Ordering baby chicks online is a fun and exciting process but you have to do some homework, especially if you have only purchased from a local feed store. 

Here are some tips to help ensure a safe and successful online order of baby chicks:

1. Research the hatchery: Before ordering from a hatchery, do some research to make sure that they have a good reputation and have a track record of successfully shipping healthy chicks. Read reviews and ask for recommendations from other chicken keepers in your area. Hint. Hint. We are a pretty amazing hatchery! 🙂
2. Check shipping dates: Make sure that the shipping dates work with your schedule and the climate in your area. You don’t want the chicks to arrive during extremely hot or cold weather. We make sure to only ship chicks if your night time temperatures are at least 40 degrees to ensue safe passage of the chicks from us to you.
3. Know what you’re ordering: Be sure to read the descriptions carefully to ensure that you’re getting the breed, sex, and number of chicks that you want. Make sure to educate yourself on the different between “guaranteed female chicks” (females) and “straight run” (50/50 chance of being male or female).
4. Shipping and delivery: The hatchery will package and ship the chicks to you via USPS or another carrier. When the chicks arrive, go to your post office to pick them up. We put your phone number on top of the shipping box so they can give you a ring when they arrive. 🙂

When you have the mail order chicks in your possession:

1. Inspect the chicks upon arrival: When the chicks arrive, carefully inspect them for any signs of illness or injury. Make sure that they are active, alert, and have access to food and water. We have an excellent section on our website for first time chicken keepers here!
2. Provide proper care: Once the chicks are settled in their brooder, provide them with proper care and attention to help ensure that they grow up healthy and strong. Be sure to follow all instructions in our first time chicken keeper section of the website about caring for your baby chicks, and be prepared to adjust your plans and care based on the needs of your chicks. It is best to order them when you know you will be home and available to care for them.

Not sure what breeds to order?

You can check out our:

Breeds for egg color (especially our Black Copper Marans chickens for their dark chocolate eggs!)

Breeds for beauty (our barnevelders are gorgeous)

Still having a hard time choosing? Let us choose for you with our Surprise box of chicks.

Happy chick raising!