Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
When you are ready to buy your birds, your home and neighborhood probably will dictate
how many you can own. If you are hatching eggs, purchase a dozen because chances are not
all of them will hatch. If more hatch than you originally planned for, you always can find
homes for your extra chicks. One fun shopping tip about buying eggs is that you can purchase
a mixture of bantam eggs, which is usually any mixture the breeder selects, so when the eggs
hatch, you will have a surprise variety. You can specify whether you want all male or female.
They are sold in groups of as little as three eggs, and for less than $10, you can start your
flock. If you are buying chicks or young birds, do not start with any more than four birds.
Owning one bird is fine, but it will be lonely, as chickens are social animals.
It is important to be sure you purchase your birds from a reputable source whose top priority
is hatching healthy chicks. Mail-order companies and feed stores are fine, provided they can
tell you the source of their chicks. Make sure the chicks were hatched in a reputable hatchery,
not in a backyard with questionable sanitation standards. You can be sure a hatchery is reput-
able by researching if they are a part of the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) and if
the breeding flock is yearly tested and certified disease-free. The NPIP is a voluntary program
between federal and state governments and the poultry industry to prevent the spread of
poultry disease.
Several websites offer eggs and chicks, including:
• Randall Burkey Company (
www.randallburkey.com
)
— This website sells chicks as
young as one day old or eggs that are ready to hatch. They offer a variety of chicken
eggsandotherpoultry.Onceyouplaceanorder,youwilldiscussadeliverydatewiththe
salesperson to be sure you can be there to receive your shipment.
• M&B Farmview Farm (
http://mbfarviewfarm.com
) — M&B Farmview Farm sells baby
chicks and supplies, in addition to other livestock, including pigs and baby Jersey cows.
They sell butchered meat and offer directions to their store in Hamburg, Pennsylvania,
and their location at a local farmers market with the hours of operation. They clearly ex-
plain what is available for sale online or at their store, as well as pricing.
Another online resource to try is Craigslist because you may be able to find your poultry free
or for a minimal charge. Always use common sense and take appropriate precautions when
buying online. Websites such as Craigslist are not regulated, and occasionally, people may try
to defraud you out of your money. Do not give credit card or bank information online unless it
