Raising chickens is a rewarding and sustainable way to provide your family with fresh eggs or meat. But where do you begin when purchasing baby chicks or adults? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll help you navigate the world of online chicken breeders, so you can confidently make the best choice for your flock and enjoy the benefits of raising happy, healthy chickens from the best chicken breeders.
Short Summary
- Research hatcheries and reviews to ensure the successful purchase of chicks online.
- Consider breed selection, vaccinations, and guarantees offered when buying chickens online.
- Decide whether baby chicks or mature chickens are best for your needs based on cost, experience level & desired bond with the bird.
17 Top Chicken Breeders to Consider in 2023
Finding the right hatchery is essential for a successful start in raising your flock. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve compiled a list of 17 top chicken breeders to consider when looking for the best hatcheries to buy chicks or adults online in 2023. These reputable hatcheries offer various breeds, from the most common to the rare and exotic, ensuring you find the perfect birds for your flock.
These breeds are available whether you’re looking for a specific breed or want to explore the options.
Cackle Hatchery
Cackle Hatchery, a third-generation family business, offers over 200 varieties of poultry, including day-old baby chicks from many breeds. They have expertise in breeding poultry with pure pedigree. These birds may either be meat chickens or hybrid breeds. Vaccination fees at the Cackle Hatchery are $10 for any chicks under 66, including female chicks.
They are also a one-stop shop for poultry supplies, including chicken-keeping products like nesting pads, brooders, and feeders, ensuring you have everything you need to raise happy and healthy chicks.
Their cancellation policy is more generous than most, allowing cancellations up to 48 hours before the ship date, but modifications to existing orders are not allowed.
Freedom Ranger Hatchery
Located in Lancaster County, PA, Freedom Ranger Hatchery specializes in slow-growing broiler chickens well-suited for organic growing methods. The Freedom Ranger breed originated in France and is an ideal choice for pasturing and organic growing due to its slower growth rate than other commercial poultry breeds.
Their expertise in slower-growing broiler chickens and location in Pennsylvania, Dutch country, make them an excellent option for those seeking high-quality table birds.
Happy Feet Hatchery
For those interested in heritage and rare and heritage breeds, Happy Feet Hatchery is a small, family-run hatchery that prioritizes quality and customer service. They offer many heritage and rare breeds, ensuring you can find the perfect chickens for your flock.
With an ordering process that requires a minimum of 6-day-old chicks, Happy Feet Hatchery caters to small-scale backyard chicken owners.
Heritage Poultry Breeders
Heritage Poultry Breeders is a small, family-run hatchery specializing in heritage and rare breeds, focusing on quality and customer service. They provide a variety of heritage breeds, including:
- Rhode Island Reds
- Plymouth Rocks
- Sussex
- Orpingtons
- Wyandottes
Ensuring you can find the perfect chicken breeds for your flock.
With an emphasis on quality and customer service, Heritage Poultry Breeders is a great choice for those looking to buy chickens online.
Hoover’s Hatchery
Hoover’s Hatchery is known for its exemplary customer service and the premium quality of its chicks. Offering over 100 breeds, including some designer breeds created for them, Hoover’s Hatchery has a wide variety.
With a minimum order of 15 birds and a vaccination fee of $0.20 per bird, Hoover’s Hatchery is a great option for those looking to start or expand their flock.
If you’ve ever seen baby chicks for sale at Tractor Supply, those chicks are from Hoover’s Hatchery.
Ideal Poultry
Ideal Poultry, a family-owned hatchery, offers the following:
- Baby chicks
- Bantams
- Baby ducks
- Baby geese
- Hatching eggs
- Pullets
There is no minimum order amount, provided the total is at least $30.00. They also charge a handling fee of $7.00 for orders under 100 chicks.
Ideal poultry is a great option for those looking for a wide selection of poultry without the need to commit to large minimum order quantities.
J&M
J&M Hatchery, located in Pennsylvania, specializes in providing unique breeds such as White Bantam Silkies, French Guinea Fowl Keets, and White Muscovy Ducks. To ensure the chicks arrive alive, J&M Hatchery adds 2% to every order and boxes the baby chicks according to the season, considering the need to protect them from heat or keep the warmth in for cold weather.
