Woman kneeling in a sunny backyard feeding her small flock of heritage hens beside a basket of fresh eggs

Est. 1936 — Lebanon, Missouri

Your Backyard Flock
Starts Here

Healthy, sustainably raised chicks from a family hatchery that’s been doing this since 1936. Pick your breeds, choose a hatch date, we handle the rest.

Shop Baby Chicks Pick a Hatch Date

Availability

What’s Hatching Now

Full Calendar

Chickens

Currently unavailable

No breeds available

Out of Season

Bantams

Currently unavailable

No breeds available

Out of Season

Ducks

Next Hatch:

Mon, November 9th

6 days — reserve now

18 breeds available

In Season

Geese

Currently unavailable

No breeds available

Out of Season

Turkeys

Currently unavailable

No breeds available

Out of Season

Guineas

Currently unavailable

No breeds available

Out of Season

View Full Calendar

Customer Favorites

Best Selling Breeds

View All

Multi-colored EggsCurrently Unavailable

Easter Egger Chicken

Females From $6.49

4.7

(128)

Top SellerCurrently Unavailable

Buff Orpington Chicken

Females From $5.99

5.0

(109)

Currently Unavailable

Ayam Cemani Chicken

$44.99

4.2

(10)

Rhode Island Red Production Credit Ashley Bonick

Top SellerCurrently Unavailable

Rhode Island Red Chicken

Females From $5.99

4.2

(86)

Fast GrowingCurrently Unavailable

Jumbo Cornish Cross Chicken

$4.99

5.0

(66)

Top SellerCurrently Unavailable

Barred Rock Chicken

Females From $5.99

4.8

(85)

Staff PickCurrently Unavailable

Black Australorp Chicken

Females From $5.99

4.0

(56)

Currently Unavailable

Ermine Ameraucana Chicken

Females From $29.99

5.0

(5)

View All Breeds

Specials & Assortments

Trusted by Families Nationwide

Verified

“This is my second time ordering from Cackle hatchery and second time I’ve not been disappointed. On February 23 2026 I received my city town female special, I got exactly what I ordered 1 Buff Orpington, 1 black laced silver Wyandotte, 1 Easter egger and to my surprise they sent us an extra Easter egger. All arrived without any problems, they are 10 weeks old now and still doing great. We are very pleased with this purchase. Thank you Cackle hatchery you have become our go to for chicks. All around great experience.”

David T.

City Town Female Special 3

Verified

“We needed to order Turkeys and five of the top hat surprise “fell into my cart” to make sure we hit the minimum order number for no extra fee. It pretty much evened out and got us SEVEN new cute faces alive and well! We got 2 extra Top Hats and even an extra Turkey! I’m in love. I have been dying for a Mottled Houdan but couldn’t justify a small order just to get a couple. It’s like Cackle read my mind! We got 2 gold spangled spitzhaubens, 1 silver spangled spitzhauben, 1 gold laced polish, 1 blue polish, 1 mottled houdan, and 1 ? It’s got the wider nares but it’s yellow with one single black spot on its head and no extra toes, so not another Houdan. Very curious to see what it is as it does not look like the silver spangled spitzhauben at all either and that was my closest guess. All in all, again thrilled with the order and variety! Everyone is a little cranky from their trip but no one looks unwell. Polish chicks for us have always seemed very fussy but with some electrolytes and a bit of poultry cell, they seem to get settled quickly. Another 10/10 order!”

Katherine W.

Crested "Top Hat" Special

Verified

“I ordered 10 of the free range special (and 5 others) July 2025. Package arrived safe and on time (if not early) with no losses in transit. I was shocked to count a whopping 21 chicks! Out of the free range assortment chicks I recieved: -5 brown leghorns (all 5 female) -10 old English (4 roosters) At 6 months old now I have still had no losses, and my entire flock free ranges our property. They always go into their coop at night, and out of the 3 roosters we kept we have minimal fighting. They do a great job at defending themselves, and the game hens are very flighty. The leghorns have started laying already and are incredibly curious. The game hens are much more wild but I don't mind it at all. If you want friendly chickens, I'd avoid this mix, but if you're like me and want some free range chickens that are independent, it's great!”

Hannah B.

Free Range/Predator Resistant Chicken Special

Verified

“I ordered the Crested Top Hat Special right over a month ago. I ordered them and silkie chicks. Everyone arrived alive and well. While I do not know all of the names of the colors, I received a beautiful variety of chicks! They are doing great! I have not lost one! Make sure you read the after care instructions that they send along with the chicks, or from the email you receive for aftercare. The chicks need special care after traveling. It's not the same as hatching them on your own or purchasing from the store. Pasty butt is the one thing I have had to deal with after ordering chicks. Checking on them 3 times per day for the first few days and making sure their little hind-ends stay clean will keep them alive and well. This is my second order with Cackle Hatchery and I couldn't be more happy with them! Great quality birds!!”

Megan M.

Crested "Top Hat" Special

Verified

“I ordered from Cackle Hatchery for the first time. I ordered the City town special. The chicks hatched on July 13th and i got them on the 15th. I got a Easter egger, black sex link and Dominique. I also was surprised to see a fourth chick. She is a pretty lavander color so I think she might be a lavander Orpington or lavander Americana. I can't wait to see these babies grow up so they can join the rest of the flock.”

megananthony09

City Town Female Special 3

Verified

“We purchased 12 of these, and got 16! Unfortunately USPS was tough on the package, and we ended up with 10 eggs we can incubate. I am very thankful we got the extras to help cushion the egg loss. I do wish there was thicker individual packing around each egg as it may have helped them sustain the rough treatment by the post office, but honestly even if that had been done, it may not have negated the egg loss. I am extremely happy with the variety we got. We got: 1 Ayam Cemani, 1 Ayam Ketawa, 1 Belgian Liege Fighter, 2 Isbars, 2 Barbezieux, 1 Schinjdelaar, 1 RP ?, and 1 Denzili Longcrower for the remaining eggs. I am not reviewing post-incubation as in the first few days, even if an egg is fertilized, sometimes even when cracked open it is impossible to tell that it was, whether it was just from failure to grow or post office treatment which is not usually a reflection of the breeder, but instead a risk taken with shipped eggs. All in all, pleased with the variety and hopeful at least a few of these will hatch.”

Katherine W.

Potluck Ultra Rare Special Hatching Eggs

Verified

“I couldn’t be more happy with Cackle and these chickens! They hatched on a Wednesday, and I picked them up from the post office on Friday. All ten were healthy and active right away! They are nearly six weeks old now, and still doing great. I believe I received a cinnamon queen, a cuckoo marans, a light Brahma, a buff Orpington, a silver laced Wyandotte, a black sex link, a white Plymouth Rock, and three red ones that could be Rhode Island Reds, production reds, or New Hampshires- hard to tell! So fun to open a surprise package with a perfect variety of egg layers for our new flock!”

Jamie B.

Sustainable Chicken Prepper Special

Verified

“I received the chicks on April 22 2025. I ordered 5 chicks from the blue egger surplus. They arrived in one day and I found I had one extra for a total of 6. Great surprise. We received 1-Cream Legbar 1- Black Ameraucanas 2- Blue Ameraucanas 1-Splash Ameraucanas and 1- Lavender Ameraucanas. All settled down and started eating and drinking within 45 minutes. We are extremely happy with this order. Thank you Cackle Hatchery.”

David T.

Blue Egger Female Surplus

Verified

“I ordered 15 these rainbow layers along with 6 ducks. Only 3 ducks arrived, so they shipped 18 rainbow layers in place of them. All 18 chicks areived healthy, and all but one made it to adult hood. The one died from some sort of respiratory issue, and 3 others have died from predators so that leaves me with 14 still a year later. These ladies are some good layers! People we give eggs to love all the assorted colors. One issue I had was one of my chicks (blue spalsh ameraucana) was born with a moderate case of cross-beak. Somehow, she is still here with us today and she's actually the nicest one of the bunch. She comes up to me like a dog and gets back scratches when I get home lol. I cant say I have any complaints, and I got tons of variety with this assortment. I dont think more than 2 or 3 chicks were the same breed, so the variety is much appreciated. We and others are fascinated by some of the colors on these girls!”

Andrew T.

Rainbow Assorted Females

Verified

“I order 25 hens and received 3 extra. All alive and healthy. They are 6 weeks old now and are very healthy. I’ve ordered from other hatcheries and there’s always a couple DOA and end up losing a few more a few days after. You can tell the quality in the chicks they sent. So far I’ve notice 2 RIR or Cinnamon queen, 2 white leghorn, 2 batted rock, 3 Welsummers, 1 buff Orpington , there a few I’m still not sure about, and at least 10 beautiful Easter eggers. I’m might’ve received one rooster. I will definitely be ordering again. Thank you!”

nidia411

Rainbow Assorted Females

Verified

“Stopping in to say thank you so much! I ordered these littles along with another mixed box. Shipping was super fast, there were a few extras in the box as two didn't make the trip. Everyone has been doing great and are as sweet as can be. I have another order coming in June that I pre-ordered. This process was remarkable and we are super happy. Thanks for adding a few extras ~ Cackle Hatchery is now my go to! Thanks again! Really could not be happier!”

Amy F.

Rare Chick Special

Verified

“I just got my order in today I ordered 15 and they sent 17 one didn’t make the trip. They are beautiful!! I’m so happy and the others are doing so good eating and drinking and chirping!! I can’t wait to be able to tell what all I have but it was a fair mix! This is a great deal and they are doing great I’m super excited and can’t wait till they are bigger! Thank you cackle hatchery for sending them so safely”

Jessica R.

Rare Chick Special

White Silkie Bantam chicken in a sunny backyard

The Largest Selection

Over 230 Varieties of Poultry

The largest selection of purebred poultry in the United States — from heritage chickens to rare breeds, waterfowl, and game birds.

Browse All Breeds

Featured: White Silkie Bantam →

Order as Few as 3 Chicks

Mix and match breeds to build your perfect backyard flock

Shop Baby Chicks

Browse Our Flock

Shop by Category

Our Heritage

Welcome to Cackle Hatchery®

For nearly a century, Cackle Hatchery has been a proud 4th-generation family-owned and operated business, offering over 230 varieties of poultry shipped directly from our facility in the heart of Missouri. Since 1936, our mission has been to enhance lives by providing quality poultry for showing, meat, enjoyment, sustainability, eggs, or pets. We specialize in hatching purebred poultry and delivering day-old chicks right to your local post office.

Cackle Hatchery® has been dedicated to raising U.S. Pullorum-clean poultry since 1936, shipping to customers across the United States, including Alaska and Puerto Rico. Our commitment to quality and tradition ensures every chick meets the highest standards of health and vitality.

At Cackle Hatchery, we take pride in our chick hatchery and chicken breeder farms, where we carefully select and raise our own breeding stock. These exceptional flocks produce the eggs we hatch right here in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks. With 90 years of focused genetic selection, we strive to produce disease-resistant, productive poultry that meets the needs of families and enthusiasts nationwide.

Est. 1936

4th-Generation Family Hatchery

230+ Varieties

Purebred Varieties

NPIP Participant

#43-105

BBB Accredited

Accredited Business

Live Arrival Guarantee

Safe Delivery Guarantee

Day-old ducklings packed in a shipping crate at Cackle Hatchery

Chick Season

We Ship Chicks February Through October

Choose your preferred hatch date and we'll ship day-old chicks right to your local post office, safely via USPS Priority Mail.

View Availability

Free Shipping on Supplies $25+

Plus select poultry specials — books, feeders, supplements, and more

Shop Supplies

Woman holding a white Silkie bantam in a sunlit backyard

Hatching Season

FebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOct

Our Natural Process

Chick Season®

Chick season typically begins in the spring and extends through the summer months, varying by breed. For example, poultry bred specifically for egg production may have a longer chick season than more exotic breeds.

What sets Cackle Hatchery apart is our dedication to letting Mother Nature guide the process. We choose not to use artificial lights or other unnatural methods to keep our hens laying year-round. While this approach may be less convenient, we believe it ensures the healthiest and most robust chicks, true to our heritage and values.

For a general idea of when to order your chicks, consult our availability chart, but remember: the rhythm of nature ensures every hatch is worth the wait.

View Availability Chart

Our Values

Our Mission

Since 1936, Cackle Hatchery has been dedicated to enriching lives by hatching and delivering the finest purebred poultry across the United States. Whether for showing, meat, sustainability, pets, or simple enjoyment, we take pride in providing a product that brings joy and lasting value to families nationwide. Our mission is to uphold the highest standards of quality, ensuring customer satisfaction with every chick we ship. With a legacy built on trust and tradition, we strive to offer not just poultry but an experience that fosters smiles and sustainability for generations to come.

Heritage & Tradition

4th-generation family hatchery since 1936

Start Building Your Flock

Your Backyard FlockStarts Here

What’s Hatching Now

Chickens

Bantams

Ducks

Geese

Turkeys

Guineas

Best Selling Breeds

Easter Egger Chicken

Buff Orpington Chicken

Ayam Cemani Chicken

Rhode Island Red Chicken

Jumbo Cornish Cross Chicken

Barred Rock Chicken

Black Australorp Chicken

Ermine Ameraucana Chicken

Popular Products

Rainbow Assorted Females

Hatchery Surprise

Blue Egger Female Surplus

Hatchery Choice Brown Egg Females

Crazy Cackle Zombie Chicken

Mini Cackle Surprise

Dark Brown Egg Female Surplus

Silkie Bantam Special

Trusted by Families Nationwide

Over 230 Varieties of Poultry

Order as Few as 3 Chicks

Shop by Category

Welcome to Cackle Hatchery®

We Ship Chicks February Through October

Free Shipping on Supplies $25+

Chick Season®

Our Mission

Your Backyard FlockStarts Here

What’s Hatching Now

Chickens

Bantams

Ducks

Geese

Turkeys

Guineas

Trusted by Families Nationwide

Over 230 Varieties of Poultry

Order as Few as 3 Chicks

Shop by Category

Welcome to Cackle Hatchery®

We Ship Chicks February Through October

Free Shipping on Supplies $25+

Chick Season®

My Account

Popular Products

Rainbow Assorted Females

Hatchery Surprise

Blue Egger Female Surplus

Hatchery Choice Brown Egg Females

Crazy Cackle Zombie Chicken

Mini Cackle Surprise

Dark Brown Egg Female Surplus

Silkie Bantam Special

Best Selling Breeds

Easter Egger Chicken

Buff Orpington Chicken

Ayam Cemani Chicken

Rhode Island Red Chicken

Jumbo Cornish Cross Chicken

Barred Rock Chicken

Black Australorp Chicken

Ermine Ameraucana Chicken

Your Backyard Flock
Starts Here

Your Backyard Flock
Starts Here