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Chicken Help

We found 63 results for category 'About Ordering'

Q: Can I have two phone numbers printed on my box?

A: Yes! During the checkout process you will have the opportunity to give us two different phone numbers. If you give us two, we'll make sure both... read more

Q: When will my chicks be hatched?

A: Our chicks are hatched in the wee hours on Monday* of each week during the hatching season, and they're sorted, sexed, vaccinated, packaged, and... read more

Q: How old will my chicks be when I get them?

A: They'll be less than 72 hours old. They ship Mondays and Tuesdays as soon as they're hatched and the birds you've reserved have been packed into your... read more

Q: What if my chick package is late?

A: Please notify us Thursday if your package has not arrived by then--but do not notify us before Thursday. The US postal service is very good about... read more

Q: Do you have a catalog?

A: Not yet! The best way to peruse our offerings for right now is to browse the category listings on the left hand side of any page on our website. ... read more

Q: When I buy a hatchery choice assortment, will you be able to tell me which birds I received?

A: Assortments are often more available than specific breeds are, and sometimes even bargain priced. However, no record is kept of which birds are used... read more

Q: When I am ordering baby chicks or juveniles, when am I charged for the order?

A: You pay for your order as soon as it is placed; that is what holds your reservation. We don't keep your payment information on file---this helps... read more

Q: Should I choose "no substitutions" and "no hatch day substitutions" when I place my order for chicks?

A: Well, the truth is that it simply depends on how you want us to handle any problems with your order. Some customers will wait many months for just... read more

Q: Are sold out breeds ever included in a hatchery choice assortment?

A: Breeds that are not available individually may still be used to fulfill assortments, since the assortments consist of breeds that have hatched better... read more

Q: Will I be notified if my shipment has to be delayed for some reason? I don't want to ask for the wrong week off work!

A: Well, that's a more complex question than you may think. If there should be a problem on hatch day, of course we will contact you just as soon as we... read more

Q: What's the best way to order a breed that always seems to be sold out?

A: We're sorry the breed you want is currently sold out, but yes---there is hope if you're diligent!

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Q: If I order straight run bantams, will I get a 50-50 mix, or do you use your extra cockerels as straight run?

A: We do not use sexed birds as straight run.(No hatchery we know of does that--how dishonest would THAT be?!.) It does not pay us to sex all our baby... read more

Q: Can I choose what breeds I get when I purchase an assortment?

A: No, we're sorry. If you want specific breeds or colors, you'll need to purchase each breed you want and construct your order that way.

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Q: What is an overhatch and why do you advertise it?

A: Well, let's start with the idea that we literally count our chickens before they've hatched. :) The exhortation against doing that is pretty good... read more

Q: Do you send extra chicks with every order?

A: No, most of the time, we do not add extra chicks. Especially with small orders, we are careful not to add chicks (although it may happen... read more

Q: Why don't you offer a vaccine against Coccidiosis?

A: Coccidiosis is an infection caused by a protozoan, and it is found in most environments. However, the coccidiosis vaccine administered in the U.S. is... read more

Q: Do you sell older chickens?

A: Yes! We usually have two or three batches of juvenile 6-week-old chickens available each year at various times. They do sell out very quickly, so... read more

Q: The website says the breed I want is available for a date I want, so why isn't that a choice when I'm checking out?

A: In most cases, that will be because you are ordering more chicks than are available for your preferred date. When you place virtual chicks in your... read more

Q: Do you include males for warmth in your baby chick packages?

A: You may have heard that hatcheries sometimes include extra "males for warmth" in their baby chick packages, but you can be sure we'll never purposely... read more

Q: Can you ship my chicks via UPS or Fed Ex?

A: No, sorry! UPS and Fed Ex will not ship chicks - only the United States Postal Service will -- and they've been doing it since the 1800s! (We ship... read more

Q: Do you ship eggs or chicks internationally?

A: No. If you want to purchase live birds or read more

Q: Can you ship chicks and waterfowl together?

