How Old are Chicks at the Store?

When I first started my journey with backyard chickens, one of the most confusing aspects was determining how old the chicks at the store actually were.

If you’ve ever visited Tractor Supply, Rural King, or other local stores during chick season, you’ve likely seen those tubs filled with adorable fluff balls and wondered about their age.

Today, I’m sharing great insights to help fellow chicken enthusiasts make informed decisions.

Importance of Age When Buying Chicks

Knowing a chick’s age is important because it determines the care, nutrition, and environment they require. The younger the chicken, the more care, proper nutrition, and a fine environment it requires.

For example, day-old chicks need a hot environment or supplemental heating to maintain body temperature. Likewise, 12-week-old chicks don’t require any additional heat because they have enough feathers.

How Old are Chicks at the Store

Most chicks at feed stores are typically 3-5 days old when they first become available for purchase. When the truck arrives with a new shipment, these little ones are often just past their hatching stage.

In my experience, the youngest chicks you’ll find are about 24-48 hours old. These newly hatched babies still have their soft down and can easily fit in your palm or hand. They’re incredibly delicate during their first week of life and require special care.

I’ve noticed that chicks in stores generally range from just a couple of days to about two weeks old. Here’s how I gauge their development:

• 1 day old to 2 days old: Completely fluffy with no feathers, just fluff
• 5 days old: Still mostly fluff but slightly larger
• Under a week: May begin showing tiny wing feathers
• 2 weeks old: More active, with noticeable feathering beginning
• 3-5 days old: The most common age you’ll find at many stores

How Chicks Arrive at Feed Stores

Most chicks that arrive at farm stores are shipped from a hatchery. These little ones are ordered from professional breeders who time the hatching process carefully.

It’s fascinating how these delicate creatures can survive the shipping process. They’re shipped when they’re just 2-4 days old. This works because newly hatched chicks still absorb their yolk sac, which helps them survive without food or water during shipping.

When they arrive at the store, they’re put out for sale, sometimes the same day or after a half day of recovery from their journey.

In my local area, stores receive new shipments of different breeds regularly. I’ve observed that Tractor Supply typically gets deliveries weekly during peak season, while smaller feed stores might receive chicks less frequently.

Initially, stores price the chicks at regular rates, but if they don’t sell quickly, some places offer them at a discount to move them out faster. I once found 2-3 week-old chicks on clearance at my local store because they needed to make room for incoming stock.

How Old Are Chicks at Tractor Supply

Tractor Supply mostly sells chicks in spring, beginning around February or March. At this time, the chicks are 2-3 days old.

When you buy chicks from Tractor Supply, they are shipped in an incubator when they are 24 hours old or less than 24 hours old. Chicks are usually shipped when they are around 12 hours old, and their delivery takes 2-3 days, depending on the location.

Identifying Age Through Physical Characteristics

One of the easiest ways I calculate a chick’s age is by looking at their feather development:

• Day-old chicks are just fluff balls
• By 5 days old, tiny pin feathers may begin to emerge
• At 2 weeks old, wing feathers become more prominent
• By 3.5-4 weeks, significant feathering is visible
• At four weeks old, they’re well on their way to developing adult feathers
• Five-week-old chicks are nearly fully feathered

I once purchased what I thought were identical chicks, only to realize one was a week younger than the others. The biggest chick already had noticeable wing development, while the most petite chick was still mostly fluff.

Not all chicks in a store are the same age. I’ve seen cases where stores have chicks two weeks apart in age, mixed. For example, last spring, I purchased 5 chicks that the seller claimed were all 12 days old, but it was apparent some were two weeks older than others.

When I added 3 more chicks later, I ensured they weren’t too much younger than my existing flock to prevent them from being trampled by the older girls.

How To Introduce Chicks To Your Backyard

When you already have chicks or chickens in your flock or backyard and want to introduce new chicks, it’s not going to be that easy. Wait, I’ll tell you the reason!

