Part 1: Choosing Chickens

Should I start with chicks or adults?

There are different benefits for both.  Starting with chicks you get to see them grow.  If you have kids, they get to see the chicks grow up.  It’s an awesome learning experience.  This is what I did, but we’ve also bought adults.  The problem with starting  with chicks is the added work and added cost. Chick starter/grower feed is generally more expensive, you have to have a brooder and a light, you need to make sure they are warm enough, but not too warm, and there aren’t drafts, and eventually you need to move them outside. This, along with the 6 month wait for eggs, makes chicks difficult.  But in my experience, it is so worth it, but it may not be for everyone. They trust you more as they grow, and can become pets instead of just objects. Another option is starting out with adult birds. They will be anywhere between $5 and $35 per bird depending on where you live.  You also have to be careful with age.  If they’re just starting to lay, you get a good 2 to 3 years of laying, but they’ll be the most expensive you’ll get for chickens.   However, for a lot less money, you can get a hen at 1 or 2 years old or older.  She’ll only have a few months to 2 years of laying left. She’ll be more mellow. If you want chickens for steady and reliable egg laying, it’s not always worth it.  If you want chickens for pets or pest control, it’s good to just get older hens.   Keep in mind that you can get a free rooster at almost any age.

Over all for age, each age has different advantages, and it all depends on what you want.

Prepping for the birds

No matter what age you start with, always always always have the coop before the chickens.  Whether it’s building the coop or buying it, have the coop before you even look for birds.  Decide on a number then double it and build a coop for your doubled number. This is because chickens are addictive.  No matter how many you plan for, you’ll end up with more.  I wanted 6 to begin.  It’s now 6 months later and I have 9 hens and 5 chicks, in addition to the ducks and rabbits I decided to add later on.  Chickens are a gateway animal to a backyard pet addiction. I messed up and built a 8 chicken coop after i had already brought home my babies, and was down to the wire on getting them outside.

You’ll also need the other things for your age group of chickens. For chicks, you’ll need a brooder   which can be as simple as a cardboard box for the first few weeks. This link goes to some great how-to instructions, and will open in a new tab. Modern Farmer Brooder.  Regardless of age, you’ll need feeders, waterers, feed, and a bedding or hay for their coop or brooder.  If they’re adults, you’ll need laying boxes even if they’re old enough you don’t think they’ll lay anymore, as they may lay very occasionally.

Picking your breed

This depends on your wants.  Dual-Purpose are good overall. They serve 2 purposes, as the name suggests.  They are good meat birds and layers. Although I don’t eat meat, our birds are primarily dual-purpose.  This would include the majority of chicken breeds. There are also meat bird breeds and laying bird breeds.  I’ll just go over dual and laying breeds, although meat birds can be found with a quick search.

Buff Orpington.

Dual Purpose.  My overall favorite.  they are SO sweet.  Our 5 year old hen is still a very consistent layer.  Whenever we sit down outside, she’ll come sit on my lap and whine a me to pet her. We also have a pullet who is 4 months old.  They are good free ranging, but also did well when stuck in their run. They’re eggs are brown, but go to a white later in their laying cycle. And they’re supposed to be amazing mothers.

Black Australorp

Dual Purpose. We have a trio of three sisters that are about a year old. From the 3, I get an average of 3 a day, although some days there are only 1 or 2 eggs.   They’re fabulous brown egg layers. The three are at the top of the pecking order as are most of this breed.

Easter Eggers

Layers.  Come in a great variety of colors. Light weight breed, and great flyers, so clipping wings or high fences are a must if they’re free ranging.  And they’re name isn’t pointless,  they lay eggs in fun colors, including greens, blues, and even pink! We originally got 4, but we lost 2 in a dog attack.  Later on we got a EE hen.  They’re all from the some line, so they’re the same color and we can’t always tell them apart.  We only have one laying so far, and her eggs are tiny and few and far between,  however, she is a very new layer. They’re really flighty, and massive brats, so if you want chickens primarily as pets, they’d have to be bought very young and you’d have to work a little harder to socialize. Other than that, they’re great pets and layers.

Barred Rock

Dual Purpose. My Emma is a great pet.  Not laying yet, so no judgment on her laying yet, but I’ve heard they have consistent brown laying. Our other barred rock was a rooster, and the best one I’ve ever had at that.  He protected his girls fiercely and always made sure they ate first. He was even good to the quail and rabbits, then the ducks later on.  Later on, we had to rehome him, but we still get to see him every time we drive to the local Walmart. They lay brown eggs, and can’t fly too well.

Turken

Dual Purpose.  In my vote, they are not only a good anatomy lesson on chickens, but the dang ugliest bird around. Since “turken” refers to the naked neck and not the breed itself, they come in a massive variety of colors and lay every color of egg out there, although generally eggs are brown. We have one, and she’s a freak, and looks like it too. Though there is so many negative things to say about their looks, they are amazing in every other aspect.

Black Sex Link

Dual Purpose. Lay very well and have huge brown eggs. And the great thing? Auto-sexing breeds are nearly impossible to sex wrong.  If you buy a pullet your gonna end up with a pullet. Not too  much to say about their personalities, as they’ll end up somewhere in between.  They’ll try to stay away from you, but can be easily taught to trust.  They won’t be top of the pecking order, but they won’t be last either.

 

White Plymouth Rock. Dual Purpose, large eggs and disease resistant. I don’t have any, so I don’t have an opinion on them.  I’ve heard they’re great, though.

White leghorns and brown leghorns. Lay white eggs.  Most commonly used for the egg industry in the US. The only one I have is still tiny, so I don’t really have an opinion on them, but I’ve heard they’re a little flighty if raised without trust.

Bantams!

Another option is Bantams.  You can get them in almost every breed and temperament.  They can be great layers and you can fit more in less space.  They can be mean if you get the wrong breeds though, so make sure the breed you get are well tempered. We only have one, a turken, so I can’t give very good advice.

Finding the chickens

If you choose chicks, you get to choose between a hatchery, a breeder, and an owner. If you buy a hen or older pullet, you can buy from someone who breeds them or from a person selling for any reason.  Some hatcheries also sell hens after their first breeding year or two after their egg fertility starts to lag, so if you’re getting them for any reason other than breeding, that will probably be the best option if there’s a hatchery close that does that.