Shipping Information & Policies

​Shipped Eggs Information & Policies

How we package our eggs:
After shipping thousands of eggs over the course of the years, and trying various methods of shipping and packaging, we have worked on the best way to ship eggs to you.

We individually wrap each egg in bubble wrap or honeycomb packing paper (which is made to protect glass and fragile objects during a move/transit. Eggs are made into a “nest” into the middle of a smaller box, and are surrounded by more bubble wrap, polyfill, pine shavings, shipping paper, packing peanuts, and or any combination of these packing materials. We then wrap that box with bubble wrap or a secure packing/shipping pad, and secure it inside of a second, larger box, which is packed snugly with the above listed materials. We often times add cardboard slices to reinforce all sides of the box, to cushion from heavy impact that may occur on the conveyer belt during postal transit. We also try to used recycled or recyclable goods when possible for our shipments.

Chicken Eggs: We can usually ship up to ~18 large/normal sized eggs comfortably in a large priority box, or 24 smaller/bantam Silkie eggs. We prefer not to overpack the boxes, as we don’t want to limit the amount of cushion each egg gets.

Quail Eggs: We use foam egg shippers specifically made for quail eggs when we ship. These are included in the cost of your eggs.

Larger Orders: For orders of 3+ dozen eggs, I would be happy to chat with you and see how we can accommodate you with a larger box, and the best shipping price possible.

​Foam Chicken-Egg Shippers: (Updated Jan 2024:)
Due to the price increase of Chicken Egg Foam Egg Shippers, we are unable to provide these for free as a part of our packaging. If you would like to have your eggs packaged in foam inserts instead of our standard methods, please contact us in advance so we can make arrangements to purchase these inserts for you. We are observing price and availability trends and hope to be able to provide these again, but currently each insert is running an average of $3.00-5.00 per insert. 

Special Handling Stickers:  
In July of 2022, USPS chose to discontinue their service “Special Handling”. We are very saddened in this decision. We will always package your eggs to the best of our abilities to ensure the best hatch rate possible.

Travel time for eggs:
USPS Priority Mail: Travel time is approximately 2-3 days. However, we cannot guarantee shipping times with USPS Priority Mail. (This is our standard shipping method) We are seeing approx. 2-3 full days travel for Priority Mail this spring (2023).

USPS Priority Express: If you need a guaranteed specific delivery date for your eggs, we can offer & ship via USPS Priority EXPRESS. Priority Express will guarantee an overnight, to 2 day delivery on their packages. If they are late, you are entitled to your shipping money back. However, this method is significantly more expensive, and the cost is to be covered by the buyer.

Disclaimer:
Once eggs leave our farm, we have literally ZERO control of how the post office treats your package. We do everything we can to protect the eggs we send you from harm. Almost all packages that go through USPS distribution centers are automated on conveyer belts, with robotic equipment and are very quickly tossed and tumbled about. We package our eggs to reduce the amount of shaking that occurs while being transported, but even when packaged perfectly, the egg yolk/white can still detach from the membrane, or become scrambled.
PLEASE understand that a priority mail box is only insured up to $50.00. If you purchase more than $50 worth of eggs, I highly recommend that you purchase additional insurance for a couple dollars to cover the entire contents of your package, incase anything happens while your eggs are in the hands of the Postal Service. 
Additionally: The post office will normally not accept claims of damaged eggs, unless the box shows significant mistreatment. Having a poor hatch rate with your shipped eggs does not guarantee your money back with a USPS claim if there is no damage to the box, nor do I condone putting claims in when there is no visible damage to your shipping box.
If you receive your box of eggs, and it is leaking, crushed, has holes in it, or has the corners smashed in, please contact me to help you file a claim, and remember to TAKE LOTS OF PICTURES for your claim.

