BBS Ameraucana — Day-Old Chicks
BBS Ameraucana — Day-Old ChicksNPIP Certified Hatchery - License #51-770
- 150–200 Eggs/Year
- Medium–Large Blue Eggs
- 20–24 Weeks to Lay
- Minimum 6 chicks per shipped order. Mix any breeds.
- Shipping: $34.95 for 6–25 chicks by USPS Priority Mail · $49.95 for 26–50
- Live Arrival Guarantee on every shipped order
- Marek's vaccine available: $0.75 per chick. Check the box in your cart.
- Free local pickup in Preston, MD, no minimum
Checking hatch dates…
Orders close Sunday at 11:59 PM Eastern before each Tuesday hatch date. After that, that week is no longer available, so please choose another week from the dates still open.
See other hatch dates
📦 Learn how we carefully pack and ship your chicks →
There's nothing quite like reaching into the nest box and pulling out a sky-blue egg. BBS Ameraucanas — Blue, Black, and Splash — are one of the most visually stunning breeds you can raise, and their blue eggs make every egg basket a conversation starter.
Why backyard keepers love them:
- 🥚 150–200 medium-large blue eggs per year — true blue eggs, not green (that's Easter Eggers)
- 🌈 Three stunning color varieties — Blue, Black, and Splash, each with its own striking look
- 🧴 Fluffy beards and muffs — a distinctive, charming appearance unlike any other breed
- ❄️ Cold-hardy and calm — handles winter well and integrates easily into mixed flocks
- 🐓 Friendly and curious — not flighty, easy to handle, great for families
What to expect from Chesapeake Hatchery chicks:
Our BBS Ameraucanas are true Ameraucanas — not Easter Eggers — selected for correct type, beard and muff development, and consistent blue egg color. Marek's Disease vaccination is optional and is not included in the chick price. To vaccinate your chicks, check the Marek's vaccine box in your cart. Chicks are backed by our live arrival guarantee. Color variety cannot be guaranteed with BBS hatches, as blue genetics produce a natural mix of blue, black, and splash offspring.
Weeks to first egg: 20–24 weeks
Egg size: Medium–Large
Egg color: Blue
Common questions about BBS Ameraucanas
What's the difference between an Ameraucana and an Easter Egger?
True Ameraucanas, like ours, lay blue eggs and are bred to a breed standard with beards and muffs. Easter Eggers are mixed birds that may lay blue, green or other colored eggs.
What color will my chicks be?
BBS stands for Blue, Black and Splash. Blue genetics naturally produce a mix of all three, so we can't guarantee a specific color.
How many eggs do they lay?
About 150–200 medium-large blue eggs a year, starting at around 20–24 weeks.
Are they cold-hardy?
Yes. They handle winter well and fit easily into mixed flocks.
Pairs well with:
- Cream Legbar: another blue-egg breed, with chicks you can sex by color at hatch
- French Black Copper Marans: dark chocolate eggs for contrast
True blue eggs from a true Ameraucana — reserve your spot for the next hatch today.
Breed specifications
Breed specifications
Production
Maturity
Temperament
Appearance
Adaptability
Chick care overview
Chick care overview
Brooder temperature: Start at 95°F for the first week, reducing by 5°F each week until fully feathered.
Food & water: Offer chick starter feed and fresh water immediately. Dip each chick's beak gently into the water on arrival to encourage drinking.
Hydration boost: We include hydration supplements in your shipment — add to water for the first 24–48 hours to help chicks recover from transit.
Space: Allow at least 0.5 sq ft per chick in the brooder for the first few weeks.
Watch for: Huddling under the heat source (too cold), panting or moving away from heat (too warm). Active, spread-out chicks are happy chicks.
For detailed care guides, visit our FAQs.
Shipping
Shipping
Your chicks ship in a USPS-approved live animal box designed specifically for safe poultry transport, complete with soft bedding, temperature control packing, and hydration supplements for the journey.
We take immeasurable care in every shipment — each box is packed with your flock's safe arrival as our top priority.
Day-old chicks ship by USPS Priority Mail with live-animal handling, the same day they hatch. Most orders reach your local post office in 1–2 days; some rural areas take up to 3. Started pullets ship by USPS Priority Mail Express, as USPS requires for older birds.
LIVE CHICK SHIPPING
USPS Priority Mail:
6–25 chicks — $34.95
26–50 chicks — $49.95
51–100 chicks — $59.95
Optional Priority Mail Express at checkout: $69.95 for 6–14 chicks, $74.95 for 15–25, $79.95 for 26–50, $99.95 for 51–100.
Shipping farther than a day's drive from Maryland, such as south of the Carolinas or west of Ohio? We recommend Priority Mail Express. Express chicks are loaded first and usually arrive sooner, but USPS does not guarantee delivery times for live animals.
Ordering more than 100 chicks? Call us at (410) 635-1970.
Minimum shipped order: 6 chicks • Mix & match breeds
Local Pickup — Wednesdays in Maryland
No shipping fee · No minimum order
Live Arrival Guarantee
We stand behind every shipment. In the rare event that any chicks do not survive transit, you will receive a full refund for those chicks.
