In spite of the challenges, it may present at times, raising chickens is generally a pleasurable and fruitful endeavor. Finding a reliable source for baby chickens may be one of the first challenges you face.
In this article, we will discuss the best Wisconsin chicken hatcheries and some guidance on raising chickens in Wisconsin.
5 Best Wisconsin Chicken Hatcheries
Finding a trustworthy, highly rated, and NPIP-certified hatchery to purchase your chickens from is the simplest and safest option. Chickens from a reputable hatchery will be healthy and happy because of the staff’s decades of experience in the industry.
They have many different breeds available so that you can pick the perfect ones for your needs and the environment you can offer your new flock. Find below a list of Wisconsin’s top 5 chicken hatcheries.
1. Shamrock Farm Wisconsin Chicken Hatcheries
Shamrock Farm in Hudson is a certified NPIP hatchery. Both standard-sized chickens (like the Russian Orloff and the Wyandotte) and miniature ones (the Brahma and the Wyandotte) are available for purchase.
Additionally, they announced a limited-time offer that includes both the Buff-Laced Wyandotte and the Lavender Wyandotte. For every 20 of the same breed of chickens you order from them, you’ll get five free bonus chicks.
Location: 9492 County Rd N, Plain, WI 53577
Phone: 608-546-2205
2. Purely Poultry Wisconsin Chicken Hatcheries
At Purely Poultry, customers can find everything they need to care for their backyard flocks, raise exotic and game birds, or raise chickens for meat or eggs, all at reasonable prices and with nationwide shipping.
Purely Poultry staff is comprised of professionals who are well-versed in their fields and who are also warm and welcoming to our customers.
Purely Poultry’s mission is to provide more unique chicken varieties than any other hatchery. Purely Poultry is a great place to get quality chickens at a low price, and they also stock rare breeds that can be difficult to find.
Purely Poultry works to be as cost-effective as possible by forming partnerships with breeders who focus on individual bird species.
Chickens, bantams, ducks, geese, turkeys, guineas, peafowl, pheasants, ornamentals, chukars, swans, and quail are just some of the birds available at low prices at Purely Poultry.
Chickens have been a staple of Purely Poultry’s business for decades. They have NPIP approval and can deliver anywhere in the country. More than 150 varieties of chicks are available from this vendor.
Laying breeds such as the ISA Brown, Barred Plymouth Rock, Black Australorp, New Hampshire, and so on are available. This hatchery offers a variety of broiler chickens for sale, including Free Range Broilers, Cornish Cross, Delaware, and Kosher King.
Also available are cold-hardy and heat-resistant chickens, as well as multipurpose birds.
As there is such a wide selection of chickens available at varying price points, it should be possible to find something within anyone’s budget. Both the gender and the accuracy of the product are guaranteed.
Purely Poultry is a small, family-run business based out of Wisconsin that caters to backyard poultry enthusiasts, farmers, hunters, and avian enthusiasts by stocking a wide variety of chicken breeds and varieties.
They take great pleasure in not simply making a sale, but rather in preparing their customers for future success through the provision of relevant literature and helpful conversations.
In addition to selling healthy poultry and equipment, Purely Poultry also provides practical veterinary services.
Location: 705 Fremont St, Fremont, WI 54940
Phone: 920-472-4068
3. The Abendroth Wisconsin Chicken Hatcheries
This hatchery, which is now certified by the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP), began in 1965 as a side project.
Popular varieties offered include Rhode Island Reds, Rhode Island Whites, Tetra Browns, Silver Lace Wyandottes, Americanas, Golden Lace Wyandottes, ISA Browns, Hyline White Leghorns, California Whites, and Brown Leghorns.
They also hold uncommon varieties like the White Crested Polish, Welsummer, Salmon Favorelle, Lavender Orpington, and Dominique. Given the variety available, the prices vary widely.
A standard breed of chicken will cost you around a dollar, while a rare breed can cost four dollars or more. All of the United States is covered by its shipping service.
What was initially just a hobby has become a successful enterprise, and they haven’t looked back since. More than fifteen thousand chicks are hatched each week, and customers’ orders are distributed across the country.
For the past half-century, Rick Abendroth and his family have run the business with pride, beginning with Rick and his father Carroll in the 1960s and continuing with Rick, his wife Rebecca, their son Rickey, and their daughter Ruby.
They have something for everyone, whether you run a commercial chicken farm or you just want some rare chickens for your backyard.
Their staffs are committed to providing excellent chickens and outstanding customer service. Give them a call if you have any questions about breeds or if you are unsure of what you are looking for.
Location: N363 Hubbleton Rd, Waterloo, WI 53594
Phone: 920-478-2053
4. Lund Poultry Wisconsin Chicken Hatcheries
In the year 2000, the Lund family began caring for chicks as a hobby. They’ve grown into an NPIP-approved hatchery in Brooklyn that takes part in bird shows with its wares.
There are four breeds available: Vorwerk, Black Cochin, Salmon Faverolle, and Buff Brahma. Priced at $15 apiece, they’re a steal. They have a flat rate of $70 for shipping. Lund Poultry Wiscon Chicken Hatcheries do not sex their chickens.
Location: 3764 W Union Dane County Line Rd, Brooklyn, WI 53521
Phone: 608-513-2308
5. Sunnyside Wisconsin Chicken Hatcheries
For more than a century, Sunnyside Hatchery has supplied Wisconsin and the surrounding states with egg and meat production strains, turkey poults, ducklings, and DeKalb “Blacks.”
“Our goal has remained the same through three generations; to provide the highest quality chickens at competitive prices with superior service,” says Mark Wilke, whose grandfather, Oscar Wilke, founded the business over a century ago.
In 1912, work began on what would become this hatchery. More than a century has passed since they first began keeping chickens. They offer several different kinds of chickens, and they have NPIP certification.
Some of the breeds of chickens available here include Sunnyside Jumbo Broilers, Sunnyside Rangers, White Leghorns, Browns, Special Blacks, Reds, Barred Rocks, and Rhode Island Reds.
Many of these chickens were developed at Sunnyside by their team of experts specifically for use as meat birds, egg layers, or multi-purpose birds.
Depending on their age, chickens can cost anywhere from under a dollar to two. However, if you live outside of Wisconsin’s delivery area and would like more information about their services, you can always get in touch with them.
Location: 104 Beltline Dr, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Phone: 920-887-2122
How to Choose Healthy Chickens in Wisconsin Hatcheries
It is crucial to find out if keeping chickens is legal in your area before making the decision to do so. Maintaining an illegally large flock of chickens or keeping birds without a proper permit is a serious offense.
You could face monetary fines or even time in prison. Before you place your first chicken order in Wisconsin, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Laws and Regulations for Wisconsin Chicken Hatcheries
Find out as much as you can about the laws governing the keeping of poultry in your city, town, or village before welcoming your furry little friends into your home.
This is an important measure because the rules may vary greatly depending on where you are located. To help you get started with your new hobby of keeping chickens in Wisconsin, we’ve compiled a list of resources.
Registration of Premises for Wisconsin Chicken Hatcheries
Registration of your premises is one of the required steps in keeping live poultry, and this is true regardless of the number of chickens you intend to keep. You can get this done at no cost and in short order.
The main objective is to monitor and record sick or deceased livestock to prevent the spread of disease. Among the information that may be required from you are your name, the kind of livestock you raise, your address, and your phone number.
A person whose religious beliefs conflict with the idea of registering premises with livestock can be exempt from this regulation. It’s likely that an affidavit will be necessary for this scenario.
Permits and Prohibitions in Wisconsin Chicken Hatcheries
Limits and regulations for keeping chickens in your city are something else you need to be aware of.
Up to four chickens per household are permitted in Milwaukee; however, roosters are strictly prohibited. You can’t just keep chickens in the garage or some other unsuitable building; instead, you’ll need a dedicated coop.
Chickens are allowed only as pets or for egg production; their slaughter is forbidden. You need a permit to bring them inside your home.
The regulations at Madison are comparable. A valid permit expires on December 31 of each year and must be renewed each year. Keeping roosters is prohibited, and your chicken coop must be at least 25 feet from any other property.
A maximum of four chickens may be kept; a maximum of six may be kept as an adjunct to a museum, school, or daycare.
The city of Green Bay has similar regulations. You’re allowed up to four hens with a yearly permit. Furthermore, at least 25 feet should separate their coop from any nearby structures. Neither roosters nor chickens may be slaughtered under any circumstances.
Having chickens in Appleby was only legalized within the last few years. To keep chickens in this city, you’re allowed up to six at a time, but they need their own coop away from the house and other structures.
Each chicken needs 2 square feet of space in the coop. Obtaining a permit annually is mandatory. The Health Department must be notified immediately if any of your chickens acquire a disease.
Getting a permit that must be renewed annually is required if you want to keep chickens in Janesville. If you want to keep chickens on your property, you’ll need to prove that you have a suitable coop set up for them first.
A license can be revoked if photos taken during inspections don’t match what’s actually in the coop. Up to four chickens are allowed per household in this metropolis.
In addition to following the formal procedures required by law, you should always ask your neighbors if they approve of your decision to keep chickens.
Since roosters are not permitted, there shouldn’t be too much noise, but you’ll still need to keep the coop clean to avoid any odors.
Climate and the Weather in Wisconsin Chicken Hatcheries
Some chicken breeds are better suited to warm weather while others are better suited to cold weather, just as it would be difficult for people accustomed to warm climates to relocate to a very cold area.
This is important to remember when stocking up on poultry.
Wisconsin has a continental climate, so while the summers are mild, the winters can be extremely frigid, especially in the northern parts of the state near Michigan Lake.
Winter-hardy chickens are the best choice because their bodies have adapted to the cold from their place of origin.
Australorps, Wyandottes, Ameraucanas, Delawares, Rhode Island Reds, Orpingtons, and Barred Rocks are just some of the breeds that can thrive in such weather.
But that doesn’t mean you can just shut the coop and hope for the best when the weather turns chilly. They need warm bedding and a heating lamp that can be turned on when it gets too cold outside.
Summary for Wisconsin Chicken Hatcheries
Raising chickens in Wisconsin is very successful. There is no shortage of reputable hatcheries, and the variety of breeds available should be sufficient for any purpose.
Always keep in mind the severity of the winters and select chicken breeds that can withstand the chill.
Make sure you have informed your neighbors and registered your property with the appropriate authorities before you bring any chicks home. After you’ve gotten all that sorted out, you can relax and take pleasure in your new pets.