With a minimum order of 25 birds per shipment and a 3-week advance notice for orders, J&M Hatchery is a great choice for those seeking distinctive breeds.
Jenk’s Hatchery
Jenk’s. Hatchery, the oldest hatchery in America, offers free USPS shipping and vaccinations with a 95% success rate in sexing chicks. They provide a variety of poultry breeds, including the Moyer’s brown egg layer, a hybrid chicken breed resulting from a cross between a White Rock egg-layer type female and a Rhode Island Red male.
With competitive pricing, including a discount of more than $2 per bird for 100 chicks or more purchases, Jenk’s Hatchery is a reliable choice for those looking to start or expand their flock.
Meyer Hatchery
Meyer Hatchery, a pioneer in poultry farming, offers low minimum orders, leg banding for rare breeds, and a 100% guarantee in sexing chicks. They provide over 160 poultry breeds, including baby chicks, juvenile birds, and mature chickens.
Meyer Hatchery stands out with its variety of services, including:
- Bulk discounting
- A 100% guarantee in sexing chicks
- Leg banding for rare breeds
- Hatching eggs
- Supplies
- Coops
- Books
- Pullets
Moyer’s Chicks Hatchery
Moyer’s (Moyer’s chicks) is a small, family-managed, owned hatchery offering various poultry breeds, including the Moyer’s brown egg layer, a hybrid chicken breed resulting from a cross between a White Rock egg-layer type female and a Rhode Island Red male. With an emphasis on quality and customer service, Moyer is an excellent choice for those looking for a wide range of poultry breeds.
Moyer’s brown egg layer is a hybrid chicken breed known for its high egg production.
Murray McMurray Hatchery
Murray McMurray is Murray McMurray. Hatchery, a large American hatchery based in Iowa, is best known for its chicks and offers a sexing guarantee. They provide a wide selection of chicks, including ducklings, turkeys, and game birds.
The live arrival guarantee ensures that chicks that arrive deceased will be refunded or replaced. With its extensive range of breeds and focus on quality, Murray McMurray Hatchery is a reliable choice for purchasing chickens online.
My Pet Chicken
My Pet Chicken specializes in small orders and offers gear such as coops, brooders, and a host of other chicken supplies, in addition to selling chicks online. They provide a wide variety of poultry, including:
- Baby chicks
- Bantams
- Baby ducks
- Baby geese
- Fertilized
- Hatching eggs
- Pullets
With a minimum order of three chicks and a Marek’s disease vaccination available for $3 per chick, My Pet Chicken is a great option for small-scale backyard chicken owners.
Purely Poultry
Purely Poultry, a family-owned business in Wisconsin, sells chicks, fertilized eggs for hatching, and rare breeds, focusing on sustainability. They offer over 300 breeds of birds, including baby chick breeds, egg layers, table birds, and rare breeds.
With shipping included in their Quick Chicks program, Purely Poultry makes starting or expanding your flock easy.
Stromberg’s Chicks and Game Birds Unlimited
Stromberg’s offers many breeds of chicks, fertilized eggs, and adults, with a live bird guarantee and a 10% discount for joining their email list. They provide a wide selection of breeds and are known for their quality and variety of poultry equipment.
Stromberg’s is a reliable option for those purchasing chickens online, with the added benefit of their email list discount.
Townline Hatchery
Townline Hatchery offers:
- A reliable reputation
- Hands-on employees
- Good customer service
- A minimum order of 15 chicks
- Dependability
- Consistent availability of chicks throughout the year
With various discounts for larger orders, Townline Hatchery is a great choice for those purchasing chickens online. They are four generations strong and serving the poultry community since 1913/
Welp Hatchery
Welp Hatchery, one of the best hatcheries to buy chickens, sells various breeds and poultry types, including meat birds, rare breeds, and equipment, with a minimum purchase requirement of 25 chicks. They offer various poultry breeds, ensuring you can find the perfect birds for your flock.
With a focus on quality and customer service, Welp Hatchery is a great choice for those looking to buy chickens online. They provide a wide selection of breeds, a minimum purchase requirement of 25 chicks, and excellent breeding conditions.