“Who will share his house and his food with a stranger?”

This is because your old flock of chickens will consider your new chicks or flock a threat, and they will not agree to introduce new chicks. That’s why, to introduce new chicks to your flock or backyard, you need to take small and safe steps:

• It’s essential to show patience with your old flock of chickens, and slowly introduce your new chicks to your flock so the old flock will recognise the chicks as friends or their part.
• Keep your chicks in a separate house or coop from the old flock to prevent the chicks from biting and aggression.
• Keep your eyes on the interaction between the new and old flocks. The more distant they are, the better your chicks will be. Gradually, they will get to know each other.
• When your chicks are at least 12-23 weeks old, they should start trying to interact with both the old and the new.

Expert Recommendation to Buy Chickens

What’s the recommendation of chicken experts when buying chickens?

Experts recommend that you buy chickens when they are at the point of laying.

POL (point of laying) chickens normally take 2-4 weeks to start laying eggs; in contrast, if you buy day-old chicks, they take 20-21 weeks to start laying eggs.

The advantages of POL chickens are that you have ready chickens for eggs, and they don’t need 20-21 weeks of care before laying eggs.

How can you know if a Chick is Male or Female?

To know whether your chick is male or female, there are some points you need to understand. The sex understanding of chicks that are younger than 6 weeks of age is almost impossible for an inexperienced person.

But as your chicks reach 6-8 weeks of age, their sex will be easy to identify. The male has large and redder combs and wattles, and the female has small and less reddish combs and wattles.

You can also check your chick’s sex by holding the chick upside down with one hand, removing the faecal material, and turning outward the vent area. This allows the producer to examine whether there is a basic male sex organ or not.

How to Know the Age of Chicks?

Okay, you buy chicks, know their age at the store, and successfully introduce them to your flock, but now, as your chicks grow, you want to know their age!

All chickens pass through three development stages from birth to full maturity. To know their age, you need to know their physical characteristics and appearance at each stage.

Chicks refer to newly hatched chickens from birth to 12 weeks old.

• Plumage

From the time the chick hatches until day 6, it will have a soft downy covering; they have no feathers. By day 7, you will notice the first feathers, mainly on the wing tips.

During this time, chicks may look like a messy haircut until when all their feathers are grown, usually by the 4th week. The second and final mini-moult happens around the 7th week and lasts until week 12. 

At this phase, the initial baby feathers are replaced by the first set of adult plumage. Male chicks grow long feathers on the neck, tail, and saddle.

Female chicks do not have any saddle, hackle, or sickle feathers, and their feathers are rounded at the ends and relatively uniform in length.

• Body Size

The weight of chicks at hatch is around 1.5 ounces. When they reach 12 weeks of age, their weight becomes, on average, 2.5 lb.

• Comb and Wattles

At hatch, the combs and wattles of chicks are relatively small. However, some male chicks might have a large comb at hatch, but their wattles are not noticeable now.

At 12 weeks of age, their combs and wattles will be apparent and noticeable. Although they won’t be vibrant at this time, they will start to turn red. 

At this time, you will notice apparent differences between male chicks and female chicks. The male chicks mostly have much larger and more developed combs and wattles than female chicks.

• Legs

When chicks hatch, their legs are tough but spindly (long and thin). By week 12, their legs will have thickened out.  Male chicks’ legs will be noticeably larger than female chicks.

Breeds of chickens that are yellow-legged such as ISA Browns, Buff Brahma Chicken, Buff Cochin Chicken, etc will start to show noticeable coloring on their legs now.

• Vent

There is nothing to note here at this time.

• Behavior

Day-old chicks don’t show many behaviours and temperament. However, you’ll observe actions such as chest bumping, stare-downs, and posturing as they grow.

As the male chicks grow and mature, they become more outgoing, stand taller, and assert themselves by moving to the front. Around weeks 7-12 of age, they should start crowing. 

