7 Best Online Stores to Buy Rhode Island Reds

If you have decided to rear Rhode Island Reds and are looking for a hatchery to buy these chickens, you thankfully do not have to search for a long time. These are among the most popular birds, so most hatcheries stock them.

Rhode Island Reds are dual-purpose breeds renowned for their brown eggs, but they also have a lot of muscle for those looking for meat birds. The birds lay 4-5 eggs on average per week and dress out to a carcass weighing 5-7 pounds.

You can raise a Rhode Island Red in almost all climatic conditions because it is a hardy breed that adapts quickly. It is a friendly and curious bird that will do well in places with children or mixed breeds.

The bird is also quite independent, so its maintenance needs will not overwhelm beginners. If you are shopping for a Rhode Island Red, here are the best seven online stores from which you can get your bird.

Hoover’s Hatchery

This is an established Iowa-based store that supplies many garden and farm supply stores in the U.S. This makes it a smart choice when you want to skip intermediaries and order directly from the hatchery.

Hoover’s Hatchery has a minimum order quantity of fifteen chicks with a minimum of five per breed and sex. Though it might not seem like the best choice when you have limited space, you can order fifteen chicks and divide them with your friends.

When ordering the minimum quantity, the average price for an unsexed Rhode Island Red at Hoover’s Hatchery is $3.21. Female birds go for $4.06, while roosters are sold at $2.61. The hatchery has an exceptional guarantee and refund policy for clients who encounter shipping problems.

Unlike most hatcheries, it hatches its chicks throughout the year, so they are available throughout. Furthermore, you can mix breeds from Hoover’s Hatchery because it stocks a broad range of chicken breeds.

Murray McMurray Hatchery

Murray McMurray Hatchery has been in business since 1917, so you will be sure you are working with an experienced hatchery when you choose it. Its minimum order quantity is six chicks which is manageable for beginners and those who have limited space.

Female Rhode Island Reds retail at $4.38, males at $2.58, and unsexed chicks at $3.42 for the minimum order quantity. You can also mix your order with other breeds because the hatchery sells guineas, turkeys, ducks, game birds, and geese.

One of the benefits of ordering your Rhode Island Reds from Murray McMurray Hatchery is that the company has a calendar of availability on its website. As such, you can order in advance then take time preparing for the arrival of your birds.

Murray McMurray has a 48-hour live delivery guarantee, so you are sure your chicks will arrive safe and sound in the company’s customized reinforced boxes. The chicks are also handled carefully during shipping, so chances of dying on the way are minimal.

Tractor Supply

Tractors Supply Company is located in most major towns and rural communities. It supplies live ducklings and chicks from different breeds, including Easter Eggers, Silkies, Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth Rocks, and Buff Orpingtons. The company also supplies chicken coops, feeds, treats, supplements, and other accessories you will need when raising chicken.

The prices and minimum order quantity of chicks at Tractor Supply Company differ among states. In most states, the hatchery has a minimum order quantity of six chicks and allows buyers to mix their flocks if they wish.

The chicks from this hatchery have retail prices starting from about $4. New chicks are inspected for injuries and diseases before shipping. The company offers a live chick guarantee. You can return any chicks that are dead on arrival within different timelines depending on the store from which you buy your chicks.

Chicken for Backyards Hatchery

This online store is based in Phillipsburg, Missouri. It stocks more than a hundred day-old breeds of guineas, chicks, ducks, geese, and turkeys.

The minimum order quantity for Chickens for Backyards Hatchery is three, making it perfect for urban settings and beginners. The shipping schedules for the company run from February to October. You can mix and match your breeds and have them all shipped in the same order.

Chicken for Backyards Hatchery allows cancellation of orders for up to 24 hours before your shipping and has a live chick guarantee. Any losses in your order should be reported within three days of its arrival, and the company will reimburse you the cost of your birds but not shipping.

Day-old Rhode Island Red pullets cost $4.95, straight run birds cost $3.95, while cockerels are sold for $4.45.

Cackle Hatchery

This is a third-generation Hatchery started in 1936. It is based in Lebanon, Missouri. Cackle Hatchery stocks a broad range of breeds, including game birds, turkey, chicks, and even poultry supplies.

You can order Rhode Island Reds from Cackle Hatchery from February to September. Though this sometimes sounds like a disadvantage, it means that the hatchery only follows nature’s rhythm for the hatching of their birds rather than use artificial lights.

Cackle Hatchery has a minimum order quantity of three birds and discounts if you buy male chicks. This is an attractive quantity for anyone with limited space for raising chicken. The average price for an unsexed Rhode Island Red is $2.85.

The hatchery only ships chicks from February to September. Cackle Hatchery ships their chicks on Wednesdays and Mondays. The newly hatched chicks have a three day-supply of yolk in their systems to sustain them for the two-day journey to your doorstep, so the company guarantees that they will arrive alive.

Purely Poultry

This is a family-owned hatchery that provides some of the most comprehensive selections of chicken breeds. They have built beneficial alliances with breeders that ensure the hatchery has the best varieties. Purely Poultry is based in Durand, Wisconsin, and boasts of the highest dedication to their customers.

Purely Poultry hatchery guarantees that you will get live birds for each order. However, you must pick your birds within eight hours so that you do not void this guarantee. Any losses should be reported to the company within 24 hours of receiving your order for a refund.

Purely Poultry has a minimum order quantity of ten at selling prices starting at $3.63. The female chicks might be about $1.28 above this price, while the males are $0.75 less than the starting price. Unfortunately, the discounts for making large orders are not so large.

California Hatchery

This is based in Rancho Cucamonga in California. The hatchery sells day-old chicks with minimum order quantities of three. All the birds are hatched from the highest quality flocks, so you are sure you will be getting the best Rhode Island Red.

When you place an order on the California Hatchery website, you get an email notification detailing your shipping date and hatch. However, you can change these dates to those that work best for you.

Rhode Island Reds at California Hatchery retail at starting prices of $4.99 for 1-24 chicks, $4.74 for 25-49 chicks, $4.49 for 50-99 chicks, and $4.34 for orders above a hundred chicks. The hatchery ships within 2-4 weeks after placing your order.

You can cancel an order at least two weeks before the expected hatch date for your chicks. California Hatchery guarantees a live and healthy bird arrival. If you receive a different breed from what you ordered or your chicks arrive in damaged condition, send a photo of these within 24 hours of delivery to qualify for reimbursement or replacement.

Conclusion

Buying your chicks from the above online stores works better than buying from local stores because you get competitive prices and the best chicken breeds. It is also convenient because you get the chicks dropped right at your door. When buying online, here are a few tips that will make a difference in getting the best chicks:

• Find breeders with a good reputation and consider asking for recommendations, researching, or reading online reviews. This ensures you are not stuck with sick or unproductive Rhode Island Reds.
• When the chicks arrive, check for signs of ill health in them so that you can initiate the return process promptly, depending on a company’s policy. The chicks should have alert and bright eyes. They should also move freely and breathe with their mouths open. Any discharges around the vents, nostrils, and eyes are often pointers of disease, so ensure these places are dry.
• Ask if the breeder has given the chicks any vaccinations and what vaccinations they recommend you give.

With the right hatchery and healthy Rhode Island Reds, you can’t wait to enjoy a bountiful supply of eggs for 6-9 years when the birds turn 26 weeks. Rhode Island Reds are among your best choices for commercial egg production.

This is because they produce many eggs and have few maintenance needs, thus maximizing your profit margins. To this end, when looking for chicks for your business, pick a good hatchery for a long-term relationship that guarantees you good discounts and consistently good eggs.