'DRF logo with colorful letters and silhouettes of farm animals below.'

Deer Run Farm Heritage Breed Hatchery

Emmitsburg, MD

Hatching Eggs

A selection of multicolored eggs in a white ceramic egg holder.

Day Old Chicks

A fluffy brown and black chick stands against a black background.

Juveniles
(6 week olds)

Brown chicken standing on a white background.

Started Pullets
(12 week olds)

A brown chicken standing against a black background.
Offering a beautiful variety of Heritage breed poultry to add robust vitality to any flock,

Start your flock or add to your flock with DRF!

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Two people smiling, holding chickens on a farm.

The best source for quality bred poultry in the U.S.

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Not All Chickens Are The Same!

Get to know the breeds we offer; their physical features, the egg colors they lay, their typical productivity and even their temperaments and personalities.

Metal scoop with chick feed on yellow bags labeled 'Deer Run Farm, LLC Chick Developer Mash.'

Introducing 
Deer Run Farm Feedery

Now offering our very own farmer-grown, farmer-made and farmer-used heritage breed chicken feeds!

(On farm pick up only - sorry, shipping not available at this time.)

SHOP OUR FEEDS

National Poultry Improvement Plan
Participant

We're the only chicken hatchery in the United States to regularly test for Avian Influenza, Mycoplasma Gallisepticum, Mycoplasma Synoviae, Infectious Laryngotrachei, Infectious Bronchitis Virus and Newcastle Disease.

Logo of the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) featuring poultry illustrations.
Woman holding tray of eggs in front of an incubator.

Preserving Heritage Breeds by Selective Breeding

Our breeding program is designed specifically to breed birds of high quality that maintain their heritage roots, that can compete in shows, and carry strong emphasis of proper egg color for their breed.

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Raised All Naturally
on Pasture

We believe in ethical farming practices with animal welfare at the core of our values. This is why we raise our breeding flocks on pasture with the ability to free-range and forage naturally. This lifestyle offers our flocks a stress-free atmosphere with enhanced nutrition from several dedicated acres of pasture just for our flocks.


A brown hen standing in a grassy farmyard with other chickens in the background.

What Customers Are Saying

Very Happy

Service excellent. Shipping container for the birds: were very well contained for 2 day shipping. Showed up very vibrant and healthy. They are thriving. These 4 pullets were well raised and full of energy couldnt be happier with the quality, care and shipping. I will buy from this farm in future. Very happy. Have adjusted to the new flock perfectly. Thank you!!

- Strider C.

Three chickens with dark feathers standing inside a coop.

Professional Breeder

All ten of our Welsummer chicks arrived alive and well, despite the USPS completely losing track of them for 24 hours. The chicks were packaged very well, with a straw mat for their safety and comfort, and electrolyte gel to help sustain them. Allison was extremely helpful, and patiently answered all my questions in detail. I would highly recommend Deer Run Farm to anyone looking for quality chicks from a professional breeder. Many thanks!!

- Gene N.

Several fluffy chicks standing on a bed of wood shavings.

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The Egg-ucated Chicken Tender Blog

A chick partially emerging from an eggshell, held in a hand.

Chick Development Throughout Incubation

Did you know that chick development begins even before the egg is laid? It’s true! Chick development starts as soon as the fertilization process occurs which is 24 hours before the egg is even laid. The first stage of chick development is the creation of...

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Various colored eggs arranged in a tray.

Washing Hatching Eggs

To wash your eggs or not to wash your eggs is the biggest, most controversial questions in the backyard chicken industry today. While it’s perfectly ok to not wash eggs for consumption until you’re ready to use them, it may actually prove to be more beneficial to your hatch success rate to wash your eggs for hatching.

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Chicken eating feed from a black bucket in a rustic setting.

Feeding Chickens from Chick to Hen

A balanced diet is crucial to a chicken’s health and wellbeing. It also plays a very important role in the development of the hen’s ability to lay eggs. The nutritional requirements for a chicken can vary depending on age, breed and even the season.Chicks need a different formulated feed ration than adult birds.

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