We've always bought and/or raised chicks. Hard to buy what we wanted in adult hens.

 

Chicks over adults every time, the only "downside" is the short wait for them to start laying IMO. But you'll end up with chickens that know you, and much fewer problems (including health issues IMHO)

Keep in mind Rhode Island Reds are often pretty aggressive which matters with younger children and many wives...

 

... Keep in mind Rhode Island Reds are often pretty aggressive which matters with younger children and many wives...

Young children will learn.

If you are dealing with 'many wives' you have much bigger issues than chickens.

 

Get chicks. Get more than you think you’ll need. Adult birds are fairly expensive. Do not get straight run, you will have too many roosters, and they will fight. Orpingtons are great birds.

I’ve never had Rhode Island Reds. All I know about them is that my father went to get a Rhodie rooster, and the man said that it was mean. My father said he figured he could handle a rooster. He did catch it and bring it home, but he said that rooster like to killed him.

 

Do not get straight run, you will have too many roosters, and they will fight.

Absolutely, do not get straight run. You’ll end up with more roosters than hens. I prefer chicks over getting adults. A lot of people who sell adult hens are getting rid of girls that are about done laying Whereas you know chicks lay for a good three years.

I have no idea if VetRX would do anything for bird flu but I always give the new birds a good swallow before introducing them to the flock. It may make those concerned about outside birds more at ease.

 

LOL, looks like I'm the dissenting party, but...

I prefer pullets. I hate dealing with heating lamps, and the mess, and the loss. Pullets are young hens that are just feathered out, but, generally, haven't started laying yet. Also, at an emotional level, there is much more attachment to a bird you nurtured from day old, and hurts more if you lose them to predators or eat them.

In my experience, it is also more cost effective. I could get 6 month old hens from Amish farmer for under $10 (maybe more now) because they sell them by weight, dead or alive. It costs me a lot more to buy and feed a day old up to the 6 month point.

 

While I can see some upsides to chicks I agree with 2ftgd. Paying for 6 months worth of feed and dealing with the heat lamps and tiny waterers is extra work.
The farmers want you to pay $4 for a chick so the farmer can save the $10 in feeding and electricity costs.

 

Chicks. You can train them.

 

Found this article . Take a look and see what you all think.

10 EASIEST Chicken Breeds for Beginners! - The Gardening Dad

Do you want to raise chickens, but aren't sure what is easiest for beginners? Then read this article to find the EASIEST chickens to raise for beginners!

thegardeningdad.com

 

I've had buff orpingtons, RIR, white leghorn, barred rock, black rock, and a few fancy banties. Buff are my favorite, RIR are second favorite.

 

If you have neighbors who raise chickens, see if you can buy local mongrel chicks from them. Feed store chicks are sweet and friendly, but they don't have the survival skills of semi-feral ones.

I've raised a lot of feed store chicks and a lot of local chicks, and gotten much better overall longevity from the local ones. They take more work to keep tame, but they're a whole lot less stupid and more trustworthy to not get eaten when free ranging.

 

I never had any issue with RIR hens. Roosters, yeah, some of them can be pretty aggressive, though I have had docile ones.

My favorite flocks have been mixed. RIR, Buff Orpington, Araucana, Chinese Silky, even a few Leghorns. Silky eggs are small but they're good at setting on eggs. Leghorns tend to be more high-strung. Araucanas lay blue or green (or pink, which looks a lot like brown) eggs. Orpingtons have always been really laid back. RIR and NHRs were more of the "standard" brown egg layer. Never messed with meat birds but probably should. I suspect the Orpingtons would be decent as a dual purpose breed. (?)

 

My Grandad had nasty aggressive roosters when I was real young. They always came after me, hated them ever since.

 

Some of my favorite "dual purpose " breeds are Buff Orpingtons, Saphire Gems,Dominique, Araucana, Barred Rock, Maran (VERY nice dark brown eggs- but expensive and straight run) Wyandots . You can get some nice colorful egg cartons with those also

We do not care for leghorns, flighty,noisy and not much to eat YMMV

 

Some of my favorite "dual purpose " breeds are Buff Orpingtons, Saphire Gems,Dominique, Araucana, Barred Rock, Maran (VERY nice dark brown eggs- but expensive and straight run) Wyandots . You can get some nice colorful egg cartons with those also

We do not care for leghorns, flighty,noisy and not much to eat YMMV

I’ve come to hate leghorn as a pet. But I have one leghorn out of 11 hens. Have 6 eggs in the house, 5 are from her. They produce all year

 

Looking into the Orps and RIRs. I like Manticora's idea of getting some from one of the local farmers. Main goal is eggs not meat, at least not to start with.

