Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, chickens can eat oranges in small amounts. Oranges are safe and provide vitamin C and hydration, but their acidic nature can upset digestion if overfed. Some chickens enjoy citrus, while others may ignore it. Always offer oranges peeled and in moderation, and skip the peels if they’re treated with pesticides.

No, chickens should not eat onions. Onions contain thiosulfate, which can damage their red blood cells and lead to serious health issues like anemia. Even cooked onions can be harmful, so it’s best to avoid them entirely. Stick to safer veggie treats like carrots, cucumbers, or broccoli to keep your flock happy and healthy!

No, chickens should not eat avocados. The skin, pit, and even the flesh contain persin, a toxin that can cause serious health issues—or even death—in chickens. To be safe, keep all parts of the avocado away from your flock and choose safer treats like berries, leafy greens, or cucumbers instead.

Yes, but only the right kind! Chickens can safely eat cooked white or sweet potatoes, but never feed them raw green potatoes, peels, or sprouts, which contain solanine, a toxin harmful to chickens. Sweet potatoes are safer and can even be eaten raw. Always serve potatoes plain, cooked, and in moderation as an occasional treat.

Yes, chickens can eat bread, but only as an occasional treat. Plain, unseasoned bread is safe in small amounts, though it’s not very nutritious. Avoid moldy or flavored breads, and never replace their feed with bread. Opt for whole grain varieties when possible, and always feed in moderation to keep your flock healthy and happy!

Yes! Chickens can safely eat celery, including the leaves and stalks. It’s packed with vitamins A, C, and K, plus fiber and hydration benefits. However, celery’s stringy texture can be tough to eat, so it’s best to chop it into small pieces for easier digestion. Serve it raw or cooked (plain) in moderation as a healthy treat for your flock!

Yes! Chickens can safely eat broccoli, including the florets, stems, and leaves. It’s packed with vitamins A, C, and K, plus fiber and antioxidants, making it a nutritious treat. Serve it raw, cooked (plain), or chopped, and even hang it up for a fun pecking activity. Just remember to feed in moderation to avoid digestive upset. Your flock will love this healthy snack!

Yes! Chickens can safely eat cucumbers, including the skin and seeds. Cucumbers are hydrating, nutritious, and packed with vitamins, making them a great treat, especially in hot weather. Serve them sliced, chopped, or whole for your flock to enjoy. Just remember to feed in moderation, as too much can cause watery droppings. Your chickens will love this refreshing snack!

Yes! Chickens can safely eat carrots, whether raw, cooked, or shredded. Carrots are packed with vitamin A, fiber, and antioxidants, making them a nutritious treat. Chickens can also eat carrot tops! To make raw carrots easier to eat, try shredding or cooking them. Just remember to feed them in moderation alongside a balanced diet. Your flock will love this crunchy snack!

Yes! Chickens can safely eat apples, but be sure to remove the seeds, as they contain cyanide. Apples are a great source of vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants, making them a nutritious treat in moderation. Chickens can also eat the peels, but washing them first is best. Slice or chop apples into small pieces for easy eating, and watch your flock enjoy this crunchy snack!

Yes! Chickens can safely enjoy strawberries as a sweet, nutritious treat. Packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and hydration, strawberries are a healthy snack in moderation. Both the fruit and leaves are safe to eat, but due to their sugar content, they should be fed occasionally. Offer them whole, sliced, or mashed for a fun and tasty treat your flock will love!

Yes! Chickens can safely eat ripe, red tomatoes, which are packed with vitamins and antioxidants. However, avoid feeding green tomatoes, leaves, or stems, as they contain solanine, a toxin harmful to chickens. Offer tomatoes in moderation as a refreshing treat, but don’t overdo it due to their acidity. Always remove any green parts, and your flock will love this juicy snack!

Yes! Chickens can safely eat bananas as a tasty, nutrient-rich treat. Bananas provide potassium, vitamin B6, and fiber, but due to their high sugar content, they should be fed in moderation. While banana peels are safe, chickens may not always like them unless chopped or mashed. Avoid overfeeding to prevent digestive issues. Treat your flock to small banana portions a few times a week for a fun and healthy snack!

Baby Chicks Baby Chick Minimums: 3 Baby Chicks (April-November) 8 Baby Chicks (December-March)  Baby Chick Shipping Charges: 3-14 Baby Chicks: $75.00 (Priority Mail Express & Special Packaging) 15-24 Baby Chicks: $40.00 (Priority Mail & Packaging) 25+ Baby Chicks: $25.00 (Priority Mail & Packaging)  Alaska & Hawaii (3-14 Baby Chicks): $95 up to 14 chicks, $165 for 15+(Priority Mail Express & Special Packaging). Shipping rates adjust for every 25 birds added to your order. View updated shipping costs at checkout. Note: Orders to Hawaii require a physical address and a 2-3 week lead time to file for the permit.** Our baby...

Minimum Hatch Rate Guarantee!   We want every chicken keeper to experience the joys of hatching eggs but realize that the uncertainty can be a challenge. Nature can be tricky and no hatching egg supplier can promise any particular egg will hatch, especially since the shipment handling and incubating is completely outside of our control. While a 50% hatch rate is generally considered a success, even for commercial hatcheries, we realize low hatch rates can be very frustrating.  In response, My Pet Chicken is excited to offer an innovative and industry-leading Minimum Hatch Rate Guarantee, giving you the confidence to hatch...

If your selected breeds don't hatch as expected, we will take the following steps on your expected hatch date:   1. If there is an issue with your order on hatch day, we review the notes you left us at checkout.  At checkout, be sure to choose if you are willing to accept a substitute breed or not. If you want to substitute a similar breed, please list which ones you are willing to accept.  2. If we can't meet your initial request you may receive a notification on your hatch date with additional information and options. Be on the look out for this...

The decision to include a heat pack in poultry orders is made by our expert shipping department on the day of your shipment. We consider various factors such as the quantity of chicks, destination, and weather conditions.If your order includes a heat pack, you can usually locate it beneath the bedding in a brown paper bag marked for identification. Please note that the heat pack is non-reusable and is not meant to be given to the chicks as food. Can I request or pay for an extra heat pack in my package?  No, we cannot accept this request. Our expert...

Keeping and raising baby quail can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience. These small, fascinating birds are not only adorable but also relatively easy to care for. However, they do require specific attention and care during their early stages of life. Here is the information you need learn how to care for baby quail, ensuring their health, well-being, and successful growth. Setting up the brooder: Before bringing home baby quail, it's essential to set up a suitable brooder. A brooder is a controlled environment that mimics the natural warmth and protection provided by a mother quail. Therefore to mimic a...

There's a certain magic in the act of collecting a freshly laid egg from your backyard coop—a tangible connection to the rhythms of nature and the reward of your nurturing efforts. But have you ever paused to consider the intricate journey that transforms a simple yolk into a fully formed egg? How Long Does it take to Lay an Egg? This whole process of egg laying from yolk to coop takes around 26 hours. As you savor the flavors of a meal made with your own homegrown eggs, take a moment to reflect on the incredible journey behind each bite. The...

A female chicken can lay up to one egg per day. It is important to note that a hen will not always lay one per day, since we all need some time off! Proper care, including a nutritious diet, and a comfortable living environment, can help ensure that your chickens reach their laying potential. How Long Does it take for a Hen to Produce and Egg?  The process of egg formation in a chicken typically takes approximately 24 to 26 hours from the time a hen lays one egg until she lays the next one. Here's a basic breakdown of...

Are your chicken's legs looking rough and they can't seem to stop scratching? They could be suffering from a scaly leg mite infestation. These minuscule parasites, known scientifically as Knemidocoptes mutans, burrow under a chicken's leg scales and can cause some serious discomfort and potential health risks if not treated.   Scaly leg mites, quite literally, take up residence under the scales on a chicken's legs and feet. Once settled, they feast upon the keratin present in these scales, causing them to lift and detach from the skin. This infestation triggers various symptoms in your chicken, including constant itching, swelling, and...

Chicken molting is a natural process that occurs in the late summer or early fall. As backyard chicken keepers, it's important to understand the molting phase in a chickens life in order to offer the best support.  The Timing of Chicken Molting Molting, often referred to as a "chicken's bad hair day," is the process of shedding and regrowing feathers. This cyclical event is triggered by a combination of factors, mainly the change in daylight hours and the chicken's age.  Typically chickens undergo their first molt at around 18 months of age, depending on the time of year that they...

A chicken saddle is also known as a chicken apron, feather gaurd or hen saver. It's a protective covering placed on a chicken's back, typically made of durable and lightweight materials, such as fabric or vinyl. The chicken saddle protects a hen's back and tail feathers from damage or injury. In some chicken flocks, hens can experience feather loss or injuries on their backs due to excessive rooster mating.  During mating, roosters' sharp claws may grip onto hens' backs, causing feather damage or bare spots on their skin. Additionally, other hens might peck at her back out of curiosity or...

Recognizing Heat Stress and Acidosis in Chickens Summer is in full swing with extreme heat waves sweeping the country. While chickens and other poultry manage heat well these scorching temperatures can lead to heat stress. It's critical for those caring for poultry, such as chickens, to identify the telltale signs of heat stress. Heat stress in chickens can be quite serious, leading to a condition known as heat acidosis. This is a stress-induced condition where chickens can’t regulate their body temperature due to the high temperatures. If heat stress isn't prevented, it can lead to significant impacts on your chickens...

Raising quail can be a rewarding and fascinating experience. These low-maintenance, compact birds are popular among backyard enthusiasts for their high egg production and unique characteristics. This guide provides essential information on successfully raising quail, whether for eggs or as charming pets. Research Quail Breeds and Local Regulations Before embarking on your quail-raising journey, it's important to research different quail breeds and choose the ones that best suit your purpose. Some common quail breeds include Coturnix (Japanese) quail, Bobwhite quail, and California quail. Additionally, check local regulations or consult with your local agricultural extension office to ensure you comply with...

A feeder is the item you use to dispense feed for your flock. Of course, you could always just dispense feed on the ground or in a dish, but there would be a lot of feed wasted that way. Chickens tend to scratch and scatter the feed around, so chicken feeders are designed to minimize that. There are many different types of chicken feeders to choose from. For example, there are the common and inexpensive basic plastic feeders. They're tried and true, but they aren't fancy! Then there are the feeders with special features. For example, some feeders can be...

Fertile eggs are those that contain both ova and sperm, and will develop into a baby chick if incubated. If you have nothing but hens in your flock, you will not have fertilized eggs---you would need a male rooster for that.  Fertilized eggs are fine to eat; there is just a slight difference between a fertile and infertile egg. There is no difference in taste, and you can only tell the difference between infertile and fertile (unincubated) contents if you're very sharp-eyed. Illustration by Ray Yang for My Pet Chicken

We do sell chicks most of the year round, but there are a variety of reasons baby chicks aren't available for purchase at all times. Chickens naturally lay fewer eggs in the colder, darker months of winter. Some breeds stop entirely. Fertility is usually lower in the winter, too, so fewer chicks will hatch. In addition, in the fall and winter, our hens will be molting and regrowing new feathers for the coming year, so even those breeds that are good winter layers may lay reduced numbers of eggs, or may briefly stop laying until molting is over. That means...

|A chicken's shank is the bottom part of her leg, above the foot, but below the hock. The spur is the chicken's chief weapon, and grows out of the shank. It's something every chicken has... but generally only the spurs of males grow very large. Older hens may grow larger spurs as their hormones change, and there are some breeds where it's fairly common for younger hens to have spurs, too. But for the most part, hens will simply have small spur numbs.

The word "Salmonella" evokes fear in the hearts of chicken-keepers. A healthy respect for this bacterium is certainly justified, but should not be blown out of proportion. The main concern is that Salmonella can be transferred to humans and can make us very sick, or in some cases even cause death. Thankfully, practicing good biosecurity and following the CDC's guidelines can keep humans safe. Unfortunately, though, the prognosis isn't so good for chickens that become infected with Salmonella. Read on to find out more. Salmonella (general) Various types of Salmonella infection include Pullorum, Typhoid, Paratyphoid, Arizonosis, Paracolon, various other names...

Perosis is a nutritional deficiency that can cause swollen, twisted, broken, or bowed legs, or loss of color in feathers, the comb, or the roof of the mouth. Thankfully, nutritional deficiencies can be avoided by making sure your flock has free-choice access to complete, nutritionally-balanced feed. Don't just feed them scratch or kitchen scraps; that can cause problems for them later on! Read on to find out more: Perosis Also called Slipped tendon, chondrodystrophy Prevalence Uncommon in layers, common in heavy, fast growing chicken breeds used for meat production. Signs General signs Swollen hocks, one or both legs twisted to...