Backyard Bantams Hatchery
Backyard Bantams. Hatchery is a small, family-owned hatchery offering a variety of bantam breeds, with a focus on quality and customer service. They provide a selection of bantam breeds, including:
- Silkies
- Polish
- Cochin
- and others
This ensures you can find the perfect chickens for your flock.
With an emphasis on quality and customer service, Backyard Bantams Hatchery is a great choice for those looking to buy chickens online.
Note: This hatchery also offers many other standard-sized chicken breeds.
Buying Chicks vs. Adult Chickens: Which is Right for You?
Consider your goals, expenses, and experience level when purchasing chicks or adults. Buying chicks can be cost-effective and provide access to more information about specific breeds and the convenience of purchasing all necessary items in one place. However, there is a risk of poor conditions during transport, potential inaccurate sexing, and the requirement to order a minimum of 25 or 50 chicks.
On the other hand, purchasing adults offers the advantage of selecting an exact gender count, avoiding the risk of mis-sexing, and circumventing the need to order a minimum of 25 or 50 chicks. Additionally, adult birds tend to be more expensive than baby chicks, and there needs to be more information regarding specific breeds and the requirement to purchase all necessary items from a single source.
Online vs. Local Chicken Breeders
Buying chickens from online hatcheries offers a broader selection of breeds and species, including both baby chicks and mature birds. Online hatcheries also provide the convenience of purchasing all necessary items in one place, making it easy to start or expand your flock. However, there is a risk of poor conditions during transport and the potential for inaccurate sexing, as well as the requirement to order a minimum of 25 or 50 chicks.
When purchasing chickens locally, you can observe the facilities in person, ensuring the health and well-being of your new flock.
Additionally, buying from a local feed store allows you to acquire exactly the number of birds you desire without needing a minimum order. However, local breeders may have a more limited selection of breeds and species than online hatcheries.
Tips for a Successful Chicken Purchase
To ensure a successful chicken purchase, follow these steps:
- Research hatcheries and check their reputation and reviews online.
- Seek advice from experienced chicken owners and become familiar with the hatchery’s policies.
- When selecting chickens, look for signs of good health, such as good feather condition, bright eyes, clear nostrils, and clean vent areas.
- Consider the minimum order requirements, breed selection, type of chickens, vaccinations, shipping arrangements, and weather conditions when purchasing chicks online.
When buying chicks, consider the following:
- Whether you want pullets or cockerels, this will affect the price and quantity of your order
- If you’re purchasing chicks during extreme weather conditions, opt for hatcheries that offer live arrival guarantees and refunds for incorrectly sexed chicks
- Don’t forget to check the reputation and adherence to local and national regulations of the hatchery you’re considering
Caring for Your New Chickens
Once you have your new chickens, it’s important to provide them with a warm, dry, and safe environment. Ensure they have access to clean water and a complete chick starter feed from the day of their arrival. Monitor your chicks for signs of illness, such as pasty butt, which the stress of shipping can cause. If you’re introducing new chickens to an existing flock, quarantine them for 30 days to ensure they are healthy before integrating them with your other birds.
Maintaining a clean and comfortable living space for your chickens is vital for their health and well-being. Provide them with proper housing, feeding, and health care to ensure they thrive in their new environment. Following these tips and selecting the right hatchery will prepare you to raise happy, healthy chickens.
Related: Beginner Chicken Tips
Which Hatcheries Sell Hatching Eggs?
If you’re interested in incubating and hatching your chicks, several hatcheries sell fertilized eggs for hatching. Some of these include:
- Cackle Hatchery
- Meyer Hatchery
- Deer Run Farm
- McMurray Hatchery
Remember that when selecting hatching eggs, factors such as the breed of chicken, the age of the eggs, and the incubation process are essential to consider.
Which Hatcheries Sell Meat Birds?
For those interested in raising chickens for meat production, several hatcheries offer meat birds. Hoover’s Hatchery and Cackle Hatchery offer Cornish Cross, Freedom Ranger, and Red Ranger meat birds. Selecting one of these hatcheries allows you to access various meat bird breeds for your flock.
These hatcheries provide a wide selection of breeds, so you can choose the one that is right for you.
