What is a Pullet Chicken? A Complete Guide

If you just got a chicken, you may have heard the word “pullet” and need to know what it means. A pullet is a young female chicken that is less than a year old and hasn’t started laying eggs yet. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about pullets and how a chicken grows from a chick to a hen.

The Chicken Lifecycle

To understand pullets, it helps to first learn about the general phases and timeline of a chicken’s life:

Chick – Newly hatched baby chicken under 8 weeks old. During this stage they are covered in soft down feathers.
Pullet – Immature female chicken between 8 to 20 weeks old They have grown most of their feathers but are not sexually mature.
Hen – Mature female chicken over 20 weeks old that has begun laying eggs.
A rooster is an adult male chicken that is at least 20 weeks old and can fertilize eggs. Also called a cock or cockerel.

The age when a pullet transitions to a laying hen depends on the breed, with some maturing faster like Leghorns and others slower like Cochins. On average, pullets start laying eggs between 16 to 24 weeks of age.

What is a Pullet?

One year old or younger, a pullet is the stage between a baby chick and an adult hen. Here’s a more detailed overview:

Has grown most feathers, but still developing
Comb and wattles are small and pinkish
No egg laying yet as reproductively immature
Age ranges from 8 to 20 weeks

You can buy pullets from hatcheries that are close to maturity and “point of lay”. This allows you to skip the chick raising stage. However, pullets are more expensive than chicks or started pullets around 17 weeks old.

Signs Your Pullet is Maturing

It can be hard to pinpoint exactly when your pullet will start laying her first egg. But here are some signs that maturity and egg laying is nearing:

Age reaches 16 to 24 weeks
Comb and wattles redden and enlarge
Pelvic bones begin separating
Squats frequently and stays lowered

Once she lays her first egg, your pullet officially becomes a hen! The first eggs may be small, soft, or oddly shaped as her body adjusts.

Advantages of Buying Pullets

Purchasing pullets close to laying age rather than chicks or hatching eggs has some nice benefits:

Quick egg production – No long wait for chicks to mature
Less supplies needed – Don’t need brooders, chick feed, etc.
No roosters – Guaraneteed hens that will lay eggs
Less work – Skip the delicate chick raising phase

The main downside is that pullets cost more than chicks. But for many flock owners, the extra cost is worth it for mature hens ready to lay eggs!

Caring for Pullets

Pullets require some special care compared to chicks or hens:

Proper feed – After 8 weeks provide a grower feed. Switch to a layer feed at 16 to 20 weeks.
Lighting – Increase day length to 14-16 hours when pullets reach 17 weeks to stimulate egg production.
Space – Ensure adequate room as pullets grow rapidly. 5 square feet per bird minimum.
Roosts – Add roosts at 6-10 weeks so pullets can learn to perch. Low roosts at first.
Be careful when integrating. If you’re adding pullets to a flock, do it slowly and watch out for bullying.

With the right feed, light, space, and care pullets will transition smoothly into productive, healthy hens!

Common Questions about Pullets

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about pullets:

Do pullet eggs taste different?

Pullet eggs taste much the same as mature hen eggs. Some find pullet eggs extra creamy. The first eggs are small though.

Can I hatch pullet eggs?

Yes, pullets can lay fertile eggs if exposed to a rooster. But pullet eggs tend to be smaller, resulting in smaller chicks.

What is a male pullet called?

Pullet only refers to young female chickens. Males are called cockerels until they mature.

When does a pullet become a hen?

Once a pullet starts consistently laying eggs at around 16-24 weeks old, she is considered a mature laying hen.

Final Tips on Pullets

Raising pullets can be rewarding but does require some extra management. Here are a few final tips:

Track pullet growth and development in a journal or planner.
Weigh pullets weekly to ensure proper growth and nutrition.
Provide extra calcium such as oyster shell when pullets near lay.
Be patient! Pullets develop on their own schedule.
Ask experienced chicken owners for advice if you have concerns.

Enjoy watching your pullets mature into productive hens! Let us know if you have any other pullet questions.

what is a pullet chicken

Selecting chicks and pullets

Under proper care, healthy, well-bred chicks make for good layers. Selecting the right type of chick is key to efficient production. Small-bodied commercial White Leghorns that produce a lot of eggs at a low cost are the best layer hens. Some commercial brown egg-laying chickens lay nearly as well as White Leghorns.

Instead of trying to use a breed that isn’t good for either egg production or meat production, you might want to raise some good egg-type pullets and some broiler crosses for meat. Pullets refer to young chickens that are less than one year of age.

Order sexed pullet chicks when purchasing layers. You don’t need males in a layer flock unless you want fertile eggs to hatch, and roosters are usually against city rules for backyard chickens. Commercial hatcheries and jobbers can provide healthy chicks or pullets for layer flocks.

It’s best to keep pullets from becoming sexually mature until they are bigger before they start laying eggs. An increase in day length encourages early sexual maturity of the pullet. For chicks that were born between April and August, the natural day length can be used because the days are getting shorter as the growth period ends. These birds will respond favorably to increased light stimulation when they are physically ready to come into production.

Producers with small flocks should consider starting chicks after March, since less heat will be required to brood them. Brooding is the process of raising chicks, which includes keeping their body temperatures warm. To maintain the chicks’ body temperature, flock owners use warming houses called brooders.

Consider purchasing started pullets. Evaluate the cost of raising a started pullet yourself so you can compare it to your dealer’s prices. Here are some tips and tricks to help you calculate costs.