If one of your bird's neck muscles seems to have "frozen" in a position that leaves them staring at the sky, it's possible they have polyneuritis, or "star gazing" disease. This is caused by a thiamine deficiency that can usually be avoided by giving your flock free-choice access to complete, nutritionally-balanced feed. Don't just feed your flock scratch or kitchen scraps, as that can leave gaps in their nutrition. Read on to find out more. Polyneuritis Also called Star gazing, Thiamine deficiency Prevalence Uncommon, particularly so in backyard flocks with access to pasture. Signs General signs - Lack of appetite,...

There are no hormones in any brand of commercial chicken feed in the United States, according to the US Cooperative Extension Service. We think that "hormones" rumor makes the rounds every so often because there are some poultry feeds that specifically label their feed as "hormone free" while others don't bother. The Extension Service explains that it's basically illegal to use hormones in poultry feed in the US. However, because some feeds specifically advertise themselves as "hormone free," that begs the question for the other brands that don't mention it: "Do you use hormones in your feed?" They do NOT....

If cared for properly, ducks can live to 7-10 years, and some exceptional birds may live longer than that. Geese normally live 10-15 years, but there are stories of some that have lived much, much longer--40 years or more! Around 3-5 years, duck fertility and egg production lessen, and many keepers choose not to keep older birds because of this. But there are many reasons to keep ducks into their older age. We discuss some of them here. Other reasons to keep older birds can be found in this creative My Pet Chicken blog article (it refers to chickens but...

Yes! Our hatching facilities and all other breeders with whom we contract are NPIP-certified. If you would like NPIP papers to be included with your baby chick order so that you can show your birds, just let us know -- we'll be happy to do it! They arrive by email a few days after your birds arrive. Remember that NPIP papers are only available for 6 months after you have received your birds, so be sure to ask for them in time! Most states in the US require baby chicks and juvenile birds that ship across state lines to originate...

Hawks and owls can most certainly be a danger to chickens (heck, even CROWS can be a danger to juveniles or bantams). However, only a few types usually bother chickens. The raptors most often associated with flock losses are red-tailed hawks, goshawks, and great horned owls. Having a rooster can help alert the girls to a predator in time for them to run for cover. Some people choose to keep a run covered with netting so flying predators are not a problem. Generally speaking, hawks are mostly a problem in the spring and in the fall when they are migrating...

If you bought or acquired adult chickens somewhere else and I want to know how old they are, we have some bad news about chicken age. It is very difficult to discern the age of an adult chicken. The best you can do is make an educated guess. There are a few clues you might look for with regard to chicken age. 1. The number of eggs they lay in relation to other birds of the same breed. For example, if you have a Rhode Island Red that only lays one egg a week, there's a pretty good chance she's...

Bantam A variety of chicken that is 1/4 to 1/2 the size of a Standard chicken breed, kept mainly for ornamental purposes. Some chickens come in both Standard and Bantam varieties; some come in just Bantam and some in just Standard. Bedding A material, usually wood shavings, added to the coop floor and nest box in order to absorb odor and droppings and provide a soft surface for chickens to walk on. Bloom The delicate, invisible membrane outside an egg's shell that protects the contents from bacteria and other foreign matter. Brood 1. The desire of hens incubate and be...

Yes! During the checkout process you will have the opportunity to give us two different phone numbers. If you give us two, we'll make sure both appear on your box. It's fine to have just one phone number appear on your box if you just have one number convenient to receive a call. Don't worry! Our number will appear there, too, so if the post office can't reach you, they can try us!

Good question! First of all, don't forget that our baby chicks can arrive any day from Tuesday through Thursday of the week they are shipped--it just depends on how quickly the post office delivers to your area. So have your brooder and everything prepared by Monday (so you don't have to scramble)...but don't worry if it's a Tuesday or Wednesday and your chicks haven't arrived yet. As to how you'll know they're at the post office, in our experience most POs ask customers to pick up their peeping packages right at the post office on the day of arrival. We...

Yes, we can ship baby chicks to Hawaii. Unfortunately, waterfowl and pullets cannot be shipped at this time There is additional paperwork involved with shipping chicks to Hawaii, so please allow give a lead time of 2-3 weeks. You won't be able to place a last-minute order because your state's Department of Agriculture wants to know exactly what chicks will be arriving and where they are going. After you place an order destined for Hawaii, we'll be in touch to confirm details and ensure that your shipping date provides us with sufficient time for your state's approval. Your state requires...

Your chicks will ship all at once! All of your chicks must ship together for their safety. Alternatively, you can choose to place two or more separate orders, with each one meeting the safe chick shipping minimum. Don't worry--our shopping cart enforces that minimum, so you can't accidentally order too few for shipping safety.  Minimum order requirements for baby chicks:  April - November: 3 baby chicks December - April: 8 baby chicks When you place your virtual chicks in your online basket, you will be given an estimate of the first shipping date they will all be available on the...

We can ship chicks anywhere within the continental U.S. and to locations in Hawaii, Alaska.  3-14 Baby Chicks:  $75.00 (Priority Mail Express & Special Packaging) 15-24 Baby Chicks:  $40.00 (Priority Mail & Packaging) 25+ Baby Chicks:  $25.00 (Priority Mail & Packaging)  Alaska: (3-14 Baby Chicks): $95.00 up to 14 chicks, 15+ is calculated at checkout (Priority Mail Express & Special Packaging) **Note: Orders to Hawaii require a physical address and a 2-3 week lead time to file for the permit.** Our Chicks ship from Ohio.  Unfortunately, we CANNOT ship to Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands, Canada, Mexico, or any other country. We also cannot ship to...

Most hatcheries require 15 or 25 baby chicks per order because the chicks need one another's body heat to survive their 2-day journey. This is a big pain for lots of people who just want a few chickens! Since our goal in life (yes, our goal in life!) is to make your life easy, we've partnered with a forward-thinking hatchery that has developed a brand new way of shipping baby chicks that includes a high-tech, long- last heating element. This keeps the chicks nice and warm for their journey! And when you order fewer than 15 chicks we automatically send...

  Q: Do you need roosters for hens to lay eggs?  A: No. This is one of the most common misconceptions about chickens. Hens will lay eggs just as well in the absence of roosters. If roosters are present, however, the eggs maybe fertilized! Q: How often do chickens lay eggs? A: That depends on three main factors: The breed of chicken. Some chickens are bred for meat production and lay few eggs; some are bred for egg production and can lay as often as once a day; some are bred as "dual purpose" andare good for both egg-laying and...

Unlike other hatcheries that may add "males for warmth" to fill out a small order, we will never do that because we understand how important it is for our customers to be able to receive small orders for their urban and suburban locations: that is why they purchase from us in the first place! Even with My Pet Chicken's revolutionary method of shipping tens of thousands of small orders of chicks safely across the country alive and well, the absolute fewest number of chicks that ship safely is three large fowl chicks (or five bantam chicks). Remember, this is the...

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 shipping box with anything they may need (like custom amounts of nesting material and ventilation as well as heat packs for small orders). They can arrive any day of the week between Tuesday and Thursday, depending on your location and how the Post Office services your area.

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 for baby chicks: USPS Express Mail. Orders of 15 chicks or more are shipped by USPS Priority Mail. Your chicks can arrive any day from Tuesday to Thursday of your scheduled shipping week, assuming that they ship on a Monday. (Our chicks almost always ship on Mondays, unless there is a national holiday that Monday, in which case they will ship on a Tuesday!) Exactly which day chicks arrive at your...

Unfortunately, no! Chicks are usually shipped on Monday unless there is a Federal Holiday. Then they are shipped on Tuesdays. Smaller orders of 3-14 chicks automatically ship USPS Express Mail, and larger orders of 15 chicks or more are shipped via Priority Mail service. Why can't I get my chicks shipped on a different day of the week? The short answer is that chicks wouldn't survive.The long answer: Right before the babies hatch, they absorb their yolk sac, which sustains them with hydration and energy for their journey to you. But the yolk sac only provides about 2-3 days' worth...

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 they need to ship at that time, when the yolk will sustain them. The reason nature works this way is that if they were hatching beneath a mother hen, this would enable the early hatchers to survive without eating and drinking until mother finished hatching the rest of the eggs. She can't get up from the nest until the entire hatching is over, or else the last babies would die in their shells,...

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 shipped either Monday or Tuesday. (*Except when a holiday falls on a Monday, in which case they're hatched on a Tuesday.)

Especially with our fertile hatching eggs, we have some great lines that produce amazing show prospects. Ours is an NPIP hatchery and our birds are purebred. (The exceptions are designer hybrids, Easter Eggers, and the Red Stars which are a hybrid "mixed breeds" by nature.) Other breeds are pure, but don't have APA standards yet: take, for instance, breeders working to develop APA standards for Svarthonna and some other breeds that are rare to this country. But regardless, in all cases where APA standards exist, our birds are selected to conform to them, and they're selected as well for health...

Not usually, but let us explain why. Humans do not catch Salmonella from chicks or chickens the way you would catch a cold from your neighbor. Salmonellosis is food poisoning; you get it from eating infected meat or eggs. Even then, in order to get a case of Salmonella, the meat and eggs you have eaten must be improperly prepared, that is, not completely cooked through. Or, you can also get Salmonella by getting your hands or something else contaminated with feces and then putting that thing in your mouth. People more at risk for contracting Salmonella are very young,...

Coccidiosis is an infection caused by a protozoan, and it is found in most environments. However, the coccidiosis vaccine administered in the U.S. is unattenuated, meaning it is not weakened in any way, and can actually cause illness and retarded growth. We think it's a bad idea to cause the baby chicks to endure the extra stress of cocci vaccinations, since shipping is already stressful on the babies. It's for that reason we don't offer a vaccination against coccidia. To offer extra protection against cocci, you can offer a medicated chick starter feed--this usually contains amprol, and helps chicks resist...

"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. Instead, whether eggs you produce on your farm or in your backyard can be certified "organic" or not has to do with the way YOU raise the chickens you acquire. Generally you will have to feed an organic feed, but it is much more than that and can include whether you medicate them, with what, and sometimes even whether the land you raise them on has been certified free of pesticide use for 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! Since chicken sexing is an art, not a science, sometimes errors do occur (though our professional chick vent sexers are correct more than 90% of the time). 1. We will refund you for any bird which has been incorrectly sexed, provided you notify us within the correct sexing error reporting time frame. Early or late reports can't be taken. Sexing errors must be reported when the birds are 14 to 22 weeks old. Sexing errors for...

Yes, we're happy to cancel an order provided you let us know by 6:00 PM on the Thursday before your scheduled ship week. As you remember from checkout, baby chick orders cannot be cancelled (or changed) later than that date. Be sure to have your order number at hand so we can find your order to cancel it. The reason we require this notice is that, in many cases, the shipping schedule must be shuffled so the baby chicks we were hatching for you can find new adopters in time to receive them when they hatch. In addition we need...

Yes, in most cases, you can change your baby chick order. Contact us to have your order changed. But before you do, read on because there are some important things you should keep in mind before placing your request!     Let us know by 6:00 p.m. the Thursday before your scheduled ship date We require this notice because we need time to make sure the shipment can been changed or stopped. Obviously, we don't want to send baby chicks out to Post Offices where they will never be picked up, or to send you your original order if you are...

There is no minimum number of chicks per breed or size. Although your total order must meet the minimum number for the time of year that your order is shipped. So you can mix and match to your heart's content: really cherry pick your flock! Minimum Baby Chick Order April - November: 3 Baby Chicks December - March: 8 Baby Chicks The neat thing about having a mixed flock is that it's easy to tell them all apart. It can take longer to schedule a delivery when you have lots of different breeds, however, because they must ALL be available...

How can I stop them? Diets low in protein can encourage egg eating simply because the hens are trying to get the nutrition they need. Make sure your are feeding your flock a good, quality feed, and that you aren't supplementing with too much scratch or corn, or other low protein treats, either. You just don't want to see something like this when you go to gather eggs:The trouble is, once egg eating has begun, it can be very difficult to break the habit. Here are a few tips to try: Collect eggs regularlyTo stop egg eating, collect your eggs regularly. The...

Yes! We usually have up to six batches of juvenile 6-week-old chickens available each year at various times. They do sell out very quickly, so keep your eyes peeled for availability. They sell so fast because, unlike other hatcheries, My Pet Chicken often has a selection of several rare and heirloom varieties like Black Copper Marans, Speckled Sussex, Welsummers, Easter Eggers, and so on. Most hatcheries offer started pullets in only a few limited high-production breeds like Red or Black Stars (or other sex-linked varieties), Rhode Island Reds, or Leghorns. We don't know of any other hatchery that offers started...

We don't recommend you offer supplemental heat to your coop unless your temps regularly drop well below freezing... Seriously! Chickens adapt to the cold weather over time. Their body metabolism actually changes along with the seasons. Along with that, they fluff up their feathers in the cold do help retain body heat, as pictured below. If you were to heat your whole coop to, say, fifty degrees, you would rob your birds of the chance to acclimate to the colder outside temperature - so if the heat were to suddenly cut out (due to loss of electricity, for instance, the...

