Definition of a Pullet

I had to look this definition up, because we ordered “pullets” from the feed store in Amish territory and expected to pick up young hens – instead we picked up day-old peeps!  The definition for a pullet from the dictionary is: a young hen; specifically : a hen of the domestic chicken less than a year old.  So I guess that leaves it pretty much wide open.

When we think of a pullet, we think of a female chicken that’s just old enough to start laying eggs.  But that’s not what the definition is in Amish territory in Ohio – there it’s a day-old female laying chicken – as opposed to a day-old female broiling chicken, for example.  It just never occurred to me that a pullet and day-old chick could be the same thing.

So, we were shocked, but we have 25 peeps (they’re Golden Comets) to raise again this spring.  The good thing about that is it’s really pretty easy to raise peeps  in the springtime as temperatures are warming up.  It wasn’t long ago that we were raising the Buckeyes chicks, and we still have all the equipment so it wasn’t very hard handling the new additions (see Raising Day-Old Chicks).  We started with 25 on May 10th and still have them all – so they seem to be doing well.

There wasn’t room in the barn (it’s full of goat kids) or regular chicken coop for more peeps though, so we got another coop.  And, it’s a cute little thing – perfect for raising peeps or separating out broody hens, etc.  It’s the same design as the large coop, just more compact and colorful.  Just right for new “pullets”!