We raise layers for our own flock as we like birds that are raised on our
                    high quality natural grain mix, that have never been de-beaked and that
                    are used to people and free-range foraging.  We have had so many
                    requests from people wanting to buy them that we are now raising
                    extras!

We genersally start chicks in April, so 4 week olds are available in May and older birds in early summer. We sell in small numbers to people wanting them for a backyard flock. If you are looking for larger numbers of birds, please contact a commercial grower such as Moyers Chicks in Quakertown where you can buy day old chicks as well as ready-to-lay pullets. Another place to look is the classifieds on the Lancaster Farming website.

Our breeds vary from year to year, and usually include a variety of heritage breeds, commercial production layers and  our own Barnyard Beauties. Heritage breeds for 2009 include Silver Spangled Hamburg, Black Minorcas, White Rocks, Golden Campines, Ameracaunas, commercial layers, Turkens, Buff Orpingtons, Rhode Island Reds.

Heritage Breeds: These are old fashioned egg layers such as Rhode Island Reds, Buff Orpingtons, Barred Rocks as well as other more exotic breeds. We also have Ameracaunas or Aracaunas that will lay green or blue eggs.

The heritage breeds generally start laying at 6 months, and tend to lay seasonally with more consistent production in the spring, and less or no production through the winter. The number of eggs laid in a year depends on the breed.

Many of the breeds are excellent mothers and will go broody several times during the year. If you have a rooster, they will joyfully hatch and raise chicks for you, or you can get fertile eggs for them to hatch.  If you do hatch chicks, you will probably get 50% roosters, so you would need to have a plan for what to do with them!

Commercial Layers: These are the hybrid birds used for commercial brown egg production. They lay well year round, although will lay fewer eggs in the winter as egg production is related to day length and temperature. They are hardy and easy to care for, and usually do not go broody.

Barnyard Beauties: These are chicks hatched and raised by birds in our own flock - they come in all sorts of colors, markings and sizes, and are hardy hybrids that tend to be good mothers and good layers, although they probably won't lay as prolifically as the commercial birds.

Age       Heritage Breeds        Commercial Hybrids
                                                    & Barnyard Beauties
4 wks        $6.50                                     $4.50
5 wks        $7.00                                     $5.00
6 wks        $7.50                                     $5.50
7 wks        $8.00                                     $6.00
8 wks        $8.50                                     $6.50
9 wks        $9.00                                     $7.00
10wks       $10.00                                   $8.00
11wks       $11.00                                   $9.00
12wks       $12.00                                   $10.00
13wks       $13.00                                   $11.00
14wks       $14.00                                   $12.00
15wks       $15.00                                   $13.00
16wks       $16.00                                   $14.00
17wks       $17.00                                   $15.00

Retired Layers:  From time to time we have two year old layers of various breeds for sale.  At this age, they are no longer laying at peak production, and tend to lay larger eggs less often. For someone looking for a few backyard chickens for home egg production, these are hardy birds that are friendly and used to people.