Depending on the breeds you want, you may find that there's a wait of six months or more, so we recommend you place your order just as soon as you're sure which breeds you'd like and the approximate time of year you'd like them. Of course, if you're not too picky about breeds, we usually have some availability for the next week's hatch! As to what time of year is best to receive baby chicks, we can offer some advice.  Spring and early summer are historically the most popular times to receive baby chicks, for two basic reasons. First, female...

Yes! It's not even that rare, either! In all-female flocks, or flocks in which the ratio of females to males is greater than 10:1, in many cases one female will take on male characteristics and become the "protector" of the rest of the flock. In addition to coming out with a half-crow, she'll usually cease laying, and she may even develop spurs to rival a male's. Strange, but true!

If you have a "sex link" chick, it's easy! Males and females hatch out different colors. Red Stars are a very common sex link, and the females are a reddish-gold while the males are a buttery color. With "Black Stars", both males and females hatch out black, but males have a distinctive white spot on their head. Cream Legbars are also autosexing: females are dark, and males are paler with a head spot. If you DON'T have an autosexing breed, though, you probably won't be able to tell until the birds are three months old or so. Chicks don't have...

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 handling baby chick deliveries, and they are rarely late! In fact, we only have losses about 1% of the time. A package is late only if it does not arrive by Thursday afternoon. If your package has not arrived by then, its tracking number will have been associated with the individual orders in the hatching facility's system, so on Thursday we will be able to track down individual packages should there be the rare...

The brown color in an egg is laid on in the chicken's reproductive tract by the shell gland pouch. Some breeds lay a tinted egg with a very light brown color, while others lay extremely dark chocolate brown eggs. From right to left: Marans egg, Welsummer egg, Rhode Island Red egg. Within a breed, too, hens can lay eggs darker or lighter than the average, depending on whether they produce more or less of the brown color that goes on the shell--and how long the egg stays in the "paint station" of the reproductive tract. Interestingly, individual hens--while they lay...

We like them all, Sam-I-Am! No, there is no difference in terms of edibility, health, or nutrition in different-colored egg shells.  That said, the colorful eggs from your backyard hens WILL have much more nutrition, because eggs produced by hens raised on pasture are much healthier, indeed (and they taste much better, too). Keep in mind that commercially produced "free range" eggs may have been laid by hens who have never seen a blade of grass, the sun or the sky. "Pasture-raised" is something different, and much healthier. Eggs laid by hens raised on pasture have less fat and cholesterol,...

This varies widely from breed to breed, and in fact the hens of many breeds even grow small spurs! Some can appear as soon as three months, while others take seven or eight months to develop.

On average, chickens start laying eggs at 6 months old, depending on the breed. Breeds like Australorps, Leghorns, Golden Comets and Sex Links will start laying as soon as 16-18 weeks. Larger, heavier breeds like Wyandottes, Plymouth Rocks and Orpingtons will lay anywhere from 6 to 8 months. However, if your birds come into maturity in the fall or winter will sometimes not begin laying until spring: six months is just the average! (We guarantee you that every day past five months that they haven't begun to lay will seem like an eternity!) If your bird is older than eight...

Not yet! The best way to peruse our offerings for right now is to browse the category listings on the left hand side of any page on our website.

You may have heard that hatcheries sometimes include extra "males for warmth" in their baby chick packages, but you can be sure we'll never purposely include extra males in your order. When necessary, we include one or more heating packs to keep your chicks warm, and to prevent jostling we add extra nesting material. We pack them very carefully. Our goal in life --- yes, our goal in life! --- is to make it easy for you to keep chickens, and having a bunch of extra roosters that you don't know what to do with wouldn't be easy, now would...

If your hens have a good, "complete" layer feed, they may not ever need oyster shells or any supplemental calcium. However, it never hurts--and it can really help avoid potential pitfalls in a number of ways. Oyster shell is inexpensive and lasts a long time, so it's worth adding to your flock's diet. The reason they may need it is that some flocks that spend most of the day foraging, or are given too many treats, can develop a calcium deficiency, particularly if they are high production layers. If they're eating too many treats, they won't get all the calcium...

Here at My Pet Chicken, we offer a Marek's disease vaccination for all baby chicks. Marek's disease is the #1 disease-related killer of chickens. It can cause paralysis, blindness and death in up to 80% of an infected flock. There is no cure for a flock once it has been infected; the only way to prevent the disease is to vaccinate for it within 24 hours of the chick hatching. Learn more about Marek's disease.  Yes, you should get your chicks vaccinated To be blunt about it, yes. Make the small investment in a Marek's vaccine for your chickens. While...

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 a male chick. In-ovo DNA testing and spectroscopy are being developed for certain applications, but most of us don't have this technology readily available at home! Instead, there are lots of old wives' tales out there, most of which have to do with the shape of the egg or which way a string swings when you hold it above an egg. In most cases, you will find that in one area...

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 confuse this with pasting, which occurs on the vent, not below it. Usually the umbilical cord falls off immediately during hatching, but sometimes it can hang around for a few days (or it falls off but the belly button takes a while to heal, leaving a scabby spot). This can happen whether you hatch at home, or if you order from My Pet Chicken or another hatchery. Please don't try to remove it,...

Fertilized eggs are fine to eat, in fact some people claim they healthier than unfertilized eggs, although we've never seen any data supporting that. (Let's be honest; if the fertile egg is fresh and unincubated, you're going to have the addition of just half a cell.) Illustration by Ray Yang for My Pet Chicken It is impossible to taste the difference between a fertile and an infertile egg, and barely possible to SEE the difference between a fertilized and non-fertilized egg with the naked eye. If you look closely--and if you have good vision--you will see that a fertile egg...

Comb size and redness can be one indicator, but is not usually reliable. In fact, it's one of the worst indicators you can use, as comb size varies by breed and even individual. For instance, one of my hens has a larger comb than any of her sisters of the same breed, and a larger comb than any of my roosters, too. When sexing most juveniles, the best, most fail-safe method is to look at the saddle feathers in front of the tail when the bird is about 3 months old. By that age, cockerels will have long and pointy...

Unfortunately, as you've learned, sexing is more of an art than an exact science, so when you buy day-old chicks, there's always a small risk of receiving a mis-sexed bird. We're sorry if this has happened to you, whether you purchased your chicks from us or from another hatchery or feed store. It can be stressful to try to find a home for your unwanted rooster, and sometimes the most stressful part is having to part with him at all. Juvenile roosters are usually very friendly, and almost invariably are the favorite "hen" of the flock, so the disappointment can...

Whereas the brown color of an egg is laid on the outside of the shell, the blue color actually goes all the way through the shell, even to the inside of the shell. Originally, it was thought that color pigments were synthesized in the blood by the breakdown of hemoglobin, but research shows it is more likely that they are actually synthesized in the shell gland pouch. The blue color is produced by biliverdin; the brown color is produced by protoporphyrin, and they are incorporated into the shell in different ways based on their different compositions. Again, to make it...

We recommend feeding "free choice"; that is, letting them eat as much layer feed as they want and leaving their feeder out at all times (although you may take it up at night if you like). Even if your chickens have access to pasture, free ranging simply supplements their diet. Chickens will eat as much food as they need to keep themselves healthy. Some breeds may be able to barely subsist in good weather by free ranging (although this is unlikely, as chickens are domesticated animals, not wild animals), but most will simply starve if you don't provide them enough...

Yes, in most cases you can mix breeds of chickens in your flock. They generally get on very well. You can even include both bantam and large fowl breeds in your flock, if that is what you prefer. In fact, bantams don't always or even usually end up on the lower end of the pecking order just because they're smaller. Pro Tip: When mixing different bird sizes, you will simply need to make certain that you have your feeders and waterers set at a height so that all your chickens can easily reach them. Problems can occur "mixing" breeds in...

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 and receiving proper shelter, food and water--as well as nesting places--they will often be tempted by treats (given in moderation) of wild bird seed, meal worms, sunflower seed and so forth. If they learn to associate you with good treats, they will probably come running to you when they hear you, rather than in the other direction. Keep in mind that chickens do not usually like the same kind of handling a dog...

First, you should make sure they are on a good chicken feed. Once they have begun laying, switch to layer pellet or crumble; until then, feed them starter or grower. Some people make the mistake of feeding "scratch" only, when scratch is just meant to be a treat. Scratch in particular is mostly corn, which has very little nutritional value to it, and is low in protein. Feeding them scratch only would be like feeding your kids potato chips and corn chips only: it would simply not be very healthy! Second, some breeds do not come into lay until later...

There is no perfect age to transition your chicks to their outdoor coop, but generally by the time they are 4 to 6 weeks old, they're getting large for an indoor brooder and will want more space. Plus, they will be mostly feathered and able to maintain their body temperatures on their own. But just because you've adjusted the heat gradually down to the ambient temperature of your home doesn't mean they can go from 68 F inside to 15 F outside in the dead of winter! Sudden temperature changes are a real danger to your birds. You'll need to...

When a chicken gets a peck or a scrape on a comb or face, this will manifest as a black spot or scab, and isn't usually a cause for concern. If ALL of your chickens seem to have spots, if they are yellow or pussy, or if you are sure the spots you see are not from a scrape or peck, it might be a different problem. One possibility is that your chickens have Fowl Pox (dry) or Fowl Pox (wet). There are a few different things that can cause lesions, however, and if you have any concern, we recommend you take...

Bedding is an important part of keeping your chickens happy and healthy. On the coop floor the bedding will provide a soft surface for your chickens to walk on and will absorb droppings and odor. You want your coop sanitary and sweet-smelling, don't you? In the nest, bedding will give freshly-laid eggs a soft landing so they don't crack. (A cracked egg is a spoiled egg.) Recommended bedding: Pine shavings Aspen shavings Hardwood shavings Whatever you choose to use, the bedding in your coop should be at least 2" thick--more is better. There are many bedding materials to choose from,...

Chicken manure makes great compost for fertilizing your garden. However, we recommend you compost it first: don't add it directly in quantity. Uncomposted chicken manure is very "hot": too much nitrogen can burn your plants. Once your manure is composted, it is great for your garden, however.Chicken manure does not acidify soil: it tends to raise the pH. Actually, one study demonstrates that chicken manure is as effective as lime in raising soil pH (making it more basic rather than more acidic). That same study shows that plants can absorb more calcium from the manure than from lime due to...

Yes, they can! There are no problems associated with hatching mixed breed chickens. If you have a rooster in your flock, he will try to breed ALL your hens, nevermind if he is a different breed or even if the hens are different sizes, bantam and large fowl. It can be fun to hatch "mixed" eggs, because you never know what you'll get! Actually, many of the breeds we offer at My Pet Chicken are designer cross-breeds, and the results are spectacular: wonderful plumage colors, fantastic new egg colors, prolific egg-laying, friendly personalities and ultra-hardiness. For instance, we loved our...

Nest box sizes and placement are different for chickens, ducks, and geese. Providing your birds with the correct number of nesting boxes that are sized and situated properly can help ensure that your flocks' eggs remain fresh and clean and are easy to collect in a timely manner. You can find tips for all three types of birds below.  Chicken Nest Box Size and Placement Location: Hens like to lay in a dark, safe area away from the traffic of the flock. Their nesting boxes should be placed off the ground at least a few inches. This provides the laying hens...

It's so stressful to have a hurt chicken! If you've got an emergency, or a wound situation you don't feel equipped to handle, try our friends at VetTriage. They are open 24/7/365 and are ready to provide tele-health services for your chicken or any other bird for a reasonable fee. (This hen was attacked but made a beautiful recovery) That said, you may be equipped to handle the wound by yourself. Here's how we recommend you go about doing it. Step-by-step instructions for treating a wounded chicken Separate your wounded chicken from the rest of the flock first, otherwise the...

It's counter-intuitive but true: Your eggs will stay fresher if you don't wash them at all. When your hens lay eggs, there is a natural coating that is laid on top called the "bloom" that helps keep out bacteria. When you wash eggs, you can drive some bacteria in through the pores of the shell, so it's a bad idea to do so unless needed just before cooking as a general practice. If your nests are clean, your eggs should be clean. In fact, fresh eggs don't really even need to be refrigerated if they're going to be used soon....

A basic estimate is that chickens will eat 1/4 pound per day per chicken. However, that estimate is based on the conditions commercial layers face in factory farm conditions and are not necessarily accurate estimates for backyard chicken keeping. They're estimates for high-production, economical producers of eggs in controlled conditions year-round, who may be highly stressed and who certainly have no access to pasture. Such estimates are probably not accurate for bantam or heritage breeds of chickens kept in backyard conditions. Chickens kept in hobby farm conditions have varying egg production based on breed and season, have varying sizes from...

Medicated feed is formulated for chicks to help them combat coccidiosis, a disease that is found just about everywhere in the environment. Most medicated starter feeds contain the medication amprollium. Amprollium does not *treat* coccidiosis, but it helps the babies fight off cocci oocysts while they develop their own immunity. It is a preventative. If your birds have been vaccinated against coccidiosis, feeding them medicated feed will nullify the coccidiosis vaccination, although it will not hurt them. (We do not offer the coccidiosis vaccine, as it is too stressful on the birds--we offer the Marek's vaccine, which is not affected...

