If you are thinking about buying chicks for raising but before buying them you have a lot of questions in your mind!
How old are chicks at the store, How old are chicks at Tractor Supply, How can I tell how old my chicks are? How can you know if a Chick is male or female? And more like this.
You are on the right guide, we examine all about chicks just scroll down and you will know everything.
Importance of Age when Buying Chicks
Why is knowing a chick’s age important? It is important because of the care, nutrition, n, and environment they require on an age basis.
The younger the chicken, the more care, proper nutrition, and fine environment they require.
For example, if you have day-old chicks they need heat or a hot environment or supplemental heating to maintain body temperature because day-old chicks do not have enough feathers.
Likewise, if you have 12-week chicks they don’t require any additional heat because they have enough feathers.
How Old are Chicks at the Store
Ok so before buying chicks you want to know how old are chicks at the store, so you will be confident about their care.
Knowing the age of chicks is important to provide care, nutrition, and the environment they need.
The store sells chicks at the age of at least 1-2 days.
How Old Are Chicks at Tractor Supply or How Old Are Chicks at Online Tractor Supply
Tractor Supply mostly sells chicks in spring, beginning around February or March, at this time the chicks are 2-3 days old.
Chicks are shipped in an incubator when they are 24 hours or less than 24 hours old when you buy them from tractor supply.
Chicks are normally shipped when they are around 12 hours old and their delivery takes 2-3 days, depending on the location.
How Can I Tell How Old My Chicks Are?
As we discussed, knowing age is important for their care, environment, and nutrition.
Now, how can you know the age of your chicks? You can know your chick’s age by their physical characteristics and appearance.
New Born Chicks have yellow fuzz, they have no developed feathers.
One Week Days Old Chicks begin to molt their fuzz and grow real or proper feathers
12 Weeks Old are considered pullets (female) or cockerels (male) not chicks, at this time they almost replaced all their fuzz.
How To Introduce Chicks To Your Backyard
When you already have chicks or chickens in your flock or backyard and want to introduce new chicks, it’s not going to be that easy, wait I’ll tell you the reason!
“Who will share his house and his food with a stranger chicks?”
This is because your old flock chickens will consider your new chicks or flock a threat and they will not agree with you to introduce new chicks.
That’s why to introduce new chicks to your flock or backyard you need to take small and safe steps:
- It’s important to show patience with your old flock of chickens, and slowly introduce your new chicks to your flock so the old flock will recognize the chicks as friends or their part.
- Keep your chicks in a separate house or coop from the old flock to prevent the chicks from biting and aggression.
- Keep your eyes on the interaction between new and old flocks, the more distant between them the better will be your chicks. Gradually they will get to know each other.
- When your chicks reach at least 12-23 weeks of age then start trying to interact with both the old and new.
Expert Recommendation to Buy Chickens
What’s the recommendation of chicken experts when buying chickens?
Experts recommend that if you want to buy chickens, it is best to buy them at the time when they are at the point of laying.
POL (point of laying) chickens normally take 2-4 weeks to start laying eggs, in contrast, if you buy day-old chicks they take 20-21 weeks to start laying eggs.
The advantages of POL chickens are; that you have ready chickens for eggs and they don’t need 20-21 weeks of care before laying eggs.
How can you know if a Chick is Male or Female?
To know whether your chick is male or female there are some points you need to understand.
The sex understanding of chicks that are younger than 6 weeks of age is almost difficult for a normal person
But as your chicks reach 6-8 weeks of age then their sex will identify easily, the male has large and redder combs and wattles and the female has small and less redder combs and wattles.
You can also check your chick’s sex by holding the chick upside down with one hand, removing the fecal material, and turning outward the vent area. This allows the producer to examine whether there is a basic male sex organ or not.
How to Know the Age of Chickens?
Ok, you buy chicks, know their age at the store, and successfully introduce them to your flock but now as your chicks grow, you want to know their age!
All chickens pass by three development stages from born to full maturity. To know their age you need to know their physical characteristics and appearance at each development stage.
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Baby Chicks
Chicks refer to newly hatched chickens from birth to 12 weeks old.
- Plumage
From the time the chick hatches until day 6, it will have a soft downy covering, they have no feathers. About day 7, you will notice the first feathers, mostly on the wing tips.
