Buying guide
When to order
Most chicks are ordered for spring, and most of the popular ones are gone by then. As of the October 25, 2026 reading, 336 of 416 listings here are in stock.
The season
Hatcheries take orders for spring through the winter, and the busiest hatch weeks run from February to May. Breeds that everyone wants, sexed pullets of the colourful egg layers most of all, can be fully booked before the first hatch. Ordering in December or January gives the widest choice.
Summer and autumn chicks are perfectly possible and often cheaper, but minimums tend to rise as nights get colder, and some hatcheries stop shipping in the hottest and coldest weeks. 14 listings here are marked as shipping year round.
In stock in October
| Bird | Listings | In stock |
|---|---|---|
| Chickens | 324 | 260 |
| Ducks | 37 | 36 |
| Geese | 18 | 17 |
| Turkeys | 17 | 12 |
| Guinea fowl | 11 | 8 |
| Quail | 5 | 0 |
The next hatch dates published by the hatcheries that share them: Oct 26 (23 listings), Oct 27 (2 listings), Oct 28 (12 listings), Nov 2 (20 listings), Nov 3 (2 listings), Nov 4 (9 listings).
Ordering against a hatch date
"In stock" on a hatchery's site usually means it will take an order now, not that birds ship tomorrow. Many hatcheries ask you to choose a hatch week, and the price is charged at the time of order. Check the ship date on the hatchery's listing before paying, and plan the brooder for that week rather than this one. Build a box shows which birds share a hatch date, so one order can ship together.
Turkeys, ducks and geese
Waterfowl and turkey seasons are shorter than chickens': many hatcheries ship them from late winter to early summer only. Heritage turkeys meant for a November table need about six months, so they are ordered in spring.
Figures on this page were computed from the catalogue reading of October 25, 2026.