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 all orders of fewer than 15 chicks via Express Mail, so they arrive FAST.)

Chickens that are happy will be active and scratching around in the grass, laying in the sun--yes, they do that, too!--or taking a bath in the dirt. We don't recommend YOU try that chicken behavior--for humans, water baths tend to work a little better. Chickens, however, use dust baths to help keep themselves free to parasites. They also may be looking for a good, private place to deposit their eggs. Happy chickens who go broody will try to sit on their eggs all day to hatch them, and will protest if you try to encourage them to leave. If your...

We want to be sure your chicks arrive safely, so we have a special packaging method so your new pets are snug and secure while they travel. In fact, we customize bedding, ventilation, and even provide high-tech, long lasting heat packs so your small order of chicks will be happy and healthy when you pick them up at the post office. All that said, it's still necessary to set minimums to ensure their comfort. So while we don't have required minimums per breed, the total number of birds you order must meet the minimum order. Most of the year, April...

Q: Do shipped chicks need vitamins or electrolytes in their water? A: Generally, chicks do not need additional vitamins or electrolytes in their water. Fresh plain water is usually sufficient for their hydration needs. Q: Why might vitamins & electrolytes be necessary for chicks? A: Chicks may benefit from electrolytes, especially if they have undergone a stressful shipping trip. Electrolytes can aid in their recovery, providing quick energy to encourage eating and drinking. Q: How long should vitamins & electrolytes be provided to chicks? A: Electrolytes are not recommended for long-term use. Instead, they can be helpful in the first...

My Pet Chicken absolutely guarantees that the fertile hatching eggs you order from us will arrive intact and ready for incubation. Hatching egg orders may ship any day of your selected shipping week, Monday through Saturday via USPS Priority Mail. If any eggs for which you have paid arrive cracked or broken, contact us within two business days of receiving them with photos of the damage. - IMPORTANT: Receiving unbroken eggs is NOT a guarantee that they will all hatch. Why? Let us tell you BEFORE you make your purchase so you can be informed. Our eggs are gathered daily and stored...

Why did my rooster suddenly become aggressive?|Roosters can sometimes be a bit aggressive! One important thing to remember is that they see themselves as the protectors of "their" hens, so they may not take kindly to anything that scares the girls or causes them to squawk. Also, they are geared not only to be looking for danger from ground predators like dogs, but also to look for danger from above (like hawks!). That means that sometimes even carrying a feed bag on your shoulder or taking off a sunhat quickly can cause their protective instincts to kick in! For the...

If you allow your chickens to range freely, you WILL lose some to predators-- make no mistake. It can be devastating, especially to those of us with small, well-loved flocks. For some people, the thought of a loss is too overwhelming to consider the alternative. However, if you keep your chickens confined, even if the run area is roomy (defined as 20+ square feet per bird), their lives will absolutely be more... boring. They'll be more likely to peck one another, a headache for you (and worse for them!), and less healthy overall. They'll also require more of the feed...

Chickens usually don't simply "stop" laying eggs when they get to a certain age, but they will lay fewer as they get older. That said, most laying breeds will lay more or less productively in backyard terms for five or seven years. (We know of one ancient Buff Orpington cross who still lays an egg occasionally at 17 years old!) There are a number of reasons your chickens might not be laying, so if you suspect there's something more to it than age, have a look at this list of other possible reasons your chickens aren't laying. Debunking the 2-year...

Guess what? Now we do! For over a decade we didn't because we felt the bantams were too tiny to withstand the vaccine, but the equipment has improved! We're happy to announce that starting in 2021, all chicks we sell are able to be vaccinated for Marek's disease. 

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 out is to make a construction paper chain with the number of links equalling the number of days you must wait. Take a link off each day. Alternatively, you could simply mark days off on a calendar. Weekly, you can devise some task to do together related to the coming chickens. For instance, one task could be picking out brooder equipment, or finding a good place for it in your home. Another task...

Mites and lice are a common problem for chickens and can be carried in by wild birds, so keep that in mind. That means that if you have an infestation, it doesn't necessarily mean your management practices are bad. Don't get overwhelmed by guilt! There are some things that you just can't control...and birds landing in your trees or walking in your yard is probably one of them.  Signs of parasite infestation in your flock's feathers Mites inhabit your birds' feathers and suck their blood: they're like fleas, lice, or mosquitoes that live in your hair---yuck! Infestations of feather mites...

You are probably seeing your chicken's crop. A chicken's crop is a part of her digestive system, and is located on her breast. You can see it in the illustration below, closest to the front. When it fills up with food, it may stick out a little bit. It will be smaller in the morning before she has eaten, and larger after she is full. The crop (or "craw") holds food before it goes further down their digestive tract. Chickens basically store food in their crops; it is like a chicken lunchbox. Then it moves into the stomach or proventriculus...

Cloudy whites in a farm egg are usually indicative of its freshness. The cloudiness is caused by dissolved carbon dioxide in the white, which eventually escapes through the shell in older eggs. If the white of the egg is greenish, that usually means there is too much riboflavin in the diet. Make sure they are getting balanced nutrition. Eating acorns, shepherds purse or some types of weeds can cause that greenish tinge, too. Pinkish whites are caused by some types of weeds a chicken may get into, or high quantities of cottonseed meal in the diet.

Usually the whites of very fresh eggs such as you may gather from your own flock will be very thick in comparison to what you may be used to seeing at the grocery store! However, watery whites can be caused by a number of things. Eggs that are old will have watery whites (this is usually why grocery store eggs are so thin and tasteless). High ammonia levels in the coop can cause watery whites, too, as can high temperatures. These are other reasons factory farmed eggs are usually not very good: the conditions chickens experience in places like that...

A shell-less egg is a strange sight! You might think a shell-less egg would look like a cracked egg: a mess of white and yolk soaking into nesting material. But actually, an egg without a shell is often intact. Even an egg without a shell has that soft membrane. You might even think it's a regular egg until you touch it! Chickens need a lot of calcium to create good, hard shells, so most incidences of shell-less eggs in an adult hens are related to not having enough calcium in the diet. Young hens may lay a shell-less egg or...

When a hen is broody, that means she wants to hatch her eggs and raise chicks. A breed known for frequent broodiness has hens that often, individually go broody. These hens may not even need eggs to set on to be broody--they may brood in a nest with no eggs. Or in a corner on rocks. Further, if there ARE eggs in the nest, if there is not a rooster in your flock, your hens will not know that their eggs won't be fertile. Your hen will seem to be in a sort of bad temper while she broods, she...

These spots aren't related to having a rooster--or not!--in your flock. Presuming they are fertile, eggs with blood or meat spots are actually less likely to hatch. They don't mean your hen is sick, either. Blood spots usually just mean there has been a small rupture of a tiny blood vessel during egg formation, and this can happen even in healthy hens. They can also be triggered by too little vitamin A in your hens' diet. Occasionally, you may see a meat spot, which happens when there is a rupture along the wall of the oviduct. Both types are harmless....

You may be describing what is called a "body checked egg." Body checks are ridges or grooves that occur around an egg, usually at the pointed end. They occur more often in older layers, and are not really a cause for concern to the backyard farmer. Commercially, they are considered a aesthetic flaw, but don't have any effect on edibility. Occasionally, the egg will even appear wrinkled all over or even misshapen due to a large number of checks. Body checks are usually result of the hen's body attempting to repair any eggshell damage caused by stress when the egg...

This is usually an occasional thing, although younger or older hens are more prone to it. If your chicken is young, sometimes rough shells can occur for a while until her egg-laying cycle has settled. Older chickens may lay eggs with rough or pimpled shells, too. This issue can appear at any age, however. For instance, in the winter, sometimes a chicken may be getting excess calcium as laying slows down and they are less able to graze; the excess is distributed over the shell, sometimes in "pimples" or rough patches. Other possible causes: sometimes, rough shells will be caused...

In many ways they do. Chickens can make a very wide range of sounds, and they communicate amongst each other well. Roosters can sing loudly when they crow--they also issue predator warnings. Interestingly, they have different "words" for a predator that is coming on the ground, compared with a predator that is coming from above, like a hawk. They can call their girls over whenever they find a tasty treat by using a specific vocalization that the hens recognize. Hens make a similar clucky calling sound when they are teaching their babies what is good to eat and what is...

A hen who is ready to lay exhibits the following signs: Her comb will get larger and redder right before she begins laying. She will "squat" submissively when you reach down to pet her. She may get a little louder right before she begins laying, since she is experiencing new instincts, and she may not be sure exactly what they are telling her to do, yet. She may go in and out of nest boxes looking for a safe place to lay. She may try to drive the other hens away from possible nests if she is feeling protective. After...

Straight run birds are an "as hatched" mix of males and females. Therefore, if you were to order eight straight run birds, for example, you will get between zero and eight roosters and between zero and eight hens--there is no way to tell. Straight run chicks are sent "as hatched"--they are not sexed first and then separated out into each order. The reason is that expert sexers of day old chicks get top dollar since it is such a specialized skill--this is why ordering all straight run birds is less expensive than ordering all females. The only way to get...

The age a rooster will first crow varies, but generally speaking, he will begin crowing at about four or five months of age, at about the time he begins to look like a mature rooster. It can certainly vary considerably, though. We've seen roosters hold off crowing until they're eight or nine months old, and we've seen them start as early as two months. (Talk about cute!) That said, if you have a crowing bird that is younger than three months old, don't be in a hurry to find a home for "him," however. Hens can crow, too, so you...

Well, yes, they could... if your chickens are unable to cool themselves, they could seize and die. How can you tell if your flock is in distress? Hot chickens will pant with beaks open. They'll also ruffle their feathers and hold their wings out to try to cool themselves. Just because a chicken is hot, though, doesn't mean she's going to die, so don't panic. But do take a few precautions during heat waves. First, make sure they have access to shade and fresh water at all times. Dust bathing can cool them, too, so give them plenty of room...

Pecking, also called picking, is almost always the result of high stress levels. When that happens, the birds will sometimes pluck each others' feathers out, and can really hurt one another. Those lowest in the pecking order may have bare spots on their backs or their heads. Address the root cause of pecking in your flock Since we know happy chickens don't pick one another to the point of terrible feather loss, to deal with this problem you'll have to figure out why they're not happy. You may not be a pet psychic, but consult this list of common factors...

Probably not. Chickens actually produce two types of poo: fecal poo and cecal poo. Cecal poo is thicker, stinkier and stickier. It usually looks sort of like melted chocolate, and it occurs once every eight or so poos. Perhaps this is what you are seeing. If so, it is nothing to worry about. Some foods may cause sticky poo, too. Lots of barley in the diet can cause sticky, tar-like poo. Barley lacks an enzyme chickens need to digest (1,3�1,4)-�-glucan efficiently, and the poo is described as "viscous." Sometimes various fruits will cause looser, darker poo from the sugar and...

No. That's a terrible idea. Birds' respiratory systems are completely different ours, so holding your rooster upside down can cause him real problems. For example, a bird's lungs are right next to the spine and upper ribcage, so it is hard for a bird that is upside down to breathe, since the weight of all his organs will be pressing on his lungs and some of his air sacs. Normally, he will breathe via changes in pressure in the air sacs. So... when the pressure changes "unnaturally," it can make it difficult for him to compensate. Chicken's lungs can't expand...

|If you want to know how to tell the difference between males and females in chickens, please see our related questions, below. This question addresses how sex is determined in chickens genetically. In birds, the sex of the embryo is determined by the egg, not the sperm (as it is in humans). Avian sex differentiation is not determined by XY chromosomes like it is in humans and most mammals (or even the XO system used by some insects). In those systems the sex is determined by the sperm, by what the male contributes to the offspring. By contrast, birds have...

The question of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in chickens has been an important subject for scientific study over the last several decades. For most backyard chicken enthusiasts, females are preferred for egg laying and unwanted roosters often have to be rehomed. Wouldn't it be great if you could incubate and hatch all females, or at least hatch a much higher ratio of females than males? Sure! But as we shall see--don't get your hopes up just yet... An Australian study published in 1960 (Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 11(4) 664 - 672) found that eggs stored at 40 degrees Fahrenheit...

Once they have imprinted on their coop as "home," they will retire on their own at dusk. (Thus the saying: "Chickens always return home to roost.") You can get your birds to regard the coop as home by keeping them inside it for a few days after you have transferred them from the chick brooder. They will get used to sleeping there and will feel safe returning there at night. Naturally, you will want to make sure you don't keep them shut inside a hot coop in the dead heat of summer when they may get overheated--don't make the transfer...

None. Hens will lay eggs whether there are roosters around or not, just as female humans will ovulate regardless of the sexes of their companions. The eggs will not be fertile without a rooster, however.

