Frequently Asked Questions About Ordering Poultry

Browse the Shop and choose the poultry category or breed you want. Review the product description, available options and ordering information before adding birds to your cart. Complete checkout with accurate contact and delivery information so we can use the details associated with your order.

Our catalog is organized to help customers browse baby chicks, egg layers, bantams, rare chicken breeds, gamefowl and heritage poultry, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, peafowl, hatching eggs, adult and juvenile birds, and related poultry supplies. Individual listings depend on what is offered through the current catalog.

Start with your goal: eggs, meat, breeding, exhibition, heritage poultry, gamefowl, waterfowl or backyard enjoyment. Then compare breed size, temperament, climate suitability, mature characteristics and the product options shown on the listing. If a characteristic is essential to your purchase, confirm it from the individual product description before ordering.

Minimum quantities can vary by poultry type, breed, season and shipping requirements. The applicable minimum should be shown on the product or during ordering. Do not assume the minimum for one breed applies to another. If a listing is unclear, contact Country Hatchery before placing the order.

Where the product options and shipping requirements allow it, an order may contain more than one breed or poultry type. Some birds can have different hatch schedules, age requirements or shipping needs, so mixed orders may not always be able to travel together. Review the individual listings before checkout.

Ordering early gives you the best opportunity to choose from the breeds and hatch periods offered in the catalog. Poultry availability is seasonal and hatch results can vary, so a displayed or requested hatch period should be treated according to the terms shown with your order.

Live poultry is different from an ordinary warehouse product. Orders depend on eggs being laid, fertility, incubation and the number of healthy birds that hatch. Weather and transportation conditions can also affect shipping. If timing is critical, review the order information carefully before purchasing.

Check the Shop for another offered hatch period or a comparable breed. Availability changes through the season. You can also browse the relevant category for alternatives instead of relying on an unavailable listing.

Country Hatchery serves customers across the United States subject to the shipping coverage, poultry type, postal rules and any destination-specific restrictions that apply to the order. Our current About information states that we do not ship to Hawaii or Guam and that Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are served. Confirm destination eligibility before purchasing if you are outside the continental United States.

Eligible day-old poultry is shipped in purpose-built ventilated poultry boxes and must follow applicable live-animal mailing requirements. Shipping arrangements can vary by bird type and destination. Customers should provide a reliable telephone number and be ready to receive the shipment promptly.

USPS rules for eligible day-old poultry are built around delivery within 72 hours of hatching, subject to the applicable mailing requirements. Actual order timing and routing depend on the shipment, so follow the tracking or pickup instructions associated with your order.

Shipping and handling can depend on the number and type of birds, destination, packaging and current carrier requirements. The amount shown for your Country Hatchery order at checkout or in the applicable ordering information is the amount to rely on; competitor shipping rates do not apply to Country Hatchery purchases.

Live-poultry handling can differ by destination. Use a working telephone number with your order and watch for shipment instructions or contact from the carrier or local Post Office. Being available around the expected arrival period helps you move chicks into a prepared brooder promptly.

Prepare the brooder before pickup or delivery. Have an appropriate heat source, clean water, suitable chick starter feed, dry bedding and a secure draft-protected space ready. This lets you move the chicks into their prepared environment without unnecessary delay.

Receive or collect the shipment promptly, open the box, inspect the birds and move them to the prepared environment. Follow the care instructions supplied with the order and keep your order information available in case you need to contact us about an arrival issue.

Document the issue promptly and contact Country Hatchery using the contact details on the website or your order information. Include your order details and clear information about the problem. Any guarantee, claim or reporting deadline should be handled according to the policy applicable to your purchase.

Use the Hatching Eggs section of the Shop to see the egg listings currently offered. Availability can vary by breed and season. Read the individual listing for quantity, breed and ordering details before purchasing.

No. Hatch results depend on fertility as well as handling, transit, storage, incubator calibration, temperature, humidity, turning and other conditions after the eggs leave the hatchery. Review the specific hatching-egg terms and prepare a properly operating incubator before the eggs arrive.

Buy live chicks when you prefer to begin with already-hatched birds. Hatching eggs are better suited to customers who have appropriate incubation equipment and accept that hatch results can vary. Your choice should depend on your equipment, experience and poultry goals.