A: Our chicks and waterfowl are hatched in different facilities and therefore, cannot be shipped together.

If you would like for your waterfowl... read more

Q: I live in Hawaii and I'm ordering chicks. What do I need to know?

A: First and foremost: we cannot safely ship to every zip code in your beautiful state. Only some zip codes are safe to ship to. Please read "Can... read more

Q: How come you can only ship chicks when they're one day old?

A: Right before chicks hatch, they have just absorbed the last of the yolk. This sustains them during their journey, for up to three days, so that's why... read more

Q: Do you ship to Canada?

A: We cannot ship any of our products to Canada, Mexico, or any other country. We also cannot ship to American territories, including Puerto Rico,... read more

Q: How can you send chicks through the mail when they sometimes die? And if there is a risk that some chicks die on the way, then how can you justify staying in business?

A: Of course we hate it when chicks die along the way; every bird is an individual, and every loss is a tragedy. However, when it comes to shipping baby... read more

Q: Can I order chickens from an out-of-state hatchery like yours?

My Pet Chicken's breeders and hatcheries handle all the state-level permits required to get the chicks safe and sound to you. So when you order... read more

Q: How can I help my young children understand the wait to have our baby chicks delivered?

A: There are a few things you can do together to help ease the frustration of waiting!

One thing you can do with a child when waiting something... read more

Q: What does your hatchery do with extra males and other chicks that are not adopted?

A: We do understand that other hatcheries may do things differently than we do--did you know that chickens are not protected by the Humane Slaughter Act... read more

Q: I already placed my order for baby waterfowl. Can I change it?

A: Yes, in most cases you can call us at 908-795-1007 to have your order changed, but before you do, read on because there are three important things... read more

Q: I already placed my order for baby chicks. Can I change it?

A: Yes, in most cases you can call us at 908-795-1007 to have your order changed, but before you do, read on because there are three important things... read more

Q: Can I cancel my order for baby chicks?

A: Yes, we're happy to cancel an order provided you let us know by the Thursday before your scheduled ship week. As you remember from checkout,... read more

Q: Can I cancel or change my order for fertile hatching eggs?

A: Yes, we're happy to cancel or change an order of fertile hatching eggs provided you let us know by the week before your scheduled ship week.... read more

Q: Can I cancel or change my order for juvenile 6 week old chickens (started pullets)?

A: Yes, we're happy to cancel or change an order of juvenile chickens provided you let us know by the week before your scheduled ship week. For... read more

Q: My chicks are all available on different dates. Will they ship at different times, or all at once?

A: All at once! All your birds must ship together for their safety. Alternatively, you can choose to place two or more separate orders, but each one... read more

Q: Can I mix and match or do I have to buy all the same breed?

A: There is no minimum number of chicks per breed or size, although your total order must meet the minimum number for your area, so you can mix and... read more

Q: What is the minimum order for ducklings and goslings?

A: Since shipping little ones can be so expensive, our minimum order for waterfowl is usually 10. However, if you are ok higher shipping costs, we can... read more

Q: What is my best minimum order?

A: We want to be sure your chicks arrive safely, so we have a special packaging method so your new pets are snug and secure while they travel. In fact,... read more

Q: What can I do if my minimum order is too high?

A: Because of our read more

Q: What if one of my chicks dies on the way to me?

A: Losses are rare (we see them happen about 1% of the time), but they do occur. For that reason, we recommend that if you have children, make sure they... read more

Q: How come you can't ship just one chick?

A: Unlike other hatcheries that may add "males for warmth" to fill out a small order, we will never do that because we understand how important it is... read more

Q: Should I order extra chickens so enough survive into adulthood?

A: Normally you want to order the number of chickens you want to end up with---don't order extras with the expectation that some will die. But there are... read more

Q: Can I choose Rushed or Next Day shipping to get my baby chicks faster?

A: Neither Fed Ex nor UPS will ship live baby birds, so we ship all orders of fewer than 15 chicks via the speediest service that the Post Office offers... read more

Q: My chicks were delivered a day late by the post office. Will they refund me?