If your chickens have worms, you will want to treat them. Some signs you can look for at home are pale combs, a drop in laying, and watery poo. However, it does no good to worm your flock--even on a seasonal schedule--unless you know precisely what type of infestation they are suffering from. Keep in mind that particular wormers are only useful for particular parasites, so it is best to get a diagnosis as to which you are addressing. That way you will know which wormer will help their condition. Otherwise, you simply may be stressing their systems out by...

Assortments are often more available than specific breeds are, and sometimes even bargain priced. However, no record is kept of which birds are used to fulfill assortments, I'm afraid. They are fulfilled with the breeds that hatched well that week. To determine what you received, you can compare your chicks to the list of possible breeds and the photos on our site to try to identify them. In some cases, you may know instantly what you have received, and in others you may not be absolutely sure until the birds get their mature plumage, so it can be an exciting...

Long nails occasionally happen, and it is a good idea to trim them if they get too overgrown so your birds can walk without difficulty. In most cases they wear down on their own, but that is not always the case--sometimes trimming will help. Chickens kept in cages often have foot and nail problems, but sometimes even if your birds have solid ground and the run of the yard, their nails may grow too long if they are often broody and don't walk around enough to wear them down. I have a silkie who gets long toenails, for instance. She...

Wing clipping--trimming the primary feathers on your chickens' wings--is not necessary unless your flock is flying into places they shouldn't be. Most breeds do not fly particularly well, so it is not usually necessary. (Juvenile chickens will typically fly better than adults, as they have reached nearly their full wingspan at that age--but not their full weight, yet.) If you decide to clip your chickens' wing feathers for some reason, you will normally want to do that about once a year, after the molt. Some people recommend trimming the feathers of one wing only because this puts the bird off...

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 are not around when you open the package. If you do experience any losses, be sure to let us know within 48 hours of having received your order so your loss will be covered by our live arrival guarantee. If someone else is picking up or caring for your chicks for some reason, be sure to have them contact us within the 48-hour deadline to report any losses. When reporting losses,...

Molting occurs once a year in adult birds older than one year, normally in late summer or autumn. During this time, birds will lose their feathers and regrow new ones. It's a way of refreshing their plumage for the winter so they'll stay warm. There are three types of molts: A hard molt. A hard molt means all the feathers are lost almost at once, so molting is over relatively quickly. A soft molt. A soft molt means the feathers are lost and regrown gradually. Sometimes you may hardly notice a soft molt, except as a reduction in laying. A...

Pet chickens that are properly cared for can live a relatively long time. It's common for a chicken in a backyard setting to live 8-10 years. But we've also heard reports of chickens living as many as 20 years! The older they get, of course, the fewer eggs they lay. But they have other valuable functions besides being a loved member of the family! They are useful for tick, fly, and mosquito-eating, not to mention they're still garden fertilizer machines! You can read more information on our blog about why keeping older hens in the flock can be a great...

Congratulations! You've received your order of baby chicks or waterfowl from My Pet Chicken and now you want to know which breed is which. No problem! Some babies may have leg bands. You can compare the leg band color on your bird to the charts below to help identify the breeds in your order.  IMPORTANT: The leg bands MUST be removed within about a week (because your chicks, ducks, or geese will be growing while the leg bands won't!). Since these are rubber bands, they are extremely easy to remove. Just grab the band and roll it down over the...

Debeaking or "beak trimming" is what it's called when a baby chick's beak is burnt or seared off. It is painful and cruel. Here we explain more about the practice and why we're against it. Why do some breeders debeak their birds? Most rare breed hatcheries and breeders do not beak trim newly-hatched baby chicks, but often trim beaks of birds they're planning on selling when they're a bit older. The reason they do this is so they can pack the birds into a very small space. Keeping chickens in close confinement naturally causes severe stress, and in response to...

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 the way other "food" animals are?--but we wouldn't be able to sleep at night if our hatchery engaged in those practices. The majority of the baby chicks that aren't adopted are offered up for auction near our hatching facility. A portion of the unsold chicks are humanely euthanized and we are continuously looking for better alternatives.

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 (you'll have to enter your zip code so the cost can be calculated).Small orders of baby chicks, ducklings and goslings need extra attention to ship safely, so they include high tech long lasting heat packs to keep the babies warm, plus custom amounts of nesting material and ventilation to prevent jostling or stifling, based on the prevailing weather. Due to this special attention, very small orders of chicks and waterfowl cost a good deal more...

Awww, isn't that cute! Tiny, yolkless eggs are sometimes known as witch eggs or fairy eggs. Cute, huh? Occasionally a hen will lay a fairy egg when something has disturbed her reproductive cycle. Sometimes a hen will lay a fairy egg or two just as she comes into laying, before her reproductive system has gotten into gear. They do come in all the colors that hens lay: white, brown, green, blue and so on, although they are sometimes lighter or darker than her regular eggs because they may spend more or less time in the "egg painting" area of her...

Most heavy, docile backyard breeds don't fly very well and aren't particularly inclined to leave a secure, fenced area. A regular picket fence (if the pickets are close) will do to keep many adult large fowl chickens enclosed. But that said, a picket fence is probably not going to help you very much for a few reasons. A low picket fence won't work for some breeds--some backyard breeds like Leghorns or Hamburgs are pretty good fliers and will jump fences like they're not even there---and range far! Small or juvenile birds will slip between pickets or wires. And a regular...

Having your chickens sleeping in their nests at night sounds like a natural thing, doesn't it? However, unless your hens are broody and hatching fertile eggs, having them sleep in the nests is a bad idea. As they sleep, they will defecate and soil the nests, and this means that when you do gather eggs, your eggs are likely to be dirty--yuck! Your flock should be sleeping on their roosts. Chickens should sleep on their roosts, NOT in nests For that reason, it can be helpful not to add nest boxes to your coop until a few weeks before your...

Bantam eggs in general are quite small by comparison to what you see in the grocery store. That makes sense! Smaller birds lay smaller eggs. Below you see two cochins, one a bantam and the other a regular-sized large fowl cochin. Of course the bantam cochins will lay smaller eggs. (They have smaller chicks, too!) Regardless, bantam chicken eggs taste the same as the eggs of larger chickens, and certainly if your birds have access to pasture, bantam or large fowl, the eggs will taste MUCH better than what you can get in a grocery store. However, some bantams lay...

The eggs of bantam chickens are smaller than the eggs we're used to seeing in the grocery store. Just how small? Of course, it really depends on the hen. For instance, the eggs of Sebright bantams and Belgian bantams, are SUPER tiny, but the eggs of Silkie bantams are simply small. So all bantam eggs are not equivalent, the same way some large fowl breeds lay jumbo eggs, while others lay medium eggs. Here are the size classifications for eggs: 1 jumbo egg - 2.50 ounces 1 extra-large egg - 2.25 ounces 1 large egg - 2 ounces 1 medium...

Storing your eggs large end up will keep them freshest. This is because the air cell in an egg is located at the large end, so less moisture will evaporate out of the egg if it is set with the air cell up in the carton. The pointy end, with egg white closer to the porous surface of the shell, is less exposed to air when it is pointing DOWN in the carton. Frankly, though, if you are storing eggs for eating, it probably won't make much difference unless you are storing them for very long periods of time (and...

Chickens don't sweat like humans do to cool down. Much like dogs, they pant to help stay cool. When they are very hot, you will also see them holding their wings out slightly from their bodies and ruffling their feathers to help the heat escape. Be sure they have plenty of shade and fresh, cool water when it is hot outside. Water is extremely important! A lack of water, even for a few hours, can throw them off laying, put them at risk for heat stroke, and make it difficult for them to manage their body temperatures. But you can...

In most cases, you needn't worry. When you first receive them, your little chicks are hungry, and their instincts can tell them to peck at anything to see if it is good to eat: food, funny looking pine shavings, spots on the brooder walls, toes, eyes, freckles on your arm, and anything else. Once they learn what food is, they will not likely peck at anyone else unless they get stressed (too crowded, too hot, etc.), or they are establishing the pecking order. Right now you can sort-of think of them as little toddlers, "testing" everything by trying to put...

You will want to take the same kinds of precautions you would take with any pets: wash your hands after handling them and so forth. Avian and human metabolisms are quite different, so there are few things that affect both humans and birds (even lice that are interested in your chickens are not interested in humans). However, just like cats, birds can get toxoplasmosis. This is the reason pregnant women are advised not to clean a cat box while pregnant. And for that reason, you may want to have your partner clean the brooder or coop while you're pregnant, just...

When a female animal is "in heat," she is ovulating and/or ready to be mated. In some animals mating induces ovulation, but this isn't the case with chickens. In fact, hens of most breeds ovulate more or less year round: they ovulate yolks, enclose them in albumen and shells, and lay the eggs. If your hens are laying eggs, they are ready to be mated. Presuming your rooster is old enough to be sexually mature (5 - 6 months or so), he is likely mating your hens when you are not around. Just because you don't see him mating, that...

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 degrees Fahrenheit (and the temperature should be reduced by five degrees each week thereafter until they are acclimated to the surrounding environment). That said, they can indeed overheat if the temperature gets much above that. If you see your baby chicks panting or gasping with their beaks open like the little chick in the photo below, it is too hot in your brooder. Reduce the heat immediately, and give them a place to...

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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 get a balanced diet. Treats do not provide a balanced, nutritious diet, and it's important to give your chicks a good start in life. Keep in mind that if the baby chicks are raised by mother hen, she will get them to eat anything good that she eats, right from the beginning. There is never an age that they are too young for free ranging or eating some specific food. They are hardy...

No. But it's always a good idea to be informed, to practice good biosecurity, and to cook your eggs and meat all the way through.Bird flu, or Avian Influenza (AI), is a viral disease that can infect domestic poultry. There are two types of AI viruses: low pathogenicity (LPAI) and high pathogenicity (HPAI). Whether a virus is LPAI or HPAI depends on the severity of the illness it causes. HPAI is the extremely infectious and deadly-to-birds form of the disease that you've probably heard about. It can spread rapidly from flock to flock. In 2022, the USDA is finding some...

The Marek's Disease vaccination is attenuated, which means, in most cases, it's not even developed using the Marek's virus. Instead, it's developed using a different illness common to turkeys, but which causes the chickens in question to develop immunity to Marek's. This is the same way the small pox vaccine was developed for humans: the vaccine is actually based on cowpox. However, cowpox provided immunity from deadly smallpox, even though you can't get smallpox from the vaccine. We know of no reports or studies showing that nonvaccinated birds can be infected with Marek's Disease by exposure to birds vaccinated for...

No, most of the time, we do not add extra chicks. Especially with small orders, we are careful not to add chicks (although it may happen occasionally, usually only if we've miscounted!). For larger orders of 25 or more chicks, it is more common to receive an extra. We understand that most of you are ordering very small quantities of birds, and may only be allowed to keep the exact number you have ordered. Since we ship our chicks with heat packs when the weather calls for it, we don't add "extra males for warmth" like other hatcheries do. If...

We don't breed our Easter Eggers with anything else, only Easter Eggers. Since you know Easter Eggers are not purebred birds, it's sort of a confusing thing to say, but keep in mind that the Easter Eggers were actually here first, before there were Araucana or Ameraucana breed standards at all. Easter Egger hen Let me explain: The standards for breeding Araucanas were set up first, in kind of a backwards way. Normally, to get a new breed officially recognized, breeders get together and propose standards to the APA (American Poultry Association), and then there are certain requirements that must...

Good question! Typically, you don't want your chicks to eat layer feed since it has too much calcium for them, and you don't want your laying hens to eat too much chick starter because it lacks the calcium they need to produce strong egg shells. However, if your birds are kept in the same area, it's virtually impossible to guarantee your birds will eat the right feed (and with typical perversity, they are usually drawn to the feed you don't want them to eat!) If you have birds of different ages that may have different dietary needs, there is a...

We get questions about this all the time! Let there be no doubt: adding new birds to your pre-existing crew can be stressful, both to you and the birds. Your flock, peaceful because every hen knows her place in the pecking order, will be thrown all out of whack by the addition of newcomers. Every hen and roo will once again have to vye for his or her spot on the pecking order. At times it can seem like all-out war! The good news: it only lasts about a week, and there are a few things you can do to...

Keeping your chicken coop smelling good during the summer heat can be challenging, but with the right strategies, you can maintain a fresh and healthy environment for your birds. Here are some effective tips: 1. Regular Cleaning and Fresh Bedding The most important tip is to keep your coop clean and your bedding fresh. Use pine shavings or hemp instead of straw, as they are more absorbent and decompose slower. Straw, on the other hand, rots quickly and is not absorbent, requiring more frequent cleaning. 2. Manage Humidity In humid conditions, even pine shavings can get wet and release ammonia,...

You probably don't have to worry about well cared for backyard hens getting ill with salmonella if you provide a clean environment for them. Hens in factory farms usually get infected because they have eaten rat droppings from the conveyor belt that carries their feed. Apart from rat and rodent droppings, chicks can hatch ill with salmonella, having had it passed to them by their mothers. Chickens that are purchased at auctions, shows or other places may pass an illness into your own flock. Chickens that are ill with Salmonella can also pass it to other flock members if their...

