Chick Hatchery Guide: Get Started With Day Old Chicks

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Hand in hand with our previous article about armchair gardening we put together a handy list of hatcheries for those looking to start raising themselves some fine feathered friends. Believe it or not, hatcheries routinely ship chicks across the country via USPS — you just have to be willing to order a minimum number required by the hatchery.

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Now is a great time to start raising baby chicks provided you have a warm, draft-free environment. We’ve made sure to include the name, address, phone number, URL, and any thoughts we have about the assorted hatcheries listed below.

Cackle Hatchery
http://www.cacklehatchery.com/
411 W Commercial St
Lebanon, MO 65536
417-532-4581
Email: cacklehatchery@cacklehatchery.com

Fairly old and well-established hatchery that is smack dab in the middle of the country. They frequently have sales and have a good reputation. They also have a wide selection of bird types including many rarer ones.

Country Hatchery
http://www.countryhatchery.net/
P.O. Box 747
Wewoka, OK 74884
405-257-1236
Email: info@countryhatchery.net

A nice, friendly little hatchery that loves to help you select the very best for where you are. They state that they are an old-fashioned business that answers phone calls and they’re right!

Ideal Hatchery
http://www.idealpoultry.com/
P.O. Box 591
Cameron, TX 76520-0591
254-697-6677
Email: sales@idealpoultry.com

Email is manned by real people who actually know about chickens. Very helpful and friendly. Quality is great. Carries: chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, bantams, guineas, pheasants, partridges.

Meyer Hatchery
https://www.meyerhatchery.com
626 State Route 89
Polk, OH 44866
888-568-9755
Email: info@meyerhatchery.com

This is pretty much the standard, go to hatchery on the East Coast and Midwest. That being said, they’re good and they will ship small numbers of chickens during the warm season. They have great customer service by phone, never emailed.

Murray McMurray Hatchery
https://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/index.html
PO Box 458, 191 Closz Drive
Webster City, IA 50595
800-456-3280

Carries started pullets, meat – everything, including “special packages” – a specialty order that contains several types of poultry geared towards a specific purpose, such as the Frying Pan special or the Top Hat.

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And here are some other well known hatcheries that we haven’t personally dealt with:

Belt Hatchery
http://www.belthatchery.com/
7272 S. West Ave.
Fresno, CA 93706
Phone: 559-264-2090 / Fax: 559-264-2095
Email: orders@belthatchery.com

Phone, fax and email orders (no online orders). There is an extra charge if you order more than one breed to meet the minimum requirement. They maintain their own breeding flocks.

Dunlap Hatchery
https://www.dunlaphatchery.net/default.aspx
Box 507 – 4703, E. Cleveland Blvd.
Caldwell, Idaho 83606
208-459-9088

Established in 1918, they have a store as well and do phone orders, MO and checks.

Hoffman Hatchery
http://www.hoffmanhatchery.com/
P.O. Box 129
Gratz, PA 17030
717-365-3694

Started in 1948 with one small Sears-Roebuck incubator. Family-run business. Only accepts checks and money orders. Orders must be mailed in.

Hoovers Hatchery
https://hoovershatchery.com/
P.O. Box 200
Rudd, IA 50471
1-800-247-7014
Email: sales@hoovershatchery.com

Established 1944. Free shipping, rare breeds, meat birds, bantams.

Ideal Poultry
http://www.idealpoultry.com/
PO Box 591
Cameron, TX 76520
254-697-6677

Minimum order $25.00. Accepts Paypal. Claim to be the largest supplier of backyard poultry in the United States, shipping close to 5 million chicks annually. Offers surplus chick bargains and make your own mix.

Moyer’s Chicks
http://www.moyerschicks.com/
266 E. Paletown Road
Quakertown, PA 18951
215-536-3155

Started in 1946. They hatch out year-round. They sell their own hybrid cross chickens.

Myers Poultry
http://www.myerspoultry.com/
966 Ragers Hill Rd.
South Fork, PA 15956
814-539-7026

150+ varieties. Payment information must be phoned in.

