FAQ - