased from the same sources we'll beak over below. Healthy flocks start amongst selecting good for yous chickens, in addition to therefore it's wise to purchase chickens of whatever historic menstruation from a flock or hatchery that participates inwards The National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP).  NPIP precisely agency the flock has been tested in addition to is gratis from for certain serious, contagious diseases, but non all.

CHICKS vs PULLETS
Chicks are purchased inside a few days after hatching in addition to begin laying eggs inwards precisely about 5-6 months. Pullets (aka: started birds) are woman mortal chickens someone else has raised that are closed to, if non already, laying eggs.

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF BUYING CHICKS

+Ability to bond & socialize amongst people from really early on age
+Much less expensive to purchase than pullets
+Very depression conduct chances of carrying diseases from environmental exposure

+No pre-existing behavioral problems or habits
+Vaccinations for Marek's Disease are available
-Specialized assist required initially
-Cost to a greater extent than to acquire to the shout out for of lay

-Longer hold off for eggs

-Risk of buying a manful mortal fifty-fifty amongst vent sexed chicks

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF BUYING PULLETS

+Little to no hold off for egg production

+No conduct chances of buying a manful mortal (when dealing amongst an ethical seller)

-No powerfulness to bond amongst & socialize from a immature age

-Some unwelcome behaviors in addition to habits may already travel ingrained

-More expensive to purchase than chicks
-Breed pick limited

-Risk of beingness duped past times beingness sold old, much less productive hens

-Significant conduct chances of carrying diseases from environmental exposure in addition to parasites

v calendar month onetime Black White Faced Castilian pullet

WHERE TO BUY CHICKENS
Feed Stores

Corporately owned feed stores such every bit Tractor Supply Company (TSC) typically laid out getting orders of chicks into their stores from hatcheries mid-February though April-ish. The principal advantages are the depression per chick toll in addition to powerfulness run into & select each chick earlier purchasing. There's likewise cypher similar the 2nd gratification of going into the store for chicken feed in addition to going habitation amongst half dozen fluffy-cuties! 

The disadvantages are express breed pick in addition to minimum purchase requirements of at to the lowest degree half dozen chicks at a fourth dimension (which be for the security of the chicks). I respect that others are oft willing to separate an society after purchase, in addition to therefore I tin move acquire precisely a few infant chicks without having to construct even in addition to therefore some other chicken coop. The other limitation when buying from a large feed store is that local stores create non ordinarily know when chicks volition acquire inwards or which breeds they volition acquire prior to arrival. Sometimes the potluck pick industrial plant out good though; I receive got gotten breeds I never would receive got imagined I'd add together to my flock when happening upon them inwards the spring. (Fine, I stem the stores during Chick Days. Don't approximate me.)

Independently owned feed stores oft bring breed orders prior to chick season, but likewise society breeds that are non spoken for inwards advance. Most purchase their chicks through the same hatcheries yous tin move purchase from yourself. The advantages to buying through independent feed stores is the pre-order varieties to conduct from in addition to lower small-order costs than if ordering from hatchery to home. Smaller feed stores create non acquire every bit many regular shipments of chicks for sale every bit TSC stores, for example, in addition to they tend to acquit a really express pose out of breeds.

Hatcheries
Chicks tin move travel ordered from truthful hatcheries online, past times telephone or sometimes picked upwards at the hatcheries across the the world from Feb through Apr in addition to often, much afterward into bound in addition to summer. Breed pick is extensive in addition to chicks tin move travel pre-ordered months inwards advance. If you're looking for a detail breed, larn when they laid out taking orders in addition to society early. Many hatcheries right away offering pocket-size orders of betwixt iii in addition to 10 chicks per society for sale, delivered past times mail. Most hatcheries employ vent sexers to kind manful mortal from woman mortal chicks, a service smaller purveyors are non able to provide.

photograph of Cackle Hatchery via screengrab 

Online Middlemen
Most companies that sell chickens online create non hatch the chicks they sell; they bring orders in addition to transportation them to a hatchery or breeder that ships chicks to customers. Surprised? I was.

When buying my start chicks, I chose an online society based close my habitation inwards Connecticut because I believed erroneously that the chicks would receive got a shorter trip habitation from the society inwards Connecticut than if I ordered through a hatchery inwards a dissimilar state.  I had no sentiment My Pet Chicken was non a hatchery- but rather, a merchant taking orders in addition to passing them on to hatcheries all over the country. That was disappointing to me, so, if transparency matters to you, ask if it is non apparent from the company's website that they are a hatchery or not. Know who you're buying from in addition to what they create for the coin you're paying.

Legitimate breeders
Allowing a rooster to mate amongst a hen inwards the backyard or farm yard does non brand someone a breeder! If you're seeking a local beginning of chicks inwards a detail breed, cheque Breeders' Associations in addition to Clubs. Most reputable in addition to legitimate breeders volition travel listed inwards these groups' directories in addition to should travel NPIP certified.  The biggest disadvantage to purchasing chicks through a breeder is that sexing is non commonly possible. The biggest disadvantage to purchasing pullets is the biosecurity dangers fifty-fifty inwards NPIP certified flocks.

THE DANGER ZONE
Buyer beware: auctions, swaps, beau chicken keepers, poultry shows, newspapers and Craigslist are all super risky places to acquire chickens. Even birds that APPEAR good for yous tin move travel carriers of latent, communicable diseases.  While many good for yous chickens receive got been acquired inwards The Danger Zone, many flocks receive got been destroyed or sickened past times acquisitions at such sources. Bringing together birds from many dissimilar sources into i flock is Poultry Biosecurity Russian Roulette at its finest.

HATCH YOUR OWN
Hatching eggs inwards an incubator tin move travel a really rewarding way to add together to your flock, but is improve undertaken after a fair amount of reading to larn what the best practices in addition to equipment are for a successful outcome. Visit my Hatch-Along amongst The Chicken Chick serial HERE to run into whether incubator-mania mightiness travel for you!
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 terrific choice to artificial incubation is having a broody hen create all the operate for you! It's non every bit uncomplicated every bit it sounds in addition to therefore create some homework in addition to figure out whether it's workable inwards your flock.