Purely Poultry
https://www.purelypoultry.com/
PO Box 466
Fremont WI 54940
920-472-4068

300+ breeds of chickens, bantams, ducks, geese, turkeys, guineas, peafowl, pheasants, ornamentals, chukars, swans and quail.

Ridgeway Hatchery
http://www.ridgwayhatchery.com/
615 N. High St., Box 306
Larue, OH 43332
800-323-3825

In business 93 years. Orders are placed online and then you call in your payment information.

Sand Hill Preservation Center
http://www.sandhillpreservation.com/
1878 230th Street
Calamus, Iowa 52729

“We are doing this as a hobby business service and we work as fast and efficiently as the time allows. If you are impatient and absolutely have to have something by a certain date, please do us and yourself a favor and order from somewhere else.” Linda and Glenn run this as a labor of love.

Schlecht Hatchery
http://www.schlechthatchery.com/
9749 500th Avenue
Miles, IA 52064
563-682-7865
Email: poultry@schlechthatchery.com

Smaller selection but they do all of their own breeding.

Welp Hatchery
http://www.welphatchery.com/
PO Box 77
Bancroft, IA 50517
1-800-458-4473

Started in 1929. Broilers are specialty. Accepts money orders. No additional shipping charges.

Do you have a favorite hatchery or have a comment about one listed here? Tell us about it in a comment below!

Keeping Chickens as Pets

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It’s popular to keep chickens for eggs and for meat, but what about keeping a chicken as a pet? In some countries, this is actually quite popular. Cat, dog, or chicken? Any chicken can ideally be a pet if raised gently, but some breeds make much better pets than others. Keeping a chicken as a pet isn’t much different from regular chicken husbandry, but there are a few things you should keep in mind.

Start From the Beginning

There are few things quite as rewarding from raising a chicken from an egg, or at least a very young chick. One can purchase young chicks online or from their local farm supply store and must keep them in an incubator for the first several weeks. The more you handle them and the gentler you are with them, the more your chicks will trust you and respond well to human touch. Squat down to handle your chicks, don’t make fast motions, feed them from your hands, and make sure that small children don’t run around them or handle them roughly. Teach your children to handle them gently, to feed them, and to treat the birds well. This is an excellent chance to educate your children and sure to create a lasting relationship between your kids and your family’s new pets.

Some Breeds Are Better Choices Than Others

While all chickens can make decent pets, some are naturally better tempered than others. Hens are the best choice and quiet, gentle breeds make the best bets. Bantam chickens are much smaller than regular breeds, making them easier to hold. Looks, coloring, and size are all a matter of preference.

Silkie Chickens make excellent pets and their silk-like feathers make them appealing to hold as well. Docile, soft, and easy to carry, the Silkie Chicken is the ideal pet. They are friendly, especially if they’re been handled frequently from the time they were young. Silkie Chickens also make excellent mothers, so if you want to increase the size of your flock this breed may be just what you’re looking for.

Ameraucana chickens are also popular pets and an added perk is that they lay lovely, colorful eggs. They are known for their unique looks and their gentle temperament. They are not the best egg layers when it comes to quantity, but they are good with children, easy to care for, and even-tempered.

Other breeds that make excellent pets are Cochins, Mille Fleurs, Brahmas, Austerlorps, Sussex, Plymouth Rocks, and Buff Orpingtons. No matter which breed you choose, do your research! Each has distinct advantages and disadvantages.

Keeping Your Pets Safe

Before buying your first chicks, take account of the pets you already have. Dogs and chickens often don’t mix well. Certain breeds, like Jack Russell Terriers, have been bred to kill small creatures. A chasing, nipping dog can easily kill a chicken. Training a puppy to be gentle with chicks and chickens is much easier than training a full-grown dog to do the same things. Even when you have trained your dog, it’s never wise to leave your dog alone with your pet chickens. The results can be disastrous. The same can be said for cats. Keep in mind that many creatures prey on chickens and that you must take extra precautions to keep your pets from becoming another animal’s dinner.