If you’re living in Oklahoma, finding the best chicken hatchery can be incredibly difficult – what’s with the multiple markets peppering the state with aisles fully stocked with infertile chicken eggs, right?
With infertile eggs dominating the market, people are automatically deterred from buying fertile eggs and chicks, successfully putting most chicken hatcheries out of business. For that reason, you might not find that many outstanding local chicken hatcheries, especially if you’re living in Oklahoma.
Despite that, there are still many excellent chicken hatcheries in Oklahoma, all of which are going to help you get your supply of fertile eggs and rare-breed chicks right to your doorstep.
So read on, and you’ll find our detailed review on the best chicken hatcheries in Oklahoma!
A Quick List of Our Top Picks:
1. Okie Chicks N Eggs – Most Affordable
2. CottonWood Filly – Most Informative
3. Cowboy Country Chickens – Highest Variety
4. The Gypsy Hen Poultry And Farm – Most Unique Breeds
The 4 Best Oklahoma Chicken Hatcheries in 2021
Now that you know what we’re tackling in this guide, you can cross-examine our top picks and decide which one will work for you the best. Feel free to compare these hatcheries using our reviews!
1. Okie Chicks N Eggs – Most Affordable
Due to its impressive quality and affordability, the Okie Chicks N Eggs hatchery is among the best in all of Oklahoma. Its owners offer an excellent flock, which most seasoned breeders would consider unique.
For small-time breeders, using this wonderful flock to grow a small hatchery in your backyard is a pretty good start and will give you a push into the competitive poultry business!
Pros:
- Highly affordable prices
- Diverse breeds
- High availability rates
Cons:
- The website doesn’t mention the total cost of chicken delivery
Bottom Line
All in all, the Okie Chicks N Eggs hatchery is an excellent stepping stone, especially if you don’t know where to start when it comes to sustaining a varied flock of chickens.
2. CottonWood Filly – Most Informative
If you’re one of the Edmond citizens, then you’d be happy to know that this Edmond-based hatchery is the most informative hatchery both for big-time and beginner buyers.
With the amount of information provided on this hatchery’s website, you don’t have to worry about choosing between two certain breeds, as you’ll find all you need about the breeds’ availability, origins, and shipment costs.
The owners will even help if you’re making your purchase based on just the color! Moreover, they offer quite a range of chicks, chickens, and eggs – from Silkie, Bantam, and Cochin eggs, all the way to Turkey poults.
Pros:
- Decent availability of eggs, chicks, and chickens
- Big-purchase affordability
- Color and breeding charts are readily available on their website
Cons:
- You won’t get refunded if an animal dies after purchasing
Bottom Line
CottonWood Filly will undoubtedly help you decide which breed/color to get and how to grow your own chicks. This will help you a great deal, especially if you’re a first-time buyer.
3. Cowboy Country Chickens – Highest Variety
When you’ve been in the hatchery business for too long, you know that there could be a significant difference between information and actual variety. However, if you buy chickens from the Cowboy Country Chickens hatchery, you won’t face that problem.
One of the buyers’ top problems when purchasing a variety of chicks is that the show quality doesn’t match the actual one. Luckily, Cowboy Country Chickens owners promise a varied flock of chickens with superb genetics, so there’s no need to worry about that.
If you browse their collection, you’ll get to choose between Orpington breeds, Bielefelders, and several others. So it’s guaranteed that you’d be satisfied with the variety of the breeds and their prices.
Pros:
- Top-quality breeds
- Variety of chicks and chickens
- Relatively affordable
- High availability rate compared to other hatcheries
Cons:
- The minimum order for chicks is six
Bottom Line
The Cowboy Country Chickens hatchery is a great option to go for if you’re willing to make a varied chick purchase.
4. The Gypsy Hen Poultry And Farm – Most Unique Breeds
Some buyers opt to buy unique breeds in favor of building their hatchery or getting fertile eggs. If you’re one of these people and live in Oklahoma, your best bet is to check the Gypsy Hen Poultry and Farm.
This hatchery offers unique breeds that might just round up your flock, like Marans, Ameraucanas, and Wheaten. You can also request their special Rainbow dozen, which contains a mixture of olive eggers, Ameraucanas, Marans, and more!
It’s worth mentioning that each breed has its own sub-breeds, all of which are available on their website. So, if you’re looking for that level of variety, you ought to check out their chicken listings.
Pros:
- A highly unique variety
- High availability rate
- Excellent shipping safety measures
Cons:
- They don’t offer shipping of chicks
Bottom Line
Investing in chickens and eggs from the Gypsy Hen Poultry and Farm is a great choice for those looking for variety. It’s also great for buyers who can’t pick up the eggs on their own.
How to Choose a Chicken Hatchery
To help you make a well-informed decision, here are some factors that will help you select a hatchery.
Poultry Breed
Before choosing a hatchery, it’s essential to consider the available breeds and which ones you want.
This step involves some extensive research, that is if you’re new to caring for a chicken flock. Your research will include looking online for the breeds that interest you or even read books if necessary.
To help you choose a poultry breed, we recommend considering the traits you want your chicks to have, like body size and color.
It would help if you also kept the purpose of the flock in mind. You might, for example, want chicks for breeding, to have a stable supply of eggs, or to get gardening fertilizer ready at all times.
Cost Per Bird
The cost per bird is yet another critical factor to consider. It can be a determining factor in your purchase, depending on which hatchery you’re buying from. This happens typically due to the breed availability and shipping method, which will affect the final price.
That’s in addition to the fact that the number of chickens you buy inversely correlates with the price per chick; the more you buy, the less you pay per chick, so you have to consider the number of chicks you want in your flock and how that will reflect in the final price of your chosen hatchery.
Affordable Shipping Fees
This factor is loosely related to the one we’ve previously mentioned. If you’re getting your flock on your own, there’s no need to worry about this aspect.
However, if you live pretty far from the hatchery, getting your flock might not be that easy of a task. This is when shipping companies come in. Of course, you can ask a shipping company to get your flock or eggs, or you can have the hatchery’s shipping company deliver them.
Shipping prices might be a bit high due to the safety measures and large distance. They might also change depending on what you’re shipping. For example, if a hatchery is shipping chicks, they’ll have to warm the storage space for the chick’s safety. Also, they might use more protective material for eggs, increasing the shipping fees.
FAQs
How Are Eggs Shipped?
Usually, hatched eggs are shipped with the most secure materials and packaging to ensure that they arrive with no damage. They’re double-boxed and fixed in place with an inner carton.
How Can I Prepare for My Chicks Before They Arrive?
A few days before their arrival, a brooder should already be ready and awaiting the chicks, with enough space for them. Turn on the lamps hours before their arrival to warm up the space.
How Many Chicks Should Be Brooded in a Unit?
Two chicks in a square foot is optimal. Make sure to calculate the number of square feet in your brood before ordering your chicks. Also, ensure that there are enough lamps to warm up the space.
Final Words
Now that you know how to choose a hatchery, finding the best chicken hatchery in Oklahoma among our curated list above shouldn’t be that difficult.
If you’re still confused as to which you should choose, you might find the following information useful: if you’re looking for rare breeds, The Gypsy Hen Poultry and Farm should be your way to go.
However, if you’re looking for a good variety in favor of rarity, make sure to check the Cowboy Country Chickens’ vast collection to find the next members of your flock!
To reiterate, highlighting your needs and the purpose of your flock in the forefront of your mind will help you make the best choice possible.