Disclaimer, cont…
Please understand that shipped eggs are a GAMBLE! USPS employees are underpaid, and overworked and it is very difficult for them to ensure that every package makes it to its destination on time, and in perfect condition. We will try to do everything we can on our end to package your eggs for a safe trip, but when you purchase eggs to be shipped, it is very likely that you will lose some due to poor handling. This is 100% normal, and not even the best conditions can ensure a 100% hatch rate on shipped eggs. The standard hatch percentage in the industry on shipped eggs is approx. 35-50% with the best packaging. This has proven to be true in my personal experience as well. Please acknowledge the risks before purchasing shipped eggs.
Thank you so much for reading! Please reach out if you have any questions about shipping!

Shipped Chicks Information & Policies

​Chick Shipping:
UPDATE FOR 2025: USPS has imposed a flat $7.50 fee on ALL live boxes. This fee is added to the cost of postage when purchasing shipping labels automatically.
Chicks are shipped USPS Express, in special approved chick boxes, and are guaranteed to arrive in 72 hours or less. A 72+ hour heat pack, padding, & ample Grogel will be included in each box. $100.00 minimum insurance is included in every shipment of chicks.

A standard LIVE chick box box can fit approx. 18-20 large breed chicks, or 20-25 Silkie Chicks.
Additionally, I keep a small amount of large chick-shipping boxes on hand that are twice as large and can hold twice as many.
As of 12/2023: we only had 6 deaths with shipped chicks for the entire season (out of over 100). We have had less than 12 deaths with all of our shipped chicks over the last 3 years within Montana and all of its surrounding states using our packaging and shipping methods.

Quail Shipping:
Quail are extremely fragile creatures at hatch. We do not recommend ANY breeder or company (no matter the size) that ships day old quail chicks.
This year alone, I must have had a dozen people share their horror stories with me on how many (or all) of the baby quail they lost when they purchased day old Quail chicks that were shipped to them. In my professional opinion, it is not worth the risk.
How we do it….
We raise our Coturnix for 1.5-2 weeks old before they become available for shipping. We use the same chick boxes that we use for our chicken chicks, and the same mailing services. As of 12/2023, we have a 100% success rate with shipped quail with this method.

​Cost to ship live chicks & quail:
I charge a flat $8.00 fee in addition to shipping to cover my supply costs.  This covers the specialty USPS Approved LIVE box, Grogel and cups, heat packs, dividers, zip ties, bedding, and packaging/shipping labels. 

In State (Montana, or located close to NW Montana) Express shipping is cheaper, and typically is around $35.00-$45.00 plus my $8.00 fee.

Out of State shipping fees vary, but are typically between $51.00 to $68.00 plus my $8.00 fee. The farther away from our farm, the more expensive shipping is.

Adult Bird Shipping:
We seldom let go of adult birds. But in the case of availability, and pending the weather (on both your side and mine…) these adult birds can be shipped to you. Please note, shipping live adult birds is very costly. I only keep a small number of boxes on hand. You can fit 2-3 bantams (depending on how large they are), or 1 large breed bird (some roosters will be too large to ship) in one live box. My cost for one of these boxes is $15 per box. Shipping will vary depending on your location – but will usually cost you around $95-130.

Shipping Limitations:
Please be aware that I will not ship chicks during certain times of the year. Severe heat waves, or cold storms can kill chicks in a number of hours. Please take this into consideration when planning an order with us. I will look at the weather before I ship any chicks out for their safety. Temperatures over 82-85 degrees, and under 20 degrees are typically too hot or cold for chicks to survive the shipping process. 
We are not a large business hatchery, & we take the shipment of live baby animals seriously. We cannot afford (nor do we believe it is ethical…) to re-ship an unlimited amount of chicks, so we do our absolute best to ensure they make it to you safe and sound. We believe the extra fee to cover things like heat packs and GroGel make a WORLD of difference in how likely the chicks are to survive their transit.

Although I will package each & every box to the best of my abilities… once the chicks leave my hands, I cannot guarantee their safety. This is why I include additional insurance to cover your costs on each LIVE package that leaves my farm. If your chicks arrive LATE, sickly or deceased, please let me know immediately and I will help you begin a claim for any lost chicks.