During this time, chicks may look like a messy haircut until when all their feathers are grown, usually by the 4th week.
The second and final mini-molt happens around the 7th week, and this mini-molt lasts until week 12.
At this phase, the initial baby feathers are replaced by the first set of adult plumage.
Male chicks will begin to grow long feathers on the neck, tail, and saddle.
Female chicks do not have any saddle, hackle, or sickle feathers, and their feathers are rounded at the ends and fairly uniform in length.
- Body Size
The weight of chicks at hatch is around 1.5 ounces.
When they reach 12 weeks of age their weight becomes on average 2.5 lb.
- Comb and Wattles
At hatch the combs and wattles of chicks are fairly small, however, some male chicks might have a largish combo at hatch but their wattles are not noticeable at this time.
At 12 weeks of age, their combs and wattles will be apparent and will be noticeable too. Their comb and wattles won’t be vibrant at this time, they will start to turn red.
At this time you will notice clear differences between male chicks and female chicks. The male chicks mostly have much larger and more developed combs and wattles compared to female chicks.
- Legs
When chicks hatch their legs are tough but spindly (long and thin).
By week 12 their legs will have thickened out. Male chicks legs will be noticeably larger than female chicks
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Breeds of chickens that are yellow-legged such as ISA Browns, Buff Brahma Chicken, Buff Cochin Chicken, etc will start to show noticeable coloring on their legs now.
- Vent
There is nothing to note here at this time.
- Behavior
Day-old chicks, don’t show many behaviors and temperament. However, as they grow, you’ll observe actions such as chest bumping, stare-downs, and posturing.
As the male chicks grow and mature, they become more outgoing, stand taller, and assert themselves by moving to the front. Around weeks 7-12 of age, they should start crowing.
Female chicks tend to be more reserved, staying at the back, adopting a lower posture, and generally being quiet and calm than male chicks.
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Pullets and Cockerels (12-52 Weeks)
Beyond 12 weeks of age, your chicks start becoming pullets or cockerels.
Pullets or Cockerels refer to chickens who are between 12-52 weeks of age. At this time they usually look a bit awkward and gawky.
- Plumage
At this period they have their adult plumage and this will be a full year before they molt and grow new feathers.
During the first year, the plumage markings of the chickens will increase, especially in young roosters.
The hackle feathers of pullets or cockerels will be pointed and flow down to the shoulder, while the saddle feathers will cascade down his sides. Eventually, their sickle feathers should also develop an impressive appearance.
- Body Size
When chickens reach about 20 weeks of age they achieve over half of their adult body mass.
Like a Rhode Island Red will weigh around 3 lb. Some breeds will continue to grow until 9 months.
- Combs and Wattles
At this time their wattles and combs will begin to redden and flesh out when she is approaching her point of lay.
Did you know?
The reddening of the comb is also a signal to the rooster that the hen is almost ready to mate.
A rooster has large and red wattles and a comb, when a rooster crows it will shake its wattles and comb to attract hens.
The more vibrance the comb and wattles the good will be the health and vigor of your chickens.
- Legs
By now their legs should be fully colored. Their legs are also strong and smooth.
- Vent
The pullets have small, round, and pale vents at the time when they do not start laying eggs.
When your pullets start laying eggs their vent becomes pink and moist.
At starting few eggs may create a drop or two of blood But this problem is soon resolved
- Behavior
As young pullets mature, they show signs of submission. When you pet them, they may squat down, and show readiness for mating with a rooster.
Hens also exhibit nesting behaviors, they explore the area for suitable spots for laying eggs and even placing bits of straw on their backs.
While some chickens may naturally use nesting boxes, others might lay eggs in unexpected places. Provide enough nesting boxes to avoid this.
During her initial egg-laying period, a hen may appear worried and confused due to hormonal changes. The first eggs may be small until her egg-laying process stabilizes.
Young roosters can be annoying during this period, challenging the head rooster, chasing hens for mating, and causing potential injuries. It’s best to separate them into bachelor quarters to prevent harm to the hens.
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Hens and Roosters
Hens and Roosters refer to when chickens are more than 1 year old.
- Plumage
Between 12 and 18 months, your hen will experience her first full molt. This is normal, their old feathers start to fall and be replaced by new beautiful feathers.
- Body Size
When chickens completely live their first year, you can expect that your chickens reach their full weight.