Multiply your chick cost by 1. 1 to allow for possible death or culling.
From hatch to 20 weeks-old. Leghorn pullets will eat 16 to 18 pounds per bird. Birds that are fully grown will eat 20 to 22 pounds each.
Let’s say that the value of your equipment will drop over 10 years and the value of your home will drop over 20 years.
Include costs for litter, heat for brooding, lights, medication, etc.
Include any money paid for work done to take care of the flock.
Convert your figure to a per-pullet basis for comparison.

Late spring and summer housing needs for brooding and rearing chicks and pullets are minimal. You can use any small building that meets the floor space needs of your chicks and pullets. After brooding, you can raise pullets in a fenced range or yard with a covered shelter for protection.

You can buy brooding, feeding and watering equipment from local feed and farm supply outfits. Some of the equipment you can build yourself. You can also check with local farmers for used equipment. Remember to always clean and disinfect any equipment before introducing the birds.

You may use roosts for pullets over 6 weeks of age. A roost is a perch that birds use to rest on at night. Use rounded, 2-inch, non-metal materials placed 12 to 15 inches apart. You can slant the roosting rack from the floor to about 24 inches high on the wall. You could also place it on a screened platform over a dropping pit. Allow 6 linear inches of roosting space for pullets.

From one day to six weeks old, each chick needs ½ square foot of space in the brooder house.
When kept in a small space during the growing stage (6 to 15 weeks old), each Leghorn pullet needs 1½ to 2 square feet of space.
When they are growing up, each adult pullet needs 2 to 2 ½ square feet of floor space.

Thoroughly clean and disinfect the house and equipment before starting chicks. For used houses,

Remove litter, manure, dust and cobwebs from the house.
Wash the house using pressurized water.
Rub and scrape off all the organic matter that’s on the building and equipment.
Disinfect the building and equipment using an appropriate disinfectant. Make sure to follow the directions on the manufacturer’s label.
Dry and air out the building.
You can cover the floor with 2 to 4 inches of wood shavings, straw, or other litter.
Set up a cardboard fence around the area where the chicks will be brooding to keep them close to the heat source for the first week.

Example of a brooder for 20 to 50 chicks.

Brooders are warming houses used to maintain the body temperatures of young birds. There are numerous heat sources you can use to warm the brooder including: infrared lamps, simple light bulbs or small electric elements.

Infrared lamps are a good heat source for brooding chicks. Use porcelain sockets approved for infrared lamps. Suspend the lamps at least 15 inches from the litter using a chain or wire (not the electric cord).

One 250 watt infrared lamp is generally sufficient for heating 80 chicks with an average brooder house temperature of 50 F. You can add one chick to this estimate for every degree over 50 F. It’s best to provide more than one lamp. This will make sure the chicks are with heat if one lamp burns out.

An example of a basic brooding area.

You can supply more heat by lowering the lamps to 15 inches above the litter or by using a higher-wattage lamp. You can reduce the heat by turning off some lamps, using smaller lamps or raising the lamp to 24 inches above the litter. Always base chick comfort on their body temperature, not the air temperature.

You can purchase small brooders with electric heating elements.

You can also use a simple light bulb brooder similar to the one shown. You can simply change the bulb size in this unit to adjust the temperature.

Most of the larger brooders use gas or oil as fuel to more adequately supply heat.

When using a brooder, start the chicks at 90 to 95 F. Make sure to take this temperature 2 inches off the floor, under the edge of the hover. Reduce the temperature by 5 F per week until the chicks no longer need supplemental heat.

You can watch the chicks to gauge their comfort level. If the chicks crowd together they need more heat. If the chicks move away from the heat source, they’re too hot. Allow 7 to 10 square inches of space under the brooder for each chick.

Start the brooder the day before the chicks arrive and adjust it to the proper temperature.

Complete feeds from the local feed store are a good option for small flock owners. Farms that have good mixing facilities for other livestock can use local grains mixed with the proper commercial concentrate. Follow the directions provided by your local feed supplier.

A starter mash is generally fed for the first 6 to 8 weeks. Place the feed on chick box lids or trays for the first few days. Make sure the chicks have water as soon as they arrive. Provide 1 linear inch of feeder space per chick at the hoppers at first. You can increase the space to 2 inches once the chicks are 2 weeks old.

After 8 weeks of age, pullets are then given a grower or developer mash. You can then increase the feeder space to 3 to 4 inches per growing pullet. Once the pullets start laying (about 20 weeks of age) you can start the birds on a laying mash.

A hanging tube-type feeder 15 inches in diameter will feed about 30 birds. The birds will waste less feed if you fill the hoppers half full and adjust the feeder height or size to meet the birds’ size. You should have at least three sizes of hoppers to use for growing birds.

A yard or range can supplement pullet diets with green feed. Make sure chicks or pullets have chick- or pullet- sized grit available at the appropriate age. Try to keep your growing pullets within body-weight guidelines provided by the breeder.

Provide a one-gallon water fountain per 50 chicks during the first 2 weeks. Increase the number or size of waterers from 2 to 10 weeks to provide 40 inches of watering space per 100 birds or 1 gallon capacity per 10 birds if using fountains.

Use a platform under waterers to avoid wet litter. Automatic waterers can save you labor, even with small flocks. Make sure chicks and pullets always have access to fresh, clean water.

Keeping the birds healthy

Separate your birds from other flocks, pets and wildlife.
Limit visitors from entering your poultry house and yard.
Keep your flock’s area free of rodents.
Keep wild birds out of the chicken coop by putting up screens.

Change the yard and range areas every year so the birds don’t always be on the same ground.
Routinely clean your flock’s housing area.
During the time of brooding and growth, use a low-level coccidiostat drug in the feed.
Occasionally check birds for lice and mites.