Do you want to keep layer chickens but not sure whether to start with day-old chicks or buy point of lay birds?

You’re not alone…many new poultry farmers often face the same dilemma.

The good news is that both options work fine. Its largely a matter of personal preference and your individual circumstances.

In this article, I will try to cover the advantages and disadvantages of each option to help you make a decision.



Option 1: Day-old Chicks

This option involves the poultry farmer buying day-old chicks for keeping until the birds start laying eggs. Layer chickens usually start producing eggs around Week 18 or 19 although some chicken breeds take longer.  

ADVANTAGES OF STARTING OFF WITH DAY-OLD CHICKS

1. Spreading Costs

If you do not have all the capital required to buy point of lay birds, feed, and vaccines, it makes more sense to start with day-old chicks. Point of lay birds on average cost US$8 and to start off with 100 birds, for instance, you need US$800 to cover cost for hens only. Many small scale poultry farmers may not afford this initial capital outlay.

Starting with day-old chicks offers one the flexibility to buy feed and vaccines as and when required. This can be a more practical option for those with limited capital. Raising day-old chicks until they reach the point of lay stage is also slightly cheaper as compared to buying point of lay birds.



2. Experience

Starting off with day-old chicks offers the poultry farmer an opportunity to learn and gain experience on rearing layer chickens. Watching the baby chicks grow can be a fulfilling experience too. As the birds grow, a mutual connection and trust is built between the poultry farmer and the birds which is very important with layer chickens.

3. Management Practices 

Keeping day-old chicks allows the poultry farmer to have total control regarding vaccination schedules, feed quality, and ensuring the birds are raised under the best management practices.

This ensures a healthy flock is raised that lays good quality eggs. The poultry farmer will have the confidence that the birds have been raised under the best management practices.

4. Raising own specific breed

Some chicken breeds are hard to find at point of lay. The best option will be to buy chicks and raise the birds till maturity. For instance, there are few suppliers of good quality point of lay birds for breeds such as Kuroilers, Black Australorps, Rhode Island Red and Leghorns among others.

DISADVANTAGES OF STARTING WITH DAY-OLD CHICKS

1. Time Factor  

It takes 6 months on average before layer chickens start producing eggs. For some, this may be too long a period to wait before they can start getting a return on investment.



2. Poor management practices

Failure to properly raise the day-old chicks to maturity in terms of brooding, feed, vaccines, and housing among others can result in prevalence of diseases, high mortalities, and poor egg production. After such a wait, this can be a disappointing loss.

Option 2: Point of Lay Hens

These are birds raised by other breeders and sold just before they are due to start laying. Most point of lay birds are sold at around Week 16 or 17.

ADVANTAGES OF BUYING POINT OF LAY HENS

1. Quick Return

Provided the birds were raised under good management practices, one should start picking eggs within two weeks after purchase. It’s always advisable to buy from reputable suppliers with a good track record to avoid huge losses and disappointments.

2. Cost of Production

There is a slight difference in terms of costs of raising day-old chicks and buying point of lay hens. Factoring the time spent on brooding and rearing chicks to maturity, some people often find the extra stress as unnecessary and hence the decision to start off with point of lay birds.



2. Low Mortality Rates

Point of lay birds are mature and more resistant to diseases hence have a lower mortality rate as compared to day-old chicks. 

DISADVANTAGES OF BUYING POINT OF LAY HENS

1. High Initial Costs

For small-scale poultry farmers, buying point of lay birds, feed, and vaccines all at once may not be possible due to limited financial resources. Buying day-old chicks and spreading the costs over the next 6months may be the only viable option. To realise meaningful returns with layer chickens, one needs to start off with large numbers such as 100 birds and above. This may not be feasible with the option of buying point of lay birds.

2. Poor Flock Quality

This is one of the greatest risk of buying point of lay birds. If the supplier’s flock is of poor quality, egg production will also be low and hence a huge loss to one’s investment. Some suppliers do not feed or properly vaccinate their birds and coupled with a lack of proper records, this makes buying point of lay birds very risky.



3. Environmental Changes

Changes in the environment from supplier to new poultry farmer can result in egg production being affected or even mortalities being recorded. Diseases can also be imported resulting in extra costs to treat the sick birds. Change of feed also affects bird’s metabolism and egg production rate. In the event the birds fail to adapt to the new environment, this may result in losses to the new poultry farmer.

Conclusion

Personally I prefer to start off with day-old chicks and have the birds grow under my watch. What is your preference and why? Please post your feedback in the comment box below.