Things to Consider When Buying Chicks Online
When buying chicks online, consider the following factors:
- The reputation and reviews of the seller
- The breed selection available
- The vaccinations the chicks have received
- Any guarantees offered, such as correctly sexed chicks
These factors will help you purchase healthy, high-quality chicks for your flock.
Take the time to research the seller and read reviews from other customers. Make sure the breed selection is good.
Reputation and Reviews – How to Check Them Out
To check the reputation and reviews of online hatcheries, browse online forums, Facebook groups, and YouTube for reviews and unboxing videos, such as this one with chicks from Cackle Hatchery. Gathering reviews and ratings online will help you decide which hatchery to choose for purchasing your chickens.
Doing research online is a great way to get an idea of the quality of the hatchery.
Breed Selection
Selecting the right breed for your flock is essential. Consult a reputable and knowledgeable chicken keeper to determine the best breed for your location and climate.
Make sure to choose a breed that aligns with your goals, whether it’s egg-laying, meat production, or simply as pets.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations are crucial for the health of your chicks. Many hatcheries offer vaccinations for Marek’s disease, Newcastle disease, and other poultry diseases to ensure the health of their chicks.
Be sure to inquire about vaccinations when purchasing chicks online, as they can help protect your flock from potential diseases.
Guarantees
Guarantees are essential when purchasing live chicks online. Many hatcheries offer live arrival guarantees, ensuring that chicks that arrive deceased will be refunded or replaced. Some hatcheries also offer sexing guarantees, assuring that the chicks will be accurately identified as the gender you ordered.
These guarantees can provide extra peace of mind when buying chicks online.
Should I Buy Baby Chicks or Adult Birds?
Whether to buy baby chicks or adult birds depends on your goals, expenses, and experience level. Here are some factors to consider.
- Baby chicks are generally more cost-effective than adult birds.
- Raising baby chicks allows for a stronger bond with the bird and a rewarding experience, especially for children.
- Baby chicks require additional care and attention, including providing heat, proper nutrition, and protection from predators.
- There is the possibility of some baby chicks not surviving the journey.
- Adult birds are already mature and may be easier to care for, but they may need more time to bond with their owners.
Consider these factors when making your decision.
On the other hand, purchasing adult birds allows you to bypass some expenses and effort associated with raising baby chicks, such as providing a brooder and starter feed. Adult birds are usually more expensive than baby chicks, but they require less care and can begin producing eggs or meat sooner than chicks.
Buying baby chicks or adult birds ultimately depends on your preferences and goals.
Conclusion
Raising chickens can be a rewarding and sustainable way to provide fresh eggs or meat for your family. By selecting the right hatchery, considering factors such as reputation, breed selection, vaccinations, guarantees, and whether to buy baby chicks or adult birds, you’ll be well on your way to raising a happy, healthy flock. With the information in this comprehensive guide, you can confidently navigate the world of online chicken breeders and make the best choice for your flock.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best place to get chickens?
The best place to get chickens is online from one of the top 12 hatcheries. It’s quick and convenient and ensures you get quality chickens.
What chicken breed sells the best?
Easter Eggers are the top-selling chicken breed in 2022, famous for their friendly demeanor and large eggs in shades of blue and green.
They are a great choice for backyard chicken keepers, as they are easy to care for and require minimal space. They are also known for their hardiness and ability to withstand cold temperatures.
What is the best breed of chicken, and why?
The Rhode Island Red is the best breed of chicken for backyard chook keepers, known for its hardiness and ability to thrive in any environment. It is a popular choice for those who want to keep chickens in their backyard, as it is easy to care for and can provide a steady supply of eggs. The Rhode Island Red is also known for its friendly nature, making it a great color.
Is cackle hatchery legit?
Cackle Hatchery is a reliable place to buy hatching eggs, baby chicks and adult chickens with great customer service and animal welfare at the forefront. People have had very positive experiences and would recommend them.
Is it safe to buy chickens online?
Yes, it is safe to buy chickens online when purchasing from a reputable hatchery like Freedom Ranger. Their shared faith and family traditions lead to the highest quality day-old chicks, hatching eggs, guinea chicks, and silkie chicks.
These chickens are bred for their hardiness, and they are raised in a humane and natural environment. The hatchery is committed to providing the best quality poultry products, guaranteeing the best quality.
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