A: Unfortunately, no. USPS does NOT guarantee overnight Express delivery for live animals, as much as we would like them to. We agree: it seems a little... read more

Q: How much does shipping cost?

A: You can check the exact shipping cost to your location by placing the items you want in your shopping basket and clicking the "calculate" link... read more

Q: Can I schedule delivery of my baby chicks on a specific day of the week?

A: Unfortunately, no! You do have some control, though. Chicks are shipped on Mondays and Wednesdays. Smaller orders automatically ship USPS Express... read more

Q: How can so few chicks arrive at their location safely?

A: Most hatcheries require 15 or 25 baby chicks per order because the chicks need one another's body heat to survive their 2-day journey. This is a big... read more

Q: How will I know that my chicks have arrived at the post office?

Good question! First of all, don't forget that our chicks can arrive any day from Tuesday through Thursday of the week they are shipped--it just... read more

Q: How can I track my waterfowl shipment? Do you provide a tracking number?

A: No worries! We do our best to make sure that you're "in the loop" throughout the process.

Waterfowl are hatched on Mondays, Tuesdays, and... read more

Q: Your website ays the breed I want comes in a mix of bearded and unbearded chicks, but I only want bearded. Can I order them that way?

A: You're right that some breeds like Polish and silkies can come bearded or nonbearded, but there is no way to choose which because they are not sorted... read more

Q: Can you put me in touch with a supplier or breeder for a chicken breed you don't carry?

A: No, I'm sorry. We're not a breeder registry. We don't keep lists of independent breeders for any location. To find a list of breeders, you'll... read more

Q: Are your flocks pasture raised?

Our breeding flocks are raised indoor birds for reasons of biosecurity. Large hatcheries and serious breeders are more or less required to raise... read more

Q: Why should I choose My Pet Chicken over another hatchery?

A: There's nothing wrong with buying from other major hatcheries! Before My Pet Chicken was around, we bought from a number of reputable hatcheries, and... read more

Q: I don't know how to order anything online. Can't I just email my order to you?

A: We can't accept email orders for various reasons, the most important being that email is not a safe way for you to share your payment information.... read more

Q: How do I figure out whether or not I'm allowed to keep chickens in my area?

A: We know you're dying to start keeping chickens--but you don't want to get a flock of beauties only to find out later that they're illegal and have to... read more

Q: I only want two chickens, but the minimum in my area is five. Can I pay for five, but have you only send two?

A: I'm afraid not. The minimums are based on how many chicks are safe to ship, not how many we would like to sell. You can't give us extra money to send... read more

Q: How do I decide between hatching fertile eggs and buying baby chicks?

A: In almost every case, starting a laying flock with baby chicks will be easier and less expensive than starting one by read more

Q: What is debeaking or "beak trimming"? Do you debeak your birds?

A: Debeaking or "beak trimming" is what it's called when a baby chick's beak is burnt or seared off. It is painful and cruel. Here we explain more about... read more

Q: What do I need to know about ordering fertile hatching eggs from My Pet Chicken?

A: My Pet Chicken absolutely guarantees that the read more

Q: Can you ship chicks to my location?

A: We can ship chicks anywhere within the continental U.S. At this time, we are unfortunately unable to ship safely to Hawaii or Alaska.

We... read more

Q: Are you a member of the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP)?

A: Yes! Our hatching facilities and all other breeders with whom we contract are NPIP-certified. If you would like NPIP papers to be included with your... read more

Q: How will I know which chick is which breed when I receive my baby chicks?

A: Most chicks do not come marked or tagged in any way. However, females of certain rare breeds now come with colored leg bands applied so they can be... read more

Q: What happens if a chick I purchase from My Pet Chicken is incorrectly sexed?

A: It's always disappointing when a bird isn't sexed correctly, especially if your "girl" ended up being a "boy" and was the family's favorite chick!... read more