Is ordering chicks online supposed to be so expensive nowadays?!

[bobsmith2002]

It seems that shipping is more expensive than the bird. Is this the trend nowadays when ordering chicks online? Is it better to buy chicks from a local feed store instead?

 

[Debbie292d]

I know USPS recently raised its rates. Stamps are up a nickel. Priority mail increase of 6.3% took effect on July 13, 2025.

I've never ordered from a hatchery, but even a couple of years ago, when I shopped for fun at a couple of places, that's exactly what I found...shipping was about the same as or more than the birds. You get a better ratio if you order more.

They pack them differently than just a book, so that costs them more. Some send heat packs when it's winter shipping.

It's worth checking with your local feed mill. Ours will order just about anything we want and have it shipped with their order.

 

[McChooky]

I did an online search of all the different breeds and researched them well before buying any .It also helps to read reviews from people who raise them. In the end I chose to buy my chicks online from a hatchery that's been around a long time.They also offer free shipping! https://grubblyfarms.com/blogs/the-flyer/the-ultimate-guide-to-buying-chicks

 

[Ridgerunner]

When I buy an automobile I don't pay that much attention to the cost of the vehicle. I want to know the amount of the check I'll have to write. That total price is the cost of the vehicle. A part of the cost is not the total cost.

Same thing with ordering chicks. The individual cost per chick isn't nearly as important to me as the total cost including everything.

It seems that shipping is more expensive than the bird. Is this the trend nowadays when ordering chicks online? Is it better to buy chicks from a local feed store instead?

I've noticed that the price per chick has gone up a lot recently. Some hatcheries will include shipping some do not.

If you can get what you want at the local feed store I think comparing their total price to what you would pay for the total price from a hatchery is a good move. The feed store takes the risk of then dying during shipment. There is a slight increase in the risk of them picking up a disease or parasite at the feed store since the customers may carry something but most feed stores set it up so there is very little contact between the chicks and the customers until they are sold.

Trade-offs, there are always trade-offs.