Looking for a chicken hatchery in Maryland to buy some fertilized eggs, baby chicks, or backyard chickens?
I’ve put together a list of all the chicken hatcheries I was able to find selling poultry in the state of Maryland.
I’ve also included some additional resources to help you connect with other backyard flock owners in the state, and some online hatcheries if you can’t find what you’re looking for locally.
Table of Contents
Chicken Hatchery Maryland Listing
| Hatchery/Farm Name | Location | Phone | Website |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Merry Hen | Fredrick, MD | 240-682-1432 | http://www.themerryhen.com/ |
| Moose Manor Farms | Accokeek, MD | 301-678-3533 | http://www.moosemanorfarms.com/ |
| Deer Run Farm | Emmitsburg, MD | 717-357-4521 | https://www.deerrunfarmmd.com/ |
| Holiday Memories Farm | West River, MD | 410-562-9733 | https://kelciepalmer.wixsite.com/ |
The Merry Hen
Address - Fredrick, MD
Phone - 240-682-1432
Contact - [email protected]
Website - http://www.themerryhen.com/
Moose Manor Farms
Address - Accokeek, MD
Phone - 301-678-3533
Contact - Form on site
Website - http://www.moosemanorfarms.com/
Deer Run Farm
Address - Emmitsburg, MD
Phone - 717-357-4521
Contact - [email protected]
Website - https://www.deerrunfarmmd.com/
Holiday Memories Farm
Address - West River, MD
Phone - 410-562-9733
Contact - Form on site
Website - https://kelciepalmer.wixsite.com/
Additional Resources
If you live in Maryland you should connect with other local backyard chicken owners. You never know, you might just come across someone selling some chicks or equipment you’re in need of.
Here’s a link to the Southern Maryland Backyard Chickens Facebook Group, this is a good place to start.
Online Hatcheries
If you’re after a rare breed or can’t find a hatchery close enough with the chicks you want, I recommend checking out some of the online hatcheries.
Online hatcheries are able to stock hundreds of different breeds. It’s also really convenient to choose what you want, and have them shipped and in the post to you within a few days.
If this sounds like what you’re looking for, take a look at the following businesses:
Cackle Hatchery - I’ve ordered from Cackle Hatchery before, and I had an awesome experience so I’m happy to recommend them. They have more than 200 varieties of poultry in stock, and you can order as few as 3 chicks.
Stromberg’s Chickens - It’s only fair to give you more than one option when recommending online hatcheries. Stromberg’s also has hundreds of varieties of poultry and all the equipment you’ll need to get started raising a backyard flock.
Tips to Help You Prepare for New Chicks
You’ve found some baby chicks, how exciting!
Here are the basics you need to be aware of to be prepared to care for your baby chicks:
Feeding - Chicks hatch out of the egg absorbing the yolk and not needing to eat for 24-48 hours. After this brief period, however, they’ll be hungry! Pick up a bag of starter feed, they’ll eat this for the first 8 weeks.
Drinking water - You need to make clean drinking water available 24/7 for chicks. The device you need is called a waterer, this holds water and makes it easily available while keeping bedding and debris out.
Warmth - Baby chicks don’t yet have feathers, so they’ll need some help to keep warm. Most owners do this with a heat lamp. You’ll need to set a temperature of 90-95 degrees for their first week, reducing this by degrees a week for 6 weeks.
Housing - The easiest way to house your new chicks is by picking up a brooder. A brooder is basically just a small enclosed box, they usually come with heat lamps though which is handy.
What Does NPIP Mean?
If you’re buying live poultry, you need to be aware of what NPIP means. It stands for the National Poultry Improvement Plan and it's a certification poultry breeders and sellers can participate in.
Essentially, it’s a stamp of approval showing a business is testing their flock for a range of diseases on a regular basis.
It’s a voluntary program for businesses trading locally. But typically states will require a seller to be NPIP certified if they’re selling across state lines.
It doesn’t harm to check if a hatchery you’re buying from is NPIP certified. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t buy from them if not though, that’s a judgment call for you.
