Pullet Confusion

It’s unbearably common for wrong teaching or misconception on what exactly a pullet is.

The definition of a pullet is this simple: “a female chicken that is less than a year old”.

Wrong teaching

Just about every other first-time chicken keeper will confidently say “a pullet is any chicken that is in its teenage stage”. I saw this literally professionally written on a chart at a large farm store recently— more uneducated teaching for newcomers to be confused.

Correct teaching

A pullet is a “pullet” from day #1, to day #365. Yes, day-old pullets are sold just about every day from hatcheries across the word. A day-old or juvenile male chicken is called a “cockerel”, never a “pullet”. You can call juvenile female chickens pullets, but remember whether they’re a day old or any age under a year, they’re still a pullet.

Importance of correcting

Like I said above, it’s overwhelmingly common for poultry-keepers to get this confused. You never want to go to a farm with the intention of buying juveniles, and end up getting day-olds due to a misunderstanding on what a pullet is— and believe me, you don’t want to be the seller in that case ether. Always remember, a pullet is “a female chicken that is less than a year old”.