Salmonella infection in chickens is a concern for poultry owners and a potential source of contamination for humans. Understanding Salmonella symptoms in chickens is crucial for your flock's welfare and your family's safety. Some infected chickens may remain asymptomatic, making early detection challenging. In this comprehensive guide, we delve into the various symptoms associated with Salmonella infection in chickens, shedding light on what to watch for and when to seek veterinary assistance. Whether you're a seasoned poultry keeper or new to raising chickens, this article will provide valuable insights into recognizing and managing Salmonella symptoms in your feathered friends. What...

It's not a common problem, but it is an area of concern. Common sense will tell you not to keep your chickens around peeling or flaking paint, lead based or not. But while you can probably identify if you have paint chips falling into an area your chickens frequent, you may not be aware of any contamination that is not visual--- and that's the danger. For example, if you live in an area of old homes that may have used (once common) lead-based paint on siding, trim, barns or other outbuildings, the lead from old paint chips may have turned...

Biosecurity for Birds is a public awareness campaign started by the U.S. Department of Agriculture�s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service in 2004. It was designed to educate the growing population of backyard poultry owners on how to keep their flocks healthy. The campaign is focused on public education and reducing the risk of contagious poultry diseases in backyard poultry. This is great for those who keep pet or show chickens, and who want to know how to best keep them safe. For more information about keeping your birds healthy, read the related questions below, or visit the APHIS Biosecurity...

We know you love your birds and want to make sure they're healthy. Just like our other animal friends, chickens can become ill. In this article we'll teach you what are the common signs and symptoms of illness, how to hone in on a diagnosis, and finally, help you decide when you'll need to call a veterinarian. How to know if your chicken is sick Chickens can be a bit sneaky, so knowing whether they need medical help can be tough. Here are a few important things to keep in mind. Chickens hide symptoms of illness. Since they are prey...

Good question! Most illnesses or even infestations (such as mites or worms) are contracted when your birds are exposed to other birds, either directly or indirectly. For that reason, there are simple steps you can take to reduce the chances of exposure and keep your flock healthy. Use common sense and restrict access to your birds and to their area. It's fun to have chicken keeping friends, but remember that allowing visitors to your flock that have been exposed to other birds is one of the main ways illnesses and infestations can get passed from one flock to another Before...

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 shopping basket, My Pet Chicken's automated checkout system takes quantity into account, so it could be that you're trying to ordering FOUR chicks when we only have one or two left on your preferred date. When that is the case, obviously, we can't reserve chicks for you that we don't expect to have, so you are offered only the date choices in which your combination of breeds--and at the quantities you want!--will be available....

There is little more beautiful than a mother hen sheltering chicks beneath her wings. And there is little more efficient! If you have the luxury of having a broody hen to raise your chicks, you should totally take it. But there are some important things to be aware of! When you are having a broody hen raise new baby chicks that have been shipped to you, first remember that your hen has to be currently broody. If she is not broody when you try to introduce chicks to her, she may try to kill them, but she certainly won't adopt...

Of course, we can't know for sure what may be going on, but we can offer some information that may assist you in figuring it out! First of all, it's important to understand what it is that causes egg yolks to stay centered in the first place. The chalazae are the parts of the egg that are sort of like springs, and they act to hold the yolk in place. The chalazae are the think whitish parts you will have seen on either side of the yolk. Sometimes people will choose to remove this part of the egg when cooking,...

You pay for your order as soon as it is placed; that is what holds your reservation. We don't keep your payment information on file---this helps protect you from identity theft. But for that reason, we have no way of charging your card weeks or months later when your birds have hatched---or your juveniles are grown---and are ready to ship. In addition, when ordering baby chicks in particular, if we did keep your payment information and wait to charge you on hatch day, if there were some problem with the transaction, it would create a BIG problem for the baby...

No, a terrible hatch doesn't mean that most or even any of your eggs were infertile! They may all have been fertile. Remember, just because an egg doesn't hatch (or even if it doesn't develop), that doesn't mean it wasn't fertile. It is not possible to see the fertilized blastodisc, or blastoderm, on the yolk of the egg after 21 days of incubation, as it will have deteriorated by then. �If you have a rooster with your hens, you can presume good fertility up to about a ratio of ten or twelve hens to every rooster. To check your exact...

Chickens can vary in size greatly by breed and variety! Large fowl cochin beside bantam cochin Large fowl chickens can range from 4 pounds for small hens to nearly 15 pounds for the largest roosters! Bantams vary in size, too. They can weigh from a few ounces for the tiniest seramas to more than two pounds for larger bantams. Generally speaking, bantam versions of large fowl breeds tend to be 1/3 to 1/2 the size of the larger birds.

No, we're sorry. If you want specific breeds or colors, you'll need to purchase each breed you want and construct your order that way. The assortments are hatchery choice, and are not sorted by breed or color.

The easiest thing to do is simply to provide your birds with safe, roomy, clean conditions. Research has shown that a diet of whole grains and seeds is associated with decreased Salmonella colonies -- so start there! We offer these treats that fit the bill: Farmer's Helper Optimal ForageCake Supplement Sunflower Sensation Organic Chicken Crack Sounds easy. Too easy, right? Especially since, if you're even reading this, you're probably already a responsible chicken owner concerned with providing your flock the best care you can... so you've undoubtedly provided lots of space and clean conditions to begin with. But consider this:...

We normally recommend one rooster for every ten hens or so. In a large flock, there is often more than one rooster, with no problems. In smaller flocks, it's a greater risk. However, many breeders keep significantly greater numbers of roosters with their girls--one rooster for every two, or one for every five. We don't recommend it for the typical backyard chicken situation because there is always the risk that your girls will get overbred. However, if you do end up with more roosters than you bargained for, the good news is that it is still quite possible for your...

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 loneliness--they are flock animals and need companions. Second, baby chicks require a nice warm brooder--and by warm, we mean about 95 degrees! They will get ill and die at room temperature in an Easter basket. And third, even were you to buy several chicks and give them proper care in a brooder, generally speaking, it's still just not an ethical thing to do. It's cruel to raise a baby animal, or several, only to...

This can occasionally happen, although it is rare. A chicken's beak will continue to grow throughout her lifetime, so as long as it is just the tip, her beak should grow back with no problems. Normally, her beak will slowly wear down with use, but if her beak grows faster than it wears, the tip may break, or a break can be caused by an injury. Possibly your chicken caught her beak somewhere and broke it trying to escape. In any case, check your coop and feeders to make sure there is no place to catch a toe or a...

Chickens molt annually, usually in the fall. But some chickens do molt later than others. Often this varies by breed as well as the conditions under which they live. Reasons your chickens may be molting late in the year: Your chickens begin molting when their bodies tell them it is time, and that is usually based on daylight hours. Decreasing day length is the normal trigger. Birds start at the end of August or beginning of September, while other breeds may wait until November or December. Adding light to their coop: Some people add light to keep their birds laying consistently...

A chicken's comb can be indicative of her circulation and condition. For instance pale pink, shrunken combs may indicate anemia, a mite infestation or something else like a serious illness. When hens are not laying (for instance during a molt or during the winter), their combs will be smaller and paler, too. A red comb can indicate health. A BRIGHT red comb may mean your hen has a fever and is flushed. Blueness to the comb can indicate poor circulation or simply cold, the way your fingernails might get a bluish cast to them if you get very cold. Frostbite...

When a hen has just begin laying, there can occasionally be a little blood on the egg shell, but it is usually no cause for concern. Eventually her vent gets used to stretching when she lays, and becomes very elastic. However, at first it does occasionally happen that with a large egg she might bleed just a little. And it can happen, too, to an older hen if she lays an egg larger than she is used to. If there is a lot of blood, if there is blood every single day, or if you see blood on your hen's...

Eggs are surprisingly resilient thanks to their natural protective coating, called the bloom, which helps keep bacteria out. That’s why, in the days before refrigeration, people left eggs out at room temperature with no problem. Still, it’s best to gather your eggs daily and refrigerate them soon after collecting. Refrigeration keeps them fresher longer and helps prevent any bacteria—especially in dirty eggs—from multiplying.

Well, having your lawn sprayed with pesticides while you are keeping chickens isn't a good idea---it isn't something most of us would ever want to risk with our flocks and our families. However, if you want to weigh your options, you would need to know exactly what sort of poison your exterminators will be using and in what concentrations. Remember, there are lots of different toxic chemicals used to exterminate bugs, so there's no pat answer as to whether extermination on your yard will be safe for your chickens. However, if your exterminator cannot answer your questions about the chemicals...

It's difficult for us to say exactly what might be inspiring them to do that without being able to inspect your coop, but we can give you some pointers that may assist you in solving the mystery. First, make sure your roosts are higher than your nests. If your nests are higher, your chickens will instinctively go for the highest place they can reach--do make sure it isn't too high for your chickens to easily reach, though! Second, make sure your roosts are comfortable for your birds. Although we tend to picture birds roosting on branches in the trees, most...

You don’t have to use light at all. However, if you’d like to encourage egg production during winter’s shorter days, the good news is you don’t need anything too bright!  

Well, the truth is that it simply depends on how you want us to handle any problems with your order. Some customers will wait many months for just the right breed, because the breed they get is the most important consideration for them. Others may not care so much what breed they receive, so long as they get the shipping date they need. So, take a few moments to consider your needs before making this choice. When you choose "no substitutions," that has to do with what day you are originally scheduled to receive your birds. Our website is updated...

Your baby chicks poo so much because they have to eat a lot to grow as fast as they do! Remember, they are going from egg-sized (2 ounces or so) to chicken-sized (8 pounds or so) in just a few months, and that takes a lot of energy and food. Imagine how much baby humans would eat if they grew into teenagers in just a few months! Since lots of eating means lots of pooing, baby chicks do poo a lot. It's important to keep their area clean so they will grow up healthy and strong.

This issue can be confusing, can't it? Try thinking of it this way: Generally, you might think of drafts as air that will blow directly onto your chickens through the coop at floor level where they stand, or at roost level where they sleep. Ventilation, on the other hand, simply permits air to move through the coop (overhead) but does not blow directly on the chickens. In the winter, chickens need protection from cold weather, which their feathers provide by keeping an insulating layer of warm air between their feathers and their body, trapped in their down. If they are...

Generally speaking, no. Chickens don't need baths. However, if they do get something stuck in their feathers that they are not preening out, you can choose to bathe them. You may be especially interested in this if you want to show your chickens at a poultry exhibition. Keep in mind that bathing should be kept to a minimum, since shampoos can be drying to their feathers and make them brittle. If the dirt doesn't come out with simple water, you may want to try a pet bird shampoo like one you can find at your local pet store. These are...

Yes--A possum (a.k.a. "opossum") that gets into your coop or run can eat eggs and young chicks, but they have certainly been known to kill adult chickens as well. Small bantams are especially at risk. When they kill adult chickens, they will take one or more and leave remains quite similar to what a raccoon leaves: the body or bodies will usually be left where they were killed, rather than carried away. The birds will usually be killed by bites to the neck, and the opossums often just eat the contents of your birds' crops and occasionally some of the...

Unfortunately, there is no pat answer on this one. First, ALL roosters crow. We happen to love the sound (to us it's far preferable to yapping dogs or leaf blowers!). However, it is not possible to know which roosters will crow often and which will be quieter than others when they are baby chicks, just as it's not possible to know which dogs will be barkers when they are pups. With roosters, a lot will depend on their environment too, and how safe they feel "their" hens are. If your chickens are in an area where they are constantly molested...

We LOVE it when they do that... it's so darn cute! This is a nesting behavior. Hens that are broody will often do this when settling into the nest, and occasionally hens who are not broody will do it before or after laying. In nature, having little bits of the surrounding grass, leaves, and other detritus covering her would help to keep her camouflaged from predators by breaking up her silhouette.

The answer to that question will depend on exactly how large the hens and roosters in question may be as well as what your personal preference is. No matter the size of your rooster, he will try to mate all your hens, whether they are large fowl or bantams, so it's certainly a valid concern! Look at the difference in size between a large fowl cochin and a bantam cochin: If you have a very large rooster like a Jersey Giant paired with very small bantams like Sebrights, you might see some injuries during mating since he will be so...

Yes, dogs can be pretty gross sometimes, can't they? They are not the most discriminating of eaters. For instance, my friend's dog likes to raid the cat box, find rabbit droppings, and even eat his own doggie poo! So, dogs eating feces is not confined only to chicken poo. Your dog could conceivably get sick from any of these sources because feces of any kind can be contaminated with bacteria. If you want to train your dog not to eat that icky stuff, you might try a week or two of going out into the yard first before he does,...

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 that way. The same goes for ordering "blue" breeds. As you can see in the descriptions, blues usually come in a mix of blue, black and splash. When that's the case, you cannot choose which you receive. Similarly, you can't choose what color Easter Egger you get, or which birds come in a hatchery or breeder choice assortment. All your buying options are always right on the pages.