 

We've had/raised Buff Orps/RIR for many years.

 

There are advantages in getting chicks.
1. they get to know you so capturing them for use is much easier. older hens tend to be fearful
2. You control the food and water and living environment, they learn to grow accustomed to the weather in your area.
3. they get along better being all chicks, hens from a farm may not be cooperative wit one another, "pecking order."
4. I had 30 birds , one rooster per 10 birds. isolated from one another. I wanted my birds reproducing.

 

Grandkids are THE BEST!

 

Can't wait Brother !!! That's what we are gearing up for .

 

Rhode Island Reds growing up as a kid and a couple batches later when I had time and space.
Best for cold weather, extremely alert and defensive, will kill and eat small vermin if entering pen or yard.
Roosters make 'em your friend from chick on up.
Pick him up and walk around with him, never back down.
Went mostly free range as a kid and until fox showed up later.
Nice big eggs and personable chickens... we did raise 'em early spring inside.
Great sounds, great baby chicken smell, they would come to the back door wanting to spend the night inside later in life.
I put different colored zip tie(s) on each young chickens leg.
Easier ID until comb well defined and personality developed.
A dozen is all we'd do.
Sold eggs paid for feed of all.
I put the light and timer on 'em in the winter to keep 'em laying.
All taste good in the end.

 

Too many roosters? Just separate them, feed until 4-5#'s and butcher them. Easy solution.

 

So what's the chances of bringing avian flu to local chickens by bringing in adult birds from elsewhere ?

 

The chances are pretty good. And not just avian flu, there are other things you don't want in your flock/neighbors flocks as well. I keep a closed flock and only get chicks when I need more chickens. I stagger my flock so half are older and half are younger so when the old ones stop laying I'm still getting eggs. I'm going to let my leghorns lay another year and retire them next year and get some new chicks. In the meantime, i have another few just getting ready to lay in the next month or two.

 

My PoV-
We have raised chickens for almost 20 years. Just about every major breed, RIRs, Orps, Rocks, Sex Links, ISA browns, Leghorns.
(note, with the first two of my favorites there are various varieties)
My Favorite are the Orps, followed in order, Rocks, Isa Brown RIR and Leghorns.
Orps are friendly, docile, and good layers, as are the Rocks.
The ISAs are good layers, but a bit flightier. RIRs are good layers, but can get ornery.
Leghorns are excellent layers, great on feed to egg conversion, but (imo) to flighty. My wife wife calls them 'the goats of chicken nation'. If there is a possibility of mischief, Leghorns will find and exploit it, to the nth degree. Just not worth the trouble.

We're looking at getting a banty hen or two to brood chicks, or possibly eggs from our small flock.

 

Also, we order from a local, family owned, feed store, just because.
My neighbor picks them up where ever (he travels the state, farm related business). He usually hit the chain farm stores and scoops up the fugly chicks (the ones that are starting to feather out) for pennies on the dollar.

 

Pullets are the way to go. Less special care needed vs chicks and the sooner they start laying.

 

Frankly I prefer pullets, as someone who has both raised birds from chicks and bought pullets to add to my flock. RIR's are extremely common and you should have no problem sourcing them, we keep a couple thousand on-hand here at work lol. If avian flu is a concern I suppose chicks would be less likely to be infected, but they do require additional infrastructure to raise and the cost savings may minimal (though it probably would be at least a little cheaper). I would say chicks if you were interested in more "obscure" or less common breeds, but Reds? Common as sand on a shoreline.

 

 

Finally ready to move forward with getting my own chickens for my Hunting Camp. Talking to some of the local farmers, they're pushing for me to get chicks vs adult hens . Reasoning being they fear adult chickens brought in from outside the area raise the risk of avian flu spreading to chickens down in that area. Any credence to that ?

Looking to get rhode Island reds.

chicks or adults the risks are the same. chicks won't produce what you want for months. hens are more expensive but in the end, may be the right fit for you.

 

I can say this.
If you haven't had any fowl before, you
need to watch out for varmints of every
size. Rats on up to canines will go nuts
over fowl. Don't do the " I'll just live
trap **** and haul it off to the woods "
thing. You'll just be adding to someone
else's misery. You need to be able to
defend your livestock as if you were
depending it for your next meal, or
your kid's meal.

 

I can say this.
If you haven't had any fowl before, you
need to watch out for varmints of every
size. Rats on up to canines will go nuts
over fowl. Don't do the " I'll just live
trap **** and haul it off to the woods "
thing. You'll just be adding to someone
else's misery. You need to be able to
defend your livestock as if you were
depending it for your next meal, or
your kid's meal.

And in many places, relocation is illegal.