Chicken Help

Educate Yourself

Huzzah! You're here to learn about raising baby chicks, which is more than some people do! (You'd be... read more

Q: At what age do baby chicks began to roost? A: It really depends on the individual personality of the bird as well as how quickly they develop. Birds that feather out quickly may begin to roost... read more

Q: How can you send chicks through the mail when they sometimes die? And if there is a risk that some chicks die on the way, then how can you justify staying in business? A: Of course we hate it when chicks die along the way; every bird is an individual, and every loss is a tragedy. However, when it comes to shipping baby... read more

Q: Could my baby chicks really drown in their waterer or water dish? A: It seems like a strange question... but the answer is YES. Baby chicks can actually drown in a waterer, particularly if it is larger and designed for... read more

Q: Can you ship my chicks via UPS or Fed Ex? A: No, sorry! UPS and Fed Ex will not ship chicks - only the United States Postal Service will -- and they've been doing it since the 1800s! (We ship... read more

Q: How old will my chicks be when I get them? A: They'll be less than 72 hours old. They ship Mondays and Tuesdays as soon as they're hatched and the birds you've reserved have been packed into your... read more

Q: Do I need to give my shipped chicks vitamins and electrolytes when they arrive? A:

We don't generally think it is a good idea to offer anything but plain, clean water unless your chicks are exceedingly stressed.

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Q: How will I know which breeds are which on my waterfowl order?

A: Congratulations! You've received your order of waterfowl from My Pet Chicken and now you want to know which breed is which. No problem! Using the leg... read more

Q: What if one of my chicks dies on the way to me?

A: Losses are rare (we see them happen about 1% of the time), but they do occur. For that reason, we recommend that if you have children, make sure they... read more

Q: How will I know which chick is which breed when I receive my baby chicks?

A: Most chicks do not come marked or tagged in any way. However, females of certain rare breeds now come with colored leg bands applied so they can be... read more

Q: Is it ever okay to help a chick out of the shell?

A: Generally speaking you will NOT want to intervene in the hatching process when incubating read more

Q: Why do my baby chicks poo so much?

A: Your baby chicks poo so much because they have to eat a lot to grow as fast as they do!

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Q: How do I help a chick that isn't eating or drinking?

A:

Well, first remember that if you hatched these babies at home, chicks don't actually need to eat or drink for the first two or three... read more

Q: How can I incubate eggs that will hatch female chicks only?

A: The question of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in chickens has been an important subject for scientific study over the last several... read more

Q: In your website description, it says the breed I want comes in a mix of bearded and unbearded chicks, but I only want bearded. Can I order them that way?

A: You're right that some breeds like Polish and silkies can come bearded or nonbearded, but there is no way to choose which because they are not sorted... read more

Q: Can you tell the sex of chicks when they're still in the egg?

A: There is no reliable way for the average home hatcher to tell the difference between an egg that will hatch a female chick and an egg that will hatch... read more

Q: What is this black spot or thin string attached to my baby chick's rear end?

A: It's your chick's umbilical cord, and if you notice, that black, scabby spot or string will be below your check's vent or "pooper." Be SURE not to... read more

Q: Can I use a fan to cool the brooder down? My chicks are arriving in the heat of summer, and my brooder is in a hot room.

A: Baby chicks need it very warm to be comfortable--most people would call it hot. For the first week of their lives, they need temperatures of about 95... read more

Q: Why is my chick growing her feathers in so slowly?

A: Sometimes you'll get a brood of chicks and notice that while many have grown in most of their feathers by eight weeks or so, one or two are slow... read more

Q: How can I help my young children understand the wait to have our baby chicks delivered?

A: There are a few things you can do together to help ease the frustration of waiting!

One thing you can do with a child when waiting something... read more

Q: I want to get a chick for Easter for my son's basket, and then find a farmer to adopt it when it has grown. How do I do that?

A: No, no, no... you don't want to do that. It's is a bad idea for many reasons.

First, one chicken raised alone will often die of... read more

Q: My chick's toes are all curled up--what's wrong with her?

A: Sometimes a chick will develop or hatch with a condition called curled toes or curly toes in one or both feet.

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Q: How do I transition my juvenile chicks to their outdoor coop when it's cold outside?

A: There is no perfect age to transition your chicks to their outdoor coop, but generally by the time they are 5 or 6 weeks old, they're getting large... read more

Q: What does "straight run" mean?

A: Straight run chicks are an "as hatched" mix of male and female chicks.

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Q: Can I order chickens from an out-of-state hatchery like yours?

A:

My Pet Chicken's breeders and hatcheries handle all the state-level permits required to get the chicks safe and sound to you. So when you order... read more

Q: What is an overhatch and why do you advertise it?

A: Well, let's start with the idea that we literally count our chickens before they've hatched. :) The exhortation against doing that is pretty good... read more

Q: How do I dispose of a dead chick or chicken?

A: This is a difficult question to answer definitively, since what to do with a dead pet or animal can vary depending on your your state, city and even... read more

Q: How much does shipping cost?

A: You can check the exact shipping cost to your location by placing the items you want in your shopping basket and clicking the "calculate" link... read more

Q: The website says the breed I want is available for a date I want, so why isn't that a choice when I'm checking out?

A: In most cases, that will be because you are ordering more chicks than are available for your preferred date. When you place virtual chicks in your... read more

Q: There are so many different terms for chickens--juvenile, cockerel, pullet, chick, hen, rooster, peep, biddy, started pullet, point-of-lay pullet, broody, brood, flock---what do they all mean?

