Keeping backyard chickens can be a fun and rewarding adventure for the whole family!

Years ago, most families had a small flock of chickens in their yards that would provide them with a daily supply of fresh eggs. While that practice has become less common over the years, we are now seeing renewed interest in backyard chicken keeping, and we think it's awesome!

We want to help you get your backyard flock started! We've selected varieties that are cold-hardy and lay a variety of colored eggs. Many of the birds are dual purpose egg-layers or meat birds.

 
 

Special requests? Let us know! We’re happy to special order particular varieties for you from the hatchery. Email erin@mastersons.net for more information.

*NOTE: NYS law requires chicks to be sold in quantities of 6 or more. We CANNOT process orders for less than 6 chicks. You can, however, mix and match varieties to make up the total of 6 or more.

Welcoming your new chicks

Bringing home your new chicks is exciting! Here are some things to have on hand to help them acclimate:

  • A heat lamp. Chicks must be kept warm for several weeks before their feathers start to grow. The temperature can gradually decrease as the chicks grow, and most breeds are fully feathered and able to go outdoors at about 5-6 weeks.

  • Chick food. Chicks need a small crumble designed specially for chicks. If your chicks are vaccinated (ours are), it is not recommended to give medicated feed.

  • Food and water dishes. Chicks make a mess of things pretty quickly. We like trough style dishes with small holes for the birds to feed through as it seems to reduce the amount of spilling and pooping in the feed.

  • Bedding. We use fine pine shavings as bedding, though any non-slip absorbent material will work.

  • A safe enclosure. Chicks must be kept warm and protected. The enclosure should be large enough that the chicks can move around comfortably, and be able to get closer or farther away from the heat lamp in order to regulate temps. If there are pets or any other potential threats, it’s a good idea to have a screen or some sort of cover over the birds. As they get older, they will try to fly…

  • Electrolytes. We like to add electrolytes to the chick water for at least the first week or so.