There are challenges associated with mixing fowl varieties, such as making sure each one eats the right food for their needs. Often different fowl have different nutritional requirements, so sometimes they won't be healthy if they all eat the same food. Will you offer them all layer feed for chickens, feed designed for your other fowl, or something else entirely that is a compromise between the two? It may be hard to find something they can all eat that will keep them all at their best when their care needs are so different. Ducks, geese, guineas, peafowl, quail, pheasants, turkeys...

Name: Wolf, Coyote Canis lupus, Canis latrans Description: Wolves and coyotes are both members of the dog family, and appear as large (scary!) dogs with silvery or brownish fur. Wolves can be up to 5 feet long (excluding tails), and nearly three feet tall at the shoulder. They can weigh up to 175 pounds, but average around 80. Coyotes can be up to about 3 feet long (excluding the tail), and about 2 feet tall at the shoulder. They can weigh up to 75 pounds, but average around 50. Distribution/Habitat: Coyotes are found in North America. Various species of wolves...

Domestic dogs--including those belonging to you as well as those belonging to other people--are the most common predators of chickens in both suburban and rural areas. Most dogs are not trying to kill your birds. They simply want to chase, but even chasing can be fatal, because chickens often break their necks trying to get away, or die of heart attacks if they have no where safe to escape. In cases where your chickens are neither hurt nor killed by a dog attack, they can still be thrown off laying for days or even several weeks due to the upset....

If you keep chickens, raccoons are one of the biggest threats to your flock. With their nimble paws and puzzle-solving smarts, these nighttime raiders can tear through weak coop defenses in search of an easy meal. But don’t worry—you can outsmart them. Learn how to secure your setup and protect your birds with a few simple, proven tactics.

Name: Snakes Serpentes spp (nearly 3000 species) Description: *Legless reptiles of many colors *Snakes range in size from just a few inches/a few ounces to those that are more than 25 feet long and more than 200 pounds Distribution/Habitat: Various species are found throughout the world Hunting Behavior: Most snakes too small to be predators of adult chickens. Instead, they tend to be predators of eggs and young chicks. (The largest snakes are inhabitants of rain forests, and we suspect that very few backyard chicken keepers will live in the Indian or South American jungles.) Very small snakes won't even...

Name: Weasel, ermine, ferret, mink, badger, fisher, ermine, wolverine, skunk, etc. Mustelidae and Mephitidae spp Description: This group contains diverse predators including those listed above. Those species interested in preying on your chickens generally are small to medium, long-bodied, short-legged omnivorous mammals. Some are tiny; for instance, some weasels aren't much bigger than a mouse, but they can kill rabbits and chickens many times their size. Some members of this group are very large; for instance, wolverines have weighed up to 70 pounds. Distribution/Habitat: Various species are found throughout the world Hunting Behavior: Some in this group are not predators...

Name: Fox Vulpes spp. Description: *Many different species of reddish or greyish, dog-like mammals with long bushy tails *Up to 3 feet long (excluding tails, which may add another 2 feet), and weighing up to 22 lbs average (record is 26.5 pounds) Distribution/Habitat: Various species are found throughout the world Hunting Behavior: Foxes will not appear in suburban settings as often as raccoons or opossums, but they are still a danger. They will normally stake out your coop beforehand so they know when to strike, grab a bird, and how to get away fast. If they get inside an enclosed...

Domestic house cats very rarely attack adult chickens, but they can be a serious danger to baby chicks, and occasionally to juvenile birds or small bantams. That said, not all are, to be sure.  With chicks, it's better safe than sorry, but there are plenty of examples on the interwebs of cats cuddling and loving on baby chicks, like the above. Occasionally we do hear from people whose cats seem interested in their adult birds. Since many of the most common chickens are just as big as house cats, this is pretty rare. If a cat kills an adult chicken...

Name: Lynx (including bobcats), Cougar Lynx spp and Puma Concolor Description: *Lynx up to 66 pounds and over 4 feet long (in North America, the species are smaller, up to 30 pounds and 41 inches) *Cougars can be up to 220 pounds and up to 9 feet long (including the tail) Both lynx and cougars are large felines, and can have large paws for their relative size. Lynx have short tails, while the cougar's is long. Various lynx species may be generally golden or pale in color. Their fur may be plain or spotted, and they have lighter fur on...

Name: Crows and other corvids Corvus spp Description: *Corvids are large perching birds, usually with dark coloration, although some (especially tropical species) can be very brightly feathered. *Some in this group can be up to three pounds Distribution/Habitat: Found throughout the world Hunting Behavior: Crows are among the most intelligent animals, and can even make and use tools. They can also recognize individual people by their faces. If they attack your flock at all, it will probably be an attack of opportunity on chicks, very small bantams or very young birds. They may also be sneaky and try to steal...

Unfortunately, scoundrels are found everywhere. Most humans are not predators of chickens, of course, but the fact is that some people are dishonest slimeb alls--so if your flock suddenly disappears or is destroyed, don't rule out people as the culprit. We hear from people with neighbors who are so against the whole idea of chickens in a suburban area that the neighbors feel theft or violence is justified. They may do so because they feel it's inhumane, or they may just have a grudge against you. Another motivation is different: some people love chickens so much, that they will steal...

Chicken feed and droppings will attract rats, yes! That's why it's so important that you do two things: store your feed in metal bins, and carefully prepare your chicken run using a heavy gauge half-inch or less hardware cloth material. Why rats are a problem Some people don't much mind rats lurking around their coop. We get that. It's old school, and we're not here to judge. But there are some very good reasons why you should try to eliminate rats around your chicken coop area. First, rats carry disease and can make your flock--or you--sick. When rodents eat feed,...

There is no one special breed that lays double yolkers. Occasionally a hen may lay a double yolker when her ovaries release two yolks at once, rather than one at a time. This tends to happen more often when hens are young and have just begun laying. Any breed can lay a double yolked egg, but it may be more common from breeds that are good layers, like Rhode Island Reds, Sussex, and Leghorns. Double yolkers are a favorite for over easy eggs! Commercially, most double yolkers will be discarded as "irregular" when candling, so getting farm fresh eggs from...

First remember that it only needs to be 95° directly under the heat lamp, and only in their first week of life. (You'll be reducing the temperature of the warmest area of your brooder by about 5° every week until they're acclimated to room temperature.) They will go to the "warm" area of your brooder to hang out and get cozy when they're cold. But it's also important to have areas that they can get away from the heat lamp if they're hot! So the best way to adjust your brooder temperature is to get it to 95° under your...

You're not wrong to be upset at the loss of your pets, of course, but if you're upset at your hatchery for suggesting that deaths weren't related to Marek's disease or asking questions about your brooder set up, your anger is misplaced. Of course it's upsetting when your pets die! However, according to the Merck Veterinary Manual, Marek's Disease can develop in chickens as young as three weeks old, not younger. Since your chicks weren't even old enough to show the first symptoms, whatever they died from couldn't have been from Marek's, whether they were vaccinated, not vaccinated, badly vaccinated...

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 your neighborhood. It can vary depending on the cause of death, too. In some places, it's fine to bury a dead animal, while other places may have restrictions. Some veterinarians can dispose of your dead pet for you, while in other places your local vet will not offer that service, but your sanitation service might. The best way to discover your own local requirements would be to contact a local vet and...

Usually, chickens with crossed beaks or scissor beaks lead long, normal lives. In most cases, this defect is caused by the chick positioning herself incorrectly for hatching. Normally, one wing will shelter the head inside the shell. But if a chick doesn't have her wing positioned over her head, the skull can malform, and it will reveal itself within the first few weeks as a cross beak or scissor beak as she begins to grow. What causes this problem isn't fully understood. Think of it as sort of the chicken equivalent of a breech birth: the chick has just not...

No. If you want to purchase live birds or fertile eggs, you will need to find a local supplier to help you; we do not ship internationally. (We don't even ship non-live items internationally.) If there is no local supplier and you want to go to the effort of importing chickens or fertile eggs into your country, you should be aware that it's not an easy process. Plus, we still can't help you--we don't export or ship internationally. We get asked often enough that we can provide some advice, though. First, you will need to check to see what customs...

Name: Snapping turtles Chelydra serpentina or Macrochelys temminckii Description: Snapping turtles are large freshwater turtles . Common snapping turtles weight up to 75 pounds, but generally average around 35 pounds for an adult. Alligator snapping turtles have weighed up to 249 pounds in captivity, but in the wild *only* get to be as large as 175 pounds or so. Still giant! Distribution/Habitat: Found in eastern and southeastern North America Hunting Behavior: These are uncommon predators of chickens, although they may pose problems for you if you have snapping turtles in your area. Females especially are known to travel relatively far...

As a flock-keeper, it is important to know that birds of prey, including raptors who hunt in daylight like eagles and hawks, and owls who hunt at night, will definitely kill and eat chickens in your flock if given the opportunity. Birds of prey come in many different sizes and colors, and various species are found throughout the world. This article will help you understand their hunting behavior and give you tips to help protect your flock from their aerial assault. How birds of prey hunt Unlike the most ground-bound predators of chickens (which may kill many birds or an...

Our breeding flocks are very large. We can't know which chicks hatch from which eggs. Even if we could, we don't keep track of which hen laid which egg, and we can't know which rooster fertilized which eggs, either. However, if you purchase birds from My Pet Chicken or some other major hatchery, generally speaking you can probably presume that the flocks are large enough to breed your birds together at home. Hatcheries understand that's what people want to do, so they keep breeding flocks with plenty of genetic diversity for breeding future generations. If you purchase birds from a...

Eggs from your own hens normally have very "tall" yolks because they can be so very fresh! It's not because they are pasture raised, though. The nutritional content for your own eggs when your hens have access to pasture is much better than regular "grocery store eggs." You can visually observe the difference between eggs from hens raised on pasture and eggs from factory farmed birds, because pasture raised birds will have yolks that are dark and orange, as opposed to the sickly pale yellow of grocery store eggs. Notice that in the photo above? That's the natural color of...

It is not likely that the problem is overfeeding. We recommend feeding free choice and not limiting their feed: underfeeding usually causes more problems than offering extra. It is rare for a layer to overeat ("meat" birds like the sickly Cornish Rock crosses are different, and often overeat). If it really concerns you, you might cease fatty treats, or perhaps double check the protein level in your food. Around 16% protein or so is good for layers, so if your protein level is higher than that, you might switch to a slightly lower protein feed. For the most part, though,...

Breeds that are not available individually may still be used to fulfill assortments, since the assortments consist of breeds that have hatched better than we predicted on a given hatch day. In other words, assortments can certainly be (and often are) fulfilled with otherwise sold out breeds, because once we've provided for the orders reserved for that week, we can use the remaining birds for assortments. This is a function of having to literally count our chickens before they've hatched: when making our availability estimates, we are conservative so we can avoid disappointing anyone who has reserved a specific breed....

Well, that's a more complex question than you may think. If there should be a problem on hatch day, of course we will contact you just as soon as we are aware, so you'll know to expect an altered shipment, or not to expect birds that week (depending on what you've asked us to do in the case of a hatch day issue). However, keep in mind that it wouldn't be before the Monday of hatch week, since we wouldn't know that there was a shortage of females hatching (for example) until after the babies had hatched and had been...

No, I'm sorry. We're not a breeder registry. We don't keep lists of independent breeders for any location. To find a list of breeders, you'll normally want to contact a breed club for the breed you are interested in, not a hatchery. To find a breed club, try a Google search: key in "breed club + [breed I'm interested in]." So, for example, you might key in "breed club Japanese Bantam." Breed clubs normally keep a registry of breeders, so contact the breed clubs you find in the Google search for a list of breeders. Hopefully you can find 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 early (if they have a roost to use), since the grown-in wing feathers allow them to fly up to the roost easily. Some may try roosting almost immediately, while others may take two or three weeks. Most people don't put roosts in their brooders, in which case it may take a few weeks for older birds to figure out "roosting" when they are moved to the big girl coop. However, you can give your...

My Pet Chicken is geared toward backyard flocks People who keep small numbers of chickens as a hobby often prefer to buy from My Pet Chicken because we are geared to small backyard keepers of just a few birds at a time. Our minimum order is just three (rather than 25 most other hatcheries). Even other "small order" hatcheries may allow you to order just a few birds, but then add "extra males for warmth," meaning you are saddled with 15 extra roosters to rehome. This is something most keepers of pet chickens are just not interested in. My Pet...

Don't worry, it's common for hens to not lay in the nest box!  "Floor eggs" are nothing to be too concerned about. Having your hens laying eggs on the floor rather than in the nest can be a pain in the neck. You want to be able to easily find all the eggs laid so you can gather them freshly--and you don't want to accidentally step on a floor egg! Some hens even lay eggs under the roosting area, which is just gross, because then the eggs get pooped on in the night. Having your eggs in a dark nest...

Not necessarily. Sometimes hens will regrow feathers immediately, and sometimes they won't regrow missing feathers until the molt (usually in the late summer or fall). The best layers are usually using all their resources to produce eggs, rather than to regrow feathers. That means high-production layers are generally the types that may not refeather immediately. To help your birds regrow missing feathers, you may consider getting a higher protein feed for a while; they need lots of protein to grow healthy feathers!

Our breeding flocks are raised indoor birds for reasons of biosecurity. Large hatcheries and serious breeders are more or less required to raise their birds indoors, since one of the main vectors for a lot of avian diseases is contact with wild birds. Hatcheries and breeders must be able to show by testing that their birds are free of these diseases (so sick or diseased chicks aren't sent all across the country!).   However, these aren't factory farm conditions like you see in the meat or egg industry with each bird being allocated a tiny cage that they can't even...

Probably not. Chickens actually eat deer ticks, wood ticks, and dog ticks (as well as other types), and these are the most common ticks that bother humans and canines. Perhaps these ticks are what you are seeing? If so, there is probably no special cause for concern. Even when you live in Tick Central, where a half hour hike means you may have to brush off many, many ticks from your clothing, you'll have few ticks in the immediate area of the chicken coop because the chickens will eat all they can find. This is especially true if you keep...

Not that we know of. Algae grows in conditions of water with excess phosphorus or fertilizers in it, and growth is encouraged when the water is also in the sun. It isn't related to the type of waterer you use, although it's possible you might get a bit less algae with an opaque waterer, if the sunlight is blocked from hitting the water. To avoid excess algae, put your waterer out of the sunlight and evaluate the condition of your water. Adding a little vinegar to the water to acidify it can discourage algae growth, but won't help much if...

If she's not molting, isn't getting picked on and isn't suffering from external parasites like mites or lice, it's possible that the bare spot on her front is caused by broodiness. Broody hens often lose the feathers on their lower breasts so that their bodies can be closer to the eggs they are trying to warm and incubate. It is called a "brood patch." Silkies often go broody Since this is a hormonal condition, it is possible she will lose or pluck feathers during broodiness whether or not she actually has any eggs. If she's been broody lately and you've...

If your chicken received the Marek's vaccination, she will most likely be protected from the symptoms of Marek's disease, but a small percentage of birds will still get sick with Marek�s, even when vaccinated. Also, there are many other illnesses chickens can get. For instance, if you got a whooping cough vaccination as a kid, you can still get the flu, or liver disease, or bronchitis, or an ear infection, or lyme disease and so on. The same goes for your chicken. Vaccinating for Marek�s disease will not protect your chicken from all sicknesses, only Marek's. As always, if you...

There is no special size that is best across all breeds. Think about it: some breeds lay very large eggs because the chicks are comparatively large; some bantam breeds may have tiny eggs, and the chicks that hatch from those eggs are tiny. Hens of vastly different sizes lay different sizes of eggs. In fact, there are some large fowl breeds that lay small eggs, too... so the size of the egg you want to use for hatching depends on the breed. If that's the case, how do you know which fertile eggs are best to hatch? Choose eggs that...

We know you're dying to start keeping chickens--but you don't want to get a flock of beauties only to find out later that they're illegal and have to give them up! That said, determining if it's legal to keep chickens in your area can sometimes be a little complex. Here's our best advice to determine if you are permitted to keep chickens in your neighborhood: First, we recommend you contact both your local health and zoning boards to see if there are any regulations relating to keeping chickens in your area. In addition to local regulations, if there is a...

If you're losing a lot of egg white when you try to peel hard-boiled eggs, the problem is not related to the breed you have, so choose your favorite! What causes the difficulty peeling is the freshness of your eggs, believe it or not. Fresh eggs are difficult to peel, and the eggs you are getting at home now are very fresh indeed. The problem--if having fresh eggs can be regarded as a problem!--is that what peels easily are old eggs. The eggs you were getting at the grocery store were very old, sometimes a month or more old. As...

Of course we can't know for sure what may be causing the problem in your case, but we can try to mention a few things that might typically cause problems maintaining a steady temperature in the styrofoam incubators. First, if you are reliant on manual turning, opening the incubator to turn your eggs does drop the temperature... but that is pretty temporary and shouldn't cause problems if you are quick. It can help to mark one side of the egg so you can see which have been turned and which haven't. (Use something like soft pencil, that won't soak into...

We can't accept email orders for various reasons, the most important being that email is not a safe way for you to share your payment information. Email is not secure the way online ordering is. In addition, availability changes so quickly that by the time we receive payment to confirm your reservation, availability dates will have changed as other customers place their orders directly online. When that happens, it means we can't make the reservation for you that you wanted. Regular mail takes even longer. We can't accept orders by mail, either. The online ordering system is easy to use....

Some evidence in Australia and New Zealand has indicated that music may help to keep chickens calm and happy, thus helping them to grow larger, faster. The relationship to egg laying rate has not been seen on a large scale (that we are aware of). You might be interested to read this article about music as related to growth in chickens in Taiwan. Belgian Bearded D'Uccle hen This is also an oft-used science project for kids, too. If you decide to try a science project, please let us know your results!

I'm afraid it's not possible to stop incubation, ship the eggs, and then restart incubation afterwards. The chicks would die. It would be akin to a human woman deciding she wanted to take a break from pregnancy for a while to get a nice night's sleep, and asking to have the baby removed for a day or two. Although I think most women would like having the option, especially during the last trimester--I sure would have!--it's just not possible to stop gestation for the fetus--or incubation for the embryo--for a few days without killing it. Make sense? A hen's incubation...

Yes, chickens can be difficult to photograph, can't they? Much like little kids, they're not really interested in cooperating with you to get you a good shot, and they certainly don't want to hold still! There are some techniques our My Pet Chicken photographers use that you won't really be able to reproduce at home. For instance, many of our photos are studio shots, where the chickens are inside under carefully arranged lighting conditions and with high-end equipment to make for especially good professional photos. And we photograph many of our birds at competitive Poultry Shows, where the birds are...

Due to the number of predators in some rural areas, some pet chicken owners don't allow free ranging. Other times, an enclosed run in a small suburban yard is the only way to keep chickens safe and contained so they don't run into traffic or make themselves the target of neighborhood dogs. The problem can be that the chickens quickly forage all the green out of their run, and then droppings accumulate on the hard dirt. Cleaning can be difficult, because moist droppings do not rake up too well. In these situations you may want to try adding some bedding....

Hens of most breeds are rather quiet except for right before and right after they have laid an egg. Then they may make a loud "announcement" about it for a few minutes, usually called a cackle. They seem to be very proud of their accomplishment! Some breeds like Brahmas, Australorps, Faverolles and Mille Fleur D'Uccles are often specifically described as being quiet, but frankly I've never seen too awful much difference between a "quiet" breed and a "normal" breed in my flock. Hens of most breeds are fairly unobtrusive. Antwerp Belgian Bantam hen Young pullets who have just begun to...

First, we're sorry that your flock is having problems with bumblefoot! The more technical name for this problem is ulcerative pododermatitis, but most people, amateurs and professionals alike, refer to the problem by the common name of bumblefoot. Bumblefoot is a serious problem, but it's not contagious in the way a cold is contagious. Still, read on because it's also true that you may sometimes have chronic issues with bumblefoot in a flock---and there are still some causative factors you may be able to address if you are having frequent problems with bumblefoot in your flock! First, call your vet...

Your chickens will probably not be interested in the nesting boxes until it is time to lay. Even then, it may take them a while before they understand what nest boxes are.Some breeds are good about finding nesting boxes very quickly. For instance, Rhode Island Reds and Speckled Sussex are always very good about laying in their nest boxes from the start. By contrast, we find Easter Eggers took longer. And Silkies often refused nest boxes, instead laying eggs in the bedding in a dark corner of the coop. Keep in mind that your Orpingtons may not begin laying eggs...

That's a good question! Chickens need to have access to their food and water at all times when they're awake. However, once they return to roost at night, they sleep soundly and won't get up to eat or drink. (The exception to this is if you have a broody hen; sometimes a broody will want to get up at night to eat and drink, rather than during the day.) But because your chickens won't, for the most part, be eating and drinking after dark, you can choose to have your food and water outdoors or in. It is done both...

I'm afraid not. The minimums are based on how many chicks are safe to ship, not how many we would like to sell. You can't give us extra money to send fewer chicks than would be safe to send you. Also, My Pet Chicken never send extra males for warmth. If you don't want to rehome extra roosters, please be careful when ordering from other hatcheries--be sure to check, first, and find out if you will be receiving extra roosters with you small order!

Normally you want to order the number of chickens you want to end up with---don't order extras with the expectation that some will die. But there are a few considerations you may want to take into account. Whether you lose any over the course of bringing them to laying age will also depend in part on the conditions you provide for them at your home. For instance, if your brooder isn't hot enough---or if it's too hot!---you may lose some chicks. Baby chicks can drown in waterers that are too deep, and if waterers or feeders are not securely seated,...

If you have a hen with wry neck, it is probably not a genetic problem... but read on, because the problem with answering that question definitively is that "wry neck" is not in itself an illness. It's just a symptom. Torticollis is the medical/technical term for wry neck; it is an abnormal head position where the bird may not be able to hold her head in a normal position. "Wry neck," "crook neck," "twisted neck," "limber neck" and "stargazing" are all common, nontechnical terms that are used more or less interchangeably to describe the symptom of torticollis. "My neck is...

"Red Stars" are hybrid birds; the rooster is one breed while the hen is another. Because of the genetics of the two breeds, the Red Star chicks are "sex linked," meaning that the color of their down when they hatch is linked to whether the bird is male or female. This means that males hatch out a different color from the females, so they are easy to tell apart. Generally you buy Red Star chicks when you want to be assured of getting all females---they aren't vent sexed like other chicks, so vent sexing errors won't occur. Ordering sex linked...

It's definitely best to calibrate any new thermometer you are using for your incubator. You need to make sure your incubator thermometer is reading correctly, since even one degree of difference may cause serious problems with your hatch! It's fairly easy to calibrate with crushed ice: your thermometer should read 32 degrees in a mixture of crushed ice and a little water. If it reads, say, 30 degrees, then you can either adjust the thermometer until it is correct (if the style of the thermometer permits adjustment), or else you will at least know your thermometer reads 2 degrees too...

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 from My Pet Chicken, there is usually nothing you will need to do with regard to state permits. Most states in the US require baby chicks and juvenile birds that ship across state lines to originate from clean hatcheries like ours, hatcheries that participate in NPIP (the National Poultry Improvement Plan). This is so that the birds will have been imported from flocks whose health is monitored. That's why My Pet Chicken's hatchery handles this...

Naturally, some plants are poisonous to chickens, just as there are plants that are poisonous to other pets like cats and dogs. It's problematic to come up with an absolute list of what not to have in your yard, though. In many, if not most, cases, just having a plant in your yard that is poisonous won't necessarily cause problems. For instance, daffodils are poisonous to most animals, including chickens. But many people have dogs or cats as well as pretty spring gardens in their yards, because dogs and cats generally won't eat these poisonous plants. Similarly, my chickens just...

If this is the only symptom you're seeing, she's probably not sick. (If she does show other signs of illness you will want to take her to a licensed avian veterinarian for a firm diagnosis and treatment options.) Interestingly, in some hens that lay brown eggs, eating too much canola or rapeseed meal can cause a fishy smell in the eggs . Not all hens are affected by the process that causes the smell. The smell is caused by the accumulation of trimethylamine (TMA) in the yolk. Most hens metabolize the TMA into another (odorless) compound, but brown egg layers...

And if there is a risk that some chicks die on the way, then how can you justify staying in business?|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 chicks, the risk of loss is small; in fact, it tends to be less than the risk of losing baby chicks you hatched at home in your home incubator. Even broody hens lose chicks. The truth is that we see more chicks die due to a lack of adequate care at...

This is one of those questions where it's hard to tell what exactly you're asking, a question that tells us you're probably a beginner at incubation. Remember, fertility rates are different than hatching rates. Even when the eggs you place in your incubator are 100% fertile, you may get zero of them to hatch. This is because if the conditions aren't just right---if your incubator is too hot or too cold (or too humid or not humid enough, etc.)---the eggs may not hatch in those sub-optimal conditions. So, hatching rates are dependent on YOU, and how well you or your...

Is your chicken having trouble keeping its balance? A problem like this could be caused by many things. It may end up being nothing of concern...One of our staff had a mixed-breed rooster whose legs were simply quite long--maybe too long for his own good! He went though a period of awkward adolescence in which his legs were growing so fast, he was not terribly graceful. In fact he was outright clumsy, and he often lost his balance when he tried to crow. (Can you imagine how cute that was?) Once he grew into his legs, he no longer lost...

Yes, we do vaccinate our chicken parent stock. They are vaccinated to prevent several different diseases, including Marek's Disease, Newcastle Disease, Infectious Bronchitis, Infectious Bursal Disease, Fowl Pox, Pigeon Pox, Laryngotracheitis and others.