Female chicks tend to be more reserved, staying at the back, adopting a lower posture, and generally being quieter and calmer than males.

What You Will Need Before Buying Chicks

Here are some essential things you need before buying chicks:

• Enough Time 

If you want to buy chicks and introduce them to your flock or backyard, you need enough time to properly care for them.

As chicks need more care in contrast to younger or older chickens, they need more time for their care. Ensure that you have enough time for your chicks’ care.

• Enough Space

Space is also a basic need for your chicks because they want to run, walk, play with friends, forage, etc. A lack of space will cause mental problems and low productivity. Before buying chicks, make sure that you have enough space for their raising and growing.

• Enough Interest 

Interest is crucial in everything you have; a lack of interest in your chicks or flock will cause problems. Ensure you have enough interest in your chicks or flock because it is vital for their well-being and development.

Do Hens Need a Rooster to Lay Eggs?

No, hens don’t need roosters to lay eggs. However, without roosters, the eggs laid are infertile, meaning they don’t convert to chicks.

So, if you want to incubate and hatch the laid eggs, then in this case you will need a rooster to lay fertile eggs. Normally hens start laying eggs at the age of around 6 months.

How Chickens Lay Eggs without a Rooster?

Ovulation (the release of the yolk from the ovary) happens every 24-26 hours in hens, meaning for this process a rooster is not necessary.

An egg takes around 26 hours to fully form with the addition of the white and shell, each day a hen will lay an egg progressively later. And when the egg is ready to go out and the chicken lays, the hens ovulate a new yolk after laying that egg.

Final Thoughts

When purchasing chicks from feed stores, remember they’re typically between 3 and 5 days old when first available, though this can vary. Understanding how to assess their age through physical development will help you make better decisions for your flock.

Whether you’re seeing chicks hatched out yesterday or have developed for a few weeks, each stage has its challenges and charms. The key is providing appropriate care based on their age and developmental needs.

Have you had experiences with store-bought chicks of different ages? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below!

FAQs related to Chicks

Can I buy Chicks online?

Yes, you can buy chicks online. Many hatcheries provide a service to purchase chicks through their online store. Remember that it’s essential to choose a trusted and reliable store or website to ensure the health and well-being of the chicks. Some online hatcheries are Meyer, Hoover’s, Cackle, etc.

How old are baby chicks when you buy them from the store?

Usually, stores sell chicks at the age of 1-3 days.

How can I know how old baby chicks are?

You can know your chick’s age by their physical characteristics and appearance. Newborn chicks have yellow fuzz; they have no developed feathers. Old Chicks begin to moult their fuzz and grow real or proper feathers. 12-week-old pullets (female) or cockerels (male) are not considered chicks; they have almost replaced all their fuzz.

How old are Tractor Supply chicks?

Tractor supply mostly has 2-3-day-old chicks.

How Young Can Chicks Be at Stores?

Chicks can be 1-2 weeks or even a few days old. Hatcheries like one in Florence, SC, ship them ordered from the hatch, still absorbing their yolk to survive shipping.

What’s the Typical Age at Farm Stores?

Chicks are usually 3-5 days old at farm stores, but some stay longer, like three weeks or a month, depending on price and when they’re put out.

How Do I Spot Health Issues or Defects?

Look for signs like bright eyes and energy. Defects or health issues show if they’re listless or drowned in the brooder. I always pick stronger, active ones.

Can Chicks Be Several Weeks Old?

Yep! Some stores sell chicks at four weeks or 7 to 8 weeks, especially older girls on clearance. They’re fully feathered and ready to move them out.

How Do Breeds Affect Age?

Breeds like 2-week-old Brahmas grow fast, while others, like ducks, might stay two weeks older. I’ve mixed identical ages, and they get along fine if not two weeks apart.

Any Tips for Starting Out?

When starting out, grab chicks that are available back in a half-day from hatching. My gifted pup almost got to them, but I kept them safe – it’s so much fun calculating their growth!