Sourcing, care and management of day-old chicks

Either would work. Both have some advantages and disadvantages. If you start with day old chicks, you have the advantage of knowing exactly where the chicks came from and how they were treated from day one.

However, you have to brood the chicks, which requires a brooder set up and extra equipment, expense, and work. Buying fully feathered, or started, birds is a lot less work

You won't need equipment to brood the chicks, and you won't need to worry that a power outage or a cold snap will harm your chicks.

On the other hand, you have less control over how they were raised and only some varieties of chickens are available as started birds. For heritage breeds you don't have the option to buy them as started birds.

Personally, I would buy started birds if

A. You are farming chickens rather than raising backyard chickens or show birds, B. The breed you want is available, C. You trust the supplier, and D. The extra cost of the started birds is about the same as you'd pay to buy/build a brooder, pay for the lights, heat, electricity, feed, and time to care for chicks, and E. You want to get eggs a couple of months sooner and/or its worth paying a little more to not mess with brooding chicks

I'd buy chicks if A. You are raising backyard birds or show birds,

B. You want to tame your chicks--this must be started on day one and done every day to be successful, C. The breeds you want to raise aren't available as started birds, and D. It's much cheaper in your situation based on your calculations

Good luck!