Shipping Information

 Shipping Information

Chicks are shipped by USPS Priority Mail the same day that they hatch.  When they arrive to you, your chicks will be 24-72 hours old.  Day old chicks ship Monday thru Wednesday ONLY!  Baby chicks ingest the yolk before they hatch and this is enough nourishment for 72 hours.  We add Gro Gel to the box to keep them happy and well nourished until they arrive at their destination!  Poultry Breeds and sexes will be mixed to ensure that your chicks arrive to you in optimum condition.   Our chicks boxes are designed to help keep chicks safe and warm while they are on their way to you.

How far in advance should I book my order?
*As soon as you know when and how many birds you want to order you should book your order.  
 
*We fill orders on a first come, first served basis.  It is important to place your pre-paid order as soon as possible to get the best chance at earlier ship dates.  Some breeds, especially rare breeds, sell out faster than others.
 
*You can pick the week you would like your poultry shipped to you or note ASAP.  It is common practice to order 2-6 weeks prior to the date you want for delivery.  When we receive your order, we look for the earliest possible date for ALL of your breeds requested and are available together.  Some breeds (rare turkeys, guineas, ducks, and game birds) are not available until later in the year.
 
*We then secure that date and take those birds off the market for sale and send you a confirmation of your hatch/ship date.  Because live newly hatched chicks become perishable the day they hatch, it is necessary to have them all sold well before their hatch date.  
 
*We hatch thousands of poultry each week and we do a pretty good job of counting our chicks before they hatch when we secure your order.
 
How to calculate shipping costs:
Step 1: $25.00 flat fee. + Step 2: 15+ birds x $0.30 per bird charge. All orders with less than 15 total birds will be charged an additional $25.00 small order fee.
 
Will I receive Tracking Information?
*Tracking Information will be sent if you request it.  Tracking Information is sent the evening your chicks ship out or the morning after the chicks leave the Hatchery.  We do not Guarantee you will receive Tracking the same day your order ships out.
 

The USPS Tracking information could show inaccurate or dated information. It is a bit tricky when shipping live poultry.

  • The USPS sometimes reuses tracking numbers.  If you see tracking information that has dated or completely incorrect information, this may be why.  The correct information will appear when the package is scanned at the originating postal facility.  Please recheck your Tracking ID later.
  • The Tracking ID system that the USPS uses is NOT a complete, real-time report of the package’s location, and the system is still in its infancy.  Please do not panic if the Tracking ID information shows that the package has not moved, doesn’t appear to be making progress, or the tracking shows a 3 – 5 day transit time Rest assured,  most packages arrive in 1-2 days, some may take 3 days depending on your location.
Tracking Information is provided by the USPS.  We do what we can, but ultimately are not responsible for the accuracy of the tracking information.
 
How long will it take for my chicks to arrive at the post office after they have been shipped?
*After you have received your “Chicks Have Shipped” email, this means that your birds have been shipped.  It should take 1-2 business days to get to your Post Office after they have left our facility.  Some Order may take 3 days but this is usually to Rural areas.  Baby chickens are perishable and you are expected to be available at any time of any day, the week your chicks hatch and ship.
 
Will the Post Office deliver the chicks to my home?
*Chicks are shipped to your local Post Office.  You will have to work something out with your Post Office if you want them to be delivered to your home.   We put your phone number on the shipping box and we instruct the post office to call you to come and pick them up at the post office.  Delivery can be 1-3 days.  Make sure you are available for the anticipated day and days around the arrival date and that you have someone to care for chicks the first 24 hours in the brooder. 
 
What if I cannot request the ship date that I want?
*This may occur because we have sold out of a particular sex/breed of chicks for that day, specify an alternate date that works for you in the customer notes section of the order form.  Keep in mind when ordering multiple Breeds, we need to find a common available hatch date for all breeds selected which may cause a desired ship date to be different from what you have selected.  Our Availability is only updated once a week so the date you desired may not be available when we book your order.
 

We are sorry if we are not available for the phone if you called and received our voicemail.    We do apologize if you have trouble getting through.  Please try to email us if you need a quick response.

Internet orders are processed in the order received.  When ordering through the website you will receive an immediate e-mail response notifying you that your order has been received.  The email will tell you that your order is on hold until we have fnished processing it.   You will receive a second e-mail in 1-3 business days that includes your confirmed ship date or estimated date of arrival.  If the e-mail address you listed on your order is correct and you have not heard from us in 7 days, check that your Spam/Junk folder has not blocked our e-mail. 

We are hatching around 15,000 birds weekly and securing your order and Hatch/Ship Date is done as quickly as humanly possible.  

Expect your order to arrive at your Post Office in 1 to 3 days from the ship date.  Be aware that 98% of orders arrive within two days.  2% of Orders may take 3 days to get to you.  We do our best to meet the scheduled shipment date.  If we are unable to provide chicks on the scheduled hatch date, we will notify you and you can choose to reschedule or receive a refund.  We ship chicks Mondays – Wednesdays.  We fill orders on a first come, first served basis.  It is important to place your pre-paid order as soon as possible to get the best chance at earlier ship dates.  Typically, an order can take anywhere from 1-4 weeks to ship out.  *Please let us know if you are willing to accept any substitutions to have an earlier ship date*
 

Please open all boxes immediately when you pick them up at the Post Office and inspect your chicks.

If a loss occurs during shipment or shortly there after, our policy requires that we are notified within 24 hours of arrival. 

What happens if I have chicks that are dead upon arrival?  Can I get a Refund?

*We offer a 100% Live Arrival Guarantee on all poultry from The Chick Hatchery.  We guarantee that when your shipment arrives you will receive a full count of live, healthy poultry that you ordered and paid for.  Poultry are shipped USPS Priority Mail on the day of hatch.  We put a lot of care in making sure that your order is filled correctly and that it is prepared for shipment according to the weather.  Poultry Breeds and sexes will be mixed to ensure that your chicks arrive to you in optimum condition.  Generally, we try to add extra chicks when available to help fulfill this guarantee so be sure to count your live chicks when they arrive.  We do NOT guarantee that every order will receive extra chicks, especially if your order is just for a few chicks or we have a less than expected hatch rate.  However, if losses should occur in shipment and you do receive less live chicks than you ordered and paid for, we will make an adjustment either by replacing poultry if you have a TOTAL LOSS or by refund at the discretion of the hatchery.  Please open chick boxes immediately and inspect poultry.  If you do not have a full count of live chicks that you paid for, please email us so we can make an adjustment.  This guarantee is only for the safe and live delivery of your poultry.  Any loss must be reported to the hatchery within 24 hours of receipt for any adjustment to be made.

We will offer a refund for properly cared for poultry that deceased within 24 hours of the time of arrival to your post office.  While we appreciate notification of losses as they happen, we ask that you report your total losses one time, at the end of the 24 hour period.

Please provide a Total Count of all birds received, a Live Count and a Loss Count.  Pictures of dead chicks are REQUIRED.

Please fill out our Hatchery Loss Reporting Form.

Reimbursements are limited to the cost of the birds ONLY and will NOT include cost of Vaccination Services or Shipping Charges as these are considered Services, not products.

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