Chickens are bought as either straight run or as pullets. Straight run means that you will get a mix of male and female chicks, while pullets are only female chicks. The main difference between the two is that straight run chicks have not been sexed, while pullets have. This means that you can’t be sure of the sexes of the chicks in a straight run, but all pullets will be female.
Another difference is that straight run chicks are usually cheaper than pullets. This is because it is more expensive to sex chicks, so farmers will charge more for chicks that have been sexed.
Pullets are usually bought by people who want to keep chickens for eggs. This is because hens are needed to lay eggs, and only female chicks can grow up to be hens. If you want to keep chickens for meat, then it doesn’t matter whether you buy straight run or pullets, as both male and female chicks can be used for meat.
So, if you want to be sure of getting only female chicks, then you should buy pullets. But if you’re not too worried about the sexes of your chicks, then straight run will be cheaper.