A:

There ARE a lot of different terms for chicken, aren't there? It can be a little confusing, especially when you're just starting out. So let's... read more

Q: What do I need to know about ordering fertile hatching eggs from My Pet Chicken?

A: My Pet Chicken absolutely guarantees that the read more

Q: At what age can my chickens begin eating treats?

A: We don't really recommend feeding your new baby chicks treats right away, because they should first learn what their feed is so they will be able to... read more

Q: What methods of payment do you accept?

A: We only accept credit card payment at this time. We do not accept checks, cashier's checks, money orders, purchase orders, PayPal, cash or any other... read more

Q: Can I choose Rushed or Next Day shipping to get my baby chicks faster?

A: Neither Fed Ex nor UPS will ship live baby birds, so we ship all orders of fewer than 15 chicks via the speediest service that the Post Office offers... read more

Q: What if my chick package is late?

A: Please notify us Thursday if your package has not arrived by then--but do not notify us before Thursday. The US postal service is very good about... read more

Q: Do you ship eggs or chicks internationally?

A: No. If you want to purchase live birds or read more

Q: When will my chicks be hatched?

A: Our chicks are hatched in the wee hours on Monday* of each week during the hatching season, and they're sorted, sexed, vaccinated, packaged, and... read more

Q: Will all of my blue chicks actually be blue?

A: It's possible... but in general, no. The color blue just doesn't hatch true in chickens. The genes for "blue" are actually more like diluting genes.... read more

Q: My hen was vaccinated for Marek's disease as a chick, but I still lost her to this illness. How could this have happened?

A: Marek’s disease is very common and will eventually end up in most backyard flocks, whether or not the flocks have been vaccinated. It's strange but... read more

Q: All about Encephalomalacia disease

A: Unlike most diseases, Encephalomalacia (try saying that three times quickly!), is not caused by a virus, bacterium, or fungus. Also known as "crazy... read more

Q: What happens if a chick I purchase from My Pet Chicken is incorrectly sexed?

A: It's always disappointing when a bird isn't sexed correctly, especially if your "girl" ended up being a "boy" and was the family's favorite chick!... read more

Q: Are there special preparations I should make if I want to have a broody hen adopt and raise my shipped chicks?

A: There is little more beautiful than a mother hen sheltering chicks beneath her wings.

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Q: What is medicated feed all about--do I need it?

A: Medicated feed is formulated for chicks to help them combat read more

Q: How do I introduce new geese into my flock?

A: While geese generally get along well with one another, adding a new goose or gander to your gaggle can be a stressful time for them--and for you!--as... read more

Q: For my laying flock, should I buy fertile eggs to hatch, or should I start with baby chicks?

A: In almost every case, starting a laying flock with baby chicks will be easier and less expensive than starting one by read more

Q: What happens if a duckling or gosling is incorrectly sexed?

A: It's always disappointing when a bird isn't sexed correctly, especially if your "girl" ended up being a "boy" and was the family's favorite bird!... read more

Q: My chickens run away whenever they see me. Can I tame them?

A: In general, chickens can be tamable and friendly by the same sorts of general methods you would use with a dog or a cat. Presuming they are healthy... read more

Q: I want to sell the eggs from my chicks as "organic". Are your chicks organic?

A: "Certified organic" regulations vary from state to state and region to region, and (thus far) do not have to do with the way chicks are hatched.... read more

Q: What does your hatchery do with extra males and other chicks that are not adopted?

A: We do understand that other hatcheries may do things differently than we do--did you know that chickens are not protected by the Humane Slaughter Act... read more

Q: How many chickens should I get?

A: We'd like to answer this question, "dozens and hundreds!" because keeping chickens is so wonderful--but for the health and safety of the birds (and... read more

Q: How do you tell if a baby chick is female or male?

A: If you have a "sex link" chick, it's easy! Males and females hatch out different colors. read more

Q: Why is my chick's beak getting crooked, and what should I do?

A: Usually, chickens with crossed beaks or scissor beaks lead long, normal lives.

In most cases, this defect is caused by the chick... read more

Q: My chicks were delivered a day late by the post office. Will they refund me?

A: Unfortunately, no. USPS does NOT guarantee overnight Express delivery for live animals, as much as we would like them to. We agree: it seems a little... read more

Q: What is a pasty vent, and how do I treat it?

A: A pasty vent, or "pasting up," "pasty butt," or "vent gleet," is a stress-induced condition in which droppings dry and cake up around the read more

Q: Can I give my chickens moldy bread, moldy leftovers or moldy feed?

A: No, your chickens should not eat anything with mold on it. Just as moldy or rotten food can make you sick, it can make them sick. Sharing some... read more

Q: How can I keep my brooder warm during a power outage so my baby chicks don't die?

A: Power loss can happen at any time due to storms, fallen trees, traffic accidents, construction, lightning, and more. A prolonged power outage can be... read more

Q: How come you can only ship chicks when they're one day old?

A: Right before chicks hatch, they have just absorbed the last of the yolk. This sustains them during their journey, for up to three days, so that's why... read more

Q: All about Omphalitis disease

A: Imagine a belly-button infection--that's basically Omphalitis. Developing or newly-hatched baby chicks are susceptible to infection of their navels... read more