Do you want the chickens so that you have eggs to eat? Then you'll want all pullets (females), so you should buy them hatched from a feed store (in the spring many feed stores sell a variety of breeds). If you hatch them you have a 50-50 chance of getting roosters, which, unless you're gonna eat 'em, won't be doing you any good!

Good luck! You'll find they're like potato chips, you can't have just one!

--Johanna

Here is a link that might be useful: My place: Busy Solitude Farm

25 count runs are the norm for the minimums to order in chicks, but I noticed one 'chain' farm supply store orders them in on speculation...sets them up in a big galvanised water tank with lights and sells them by the each. Of course it 'just happens' to be around Easter, and I groan when I see that. What happens is they end up as holiday novelties to kids and when the roos get big (and they're always roos) people like me who raise chickens get a phone call from people who knows someone who has seen my egg sign and would I like some free chickens? I have taken in a few and have fed them for years with no return, just because I knew they'd have met an unkind fate if I hadn't. So, if you see a sales situation like this, get it in writing you are getting pullets. LOL.

So if you've never had chickens before do you know if you order fertile eggs, you'll also need an incubator and brooding box and heat? And again.......if it's an egg it's just as likely to be a roo as a hen.

And if you see ads for grown layers, they might be culls who don't lay or are past their laying years. Happens all the time here come fall and somebody who wants to start a laying flock bites.

Your best bet is to find someone else who wants a small run of chicks and split an order with them. You might even want to enquire at the feed store or hatchery and let them know you are wanting to do this, and if it's a rural area like mine, they'll keep your number or hang a note on the bulletin boards so that other people who come in wanting only a few pullets can contact you and you can do this.

There are several hatcheries that take a minimun order, I got 6 chicks one day old from MY PET CHICKEN HATCHERY 2 months ago. They come in USmail in a little box. Just google chicken hatchery and you will find a bunch or also go to a formun BACKYARD CHICKENS I love that site for info and chat.

I will ship chicks but no less than 10 because it is important for them to have one another for heat while in route to their new destination.
I prefer hatching eggs, though not everyone has an incubator and to deal with the extra roosters or pullets that do not meet my standards there is Craigslist.

Here is a link that might be useful: Show-Me Silkies & Stuff

You'd really have to trust your source to order hatching eggs. If they weren't properly handled and then properly incubated, you end up with nothing but rotten eggs.

I think: chicks to start and then try to learn how to incubate eggs after you've mastered the art of raising chicks.

Feed stores in the spring should have chicks.

Also, Craigslist in the farm and garden column often has young pullets offered for sale in 2's and 3's. That would be an excellent and easy way to get a few laying hens to learn on.

I've had great luck with ordering small quantities from mypetchicken.com. Instead of larger numbers of chicks (25 minumum), you can buy a heating element for I think an extra $10 or so. But much more convenient. Their quality was really good too, expecially in comparison with McMurray. I've also ordered from Ideal, which also has a 25 chick minimum. MPC has much better customer service than any of them, and their Web site is fun and informative.

Note that if you hatch eggs, you should expect 50% roosters. If you're not going to eat your roosters, disposing of them isn't always easy. One rooster needs 7 to 15 hens, depending on who you ask.