364breeds
336in stock
10hatcheries

Guides

How ordering works, and what each breed is like, with every variety the ten hatcheries we read have listed today.

Buying guides

  1. Ordering chicks by mailWhy hatcheries have minimum orders, what "in stock" means, how sexing and shipping work, and what live-arrival guarantees cover, with figures from ten US hatcheries.
  2. Pullets or straight run?How much more hatcheries charge for sexed pullets than straight run, breed by breed, and what that means for the cost of each laying hen.
  3. Breeds by egg colourWhich chicken and duck breeds lay which colour of egg, why the colours differ, and how many of each are in stock at US hatcheries today.
  4. When to orderWhen US hatcheries open orders and ship, why popular breeds sell out by spring, and how much is in stock right now.
  5. Raising birds for meatCornish Cross, slow-growing rangers and heritage dual-purpose breeds compared on time to table and price, with current prices from US hatcheries.

Breed shortlists

  1. Breeds for a first flockCalm, hardy, productive chicken breeds for a first flock, with how many varieties of each are in stock at US hatcheries today and the cheapest sexed pullets.
  2. Breeds for cold wintersChicken breeds that cope with hard winters, why comb shape matters, and which are in stock at US hatcheries today.
  3. Breeds for hot summersChicken breeds that cope with hot summers, what makes a bird heat tolerant, and which are in stock at US hatcheries today.
  4. The heaviest-laying breedsThe chicken breeds that lay the most eggs a year, hybrids and pure breeds, with what is in stock at US hatcheries today.
  5. Broody hens for hatching eggsChicken breeds that go broody and raise their own chicks, so no incubator is needed, with what is in stock at US hatcheries today.

Chickens

Ducks

Geese

Turkeys

Guinea fowl

Quail

Game birds