Just my opinion about getting chicks versus grown chickens.
My first six girls were pullets, 6-8 weeks old. They were big enough to put out in the coop and did not need constant attention like chicks would, but still young enough to be goofy-looking and cute. My pullets are now 3.5 years old, sweet as can be, come when they're called, give me eggs every day and are just a great addition to our family. If you buy chicks, whether you mail order them or buy them from a feed store, you are essentially buying them from a large-scale chicken factory. These are factory farms. And
mailing baby chicks? Really? These aren't shoes that you buy on Amazon, they are living things, little, weak and helpless.
You can adopt "rescue" chickens from farm sanctuaries (the most well-known is Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, NY,
http://www.farmsanctuary.org but others are popping up all over the US). Some of these birds have been seized in cruelty cases and some have come from factory farms. They are all individuals with their own personalities, just like our cats and dogs, and can make great pets, and still produce eggs. They are all vet checked before being adopted out.
You can certainly take chickens from people who no longer want them, just be sure to have them checked by a vet. You never know about the care they received from the former owners and can have illnesses that you may not want to be introducing into your flock. I'm not saying that you shouldn't take them, just that you should have them looked at by a vet.