The pullet will change from gracefully thin chicken to a more homely and cuddly hen and their shape will be more rounded and softer.
The rooster will change to a more developed well-muscled body and upright chicken.
- Combs and Wattles
combs and wattles of Hens and Roosters look plumper than pullets or cockerels.
When chickens start their molt, at this time the color of combs and wattles is changed from faded to washed out or pink color.
- Legs
When chickens experience their initial molt, an easily seen change occurs in their legs’ color, changing to a subdued beige shade.
This change occurs slowly during their laying period, as the pigmentation in the legs plays a role in maintaining the orange hue of the yolks. The pigment in their legs naturally fills in preparation for the upcoming laying period.
Also, their leg texture becomes rougher compared to younger birds (pullets or cockerels).
Additionally, the claws of older hens tend to lengthen due to reduced activity levels. Regular trimming may be important. Older chickens may also experience arthritis, leading to a stiff-legged gait and occasional limping.
To assist and aid them, consider modifying perch heights or providing ramps to access their perches at night. This kind of housing can ease discomfort and improve their overall well-being.
- Vent
The vent is a key indicator of a hen’s reproductive health and should show a well-rounded, moist, and pink appearance.
But, during the molting period, the pink hue decreases, and secretions dry up until the beginning of the following laying cycle.
In contrast, older hens that are no longer laying eggs typically display a pale, sometimes yellowish, and dry vent.
- Behavior
Hens or roosters are calmer in this period as they adapt to hormonal shifts and establish the pecking order.
The rooster is watchful and protective all the time. Roosters are the protector of your flock and their friends.
What You Will Need Before Buying Chicks
Here are some important things you need before buying chicks:
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Enough Time
If you want to buy chicks and introduce them to your flock or backyard, you need enough time for their proper care.
As chicks need more care in contrast to younger or old chickens they need more time for their care.
Ensure that you have enough time for your chicks’ care.
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Enough Space
Space is also a basic need for your chicks because they want to run, walk, play with friends, forage, etc so lack of enough space will cause mental problems and low productivity.
Before buying chicks make sure that you have enough space for their raising and growing.
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Enough Interest
Interest plays a crucial role in everything you have, a lack of interest in your chicks or flock will cause problems.
Make sure you have enough interest in your chicks or flock because it is important for their well-being and development.
Do Hens Need a Rooster to Lay Eggs?
No, hens don’t need roosters to lay eggs, however, without roosters, the laid eggs are infertile meaning they don’t convert to chicks.
So if you want to incubate and hatch the laid eggs, then in this case you will need a rooster to lay fertile eggs.
Normally hens start laying eggs at the age of around 6 months.
How Chickens Lay Eggs without Rooster?
Ovulation (the release of the yolk from the ovary)happens every 24-26 hours in hens, meaning for this process a rooster is not necessary.
An egg takes around 26 hours to fully form with the addition of the white and shell, each day a hen will lay an egg progressively later.
And when the egg is ready to go out and the chicken lays, the hens ovulate a new yolk after laying that egg.
Final Thoughts
In summary, knowing the age of chicks is important to provide care, nutrition and the environment they need.
Usually, stores sell chicks at the age of at least 1-2 days.
You have enough time, enough space, and enough interest to buy and raise chicks.
Have you ever incubated or hatched eggs? Feel free to share your thoughts with us. We will be happy to hear from you.
FAQs related to Chicks
Can I buy Chicks online?
Yes, you can buy chicks online. Many hatcheries provide service to purchase chicks through their online store.
Keep in mind that it’s important to choose a trusted and reliable store or website to ensure the health and well-being of the chicks. Some online hatcheries are Meyer Hatchery, Hoover’s Hatchery, Cackle Hatchery, etc.
How old are baby chicks when you buy them from the store?
Normally, stores sell chicks at the age of 1-3 days.
How can I know how old baby chicks are?
You can know your chick’s age by their physical characteristics and appearance.
New Born Chicks have yellow fuzz, they have no developed feathers.
One Week Days Old Chicks begin to molt their fuzz and grow real or proper feathers
12 Weeks Old are considered pullets (female) or cockerels (male) not chicks, at this time they almost replaced all their fuzz.
How old are Tractor Supply chicks?
Tractor supply mostly has 2-3 days old chicks.
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