A family of hatcheries...

Get Answers to the Most Common Chicken and Fowl Questions

Whether you’re getting ready to buy chicks online for the first time, or you’re a seasoned poultry or waterfowl farmer, you’re going to have questions. Many of those questions have already been asked—so we’re answering them here because we want you to have the best experience possible.

How Do I Order Chicks Online?

Our ordering process is simple and easy! Just go to Day Old Chicks and choose from Broilers, Dual-Purpose Breeds, and Egg Layers. You will find descriptions of each type of chick, along with instructions for adding chicks to your basket.

How are Chicks Shipped?

All orders are shipped by USPS Priority mail. For an additional charge, we can ship Express. The day-old chicks are placed in a well-ventilated cardboard box designed specifically for this purpose. They will be sustained by the egg yolk for 72 hours.

Will Chicks be Shipped Outside the U.S.?

We will ship chicks anywhere in the continental United States, plus Hawaii. If you’re in Canada and can receive your chicks at a U.S. postal address, then you can receive live chicks from our family of hatcheries.

How Long Will it Take to Receive My Chicks?

Chicks delivered via Priority Mail will arrive in 1-3 days (with 2-3 days being the most common). We cannot control Post Office shipments, and therefore cannot guarantee delivery on a particular day—unless you’d like to upgrade your shipment to Express.

How Will I Know When My Chicks Arrive?

Your phone number will be included on the package, and you should receive a call to pick up your chicks at the Post Office when they arrive. We recommend notifying your Postmaster about your live-chick shipment, to increase the chances they’ll be handled properly and that you’ll receive that phone call as soon as they’re delivered.

What Does the Term ‘Straight Run’ Mean?

‘Straight Run’ means that male and female birds are not separated. Generally, an order of 100 chicks will contain 50 cockerels and 50 hens…but we cannot guarantee those ratios.

What Difference Does Free-Range Make in Chicks?

When chickens are permitted to roam free—with space to socialize, forage and stretch their wings—they get more exercise, provide healthier meat, and lay richer eggs. This means you can expect healthier chicks and experience peace of mind, knowing they came from a happy place.

What is the Best Breed of Chicken?

The best breed of chicken is the one that meets your needs. Do you want chickens for meat, eggs, or both? Broilers are bred for meat production. They grow fast and are known for their tender, juicy meat. Egg Layers…you guessed it…do one thing best, and that’s lay eggs. They’ll give you about one egg per day, and will keep laying through the cold winter months if you extend “daylight” hours for them. And we can’t forget Dual Purpose breeds. They are hybrids that produce meat as well as lay moderate amounts of eggs.

Is Freedom Ranger One Hatchery?

No. Freedom Ranger is one brand that ships chicks, ducklings, goslings, keets, and hatching eggs from a number of hatcheries. We call ourselves a “family of hatcheries” because all of the hatcheries from which we ship are owned by family members. Those four hatcheries? Freedom Ranger Hatchery, Fifth Day Farm, Blue Banty Farm, and Hillside Hatchery.

Are Hatching Eggs Guaranteed?

When Hatching Eggs are shipped to you, they have already been fertilized. They will be packaged in shipping containers designed to keep them intact. We guarantee the eggs will arrive unbroken, and we will replace any that are cracked as long as we’re notified as soon as you open the box. What we can’t guarantee is that every egg will hatch. Under optimal conditions, 85-90% of fertilized eggs hatch, but these hatching eggs may be subjected to less-than-optimal conditions during shipping.

Have More Questions?

We are here to help! If you have questions about anything related to chickens, waterfowl, geese, guineas, silkies, hatching eggs, raising chickens…we would be happy to talk. Simply contact us here or call 717-336-4878 and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. We also invite you to browse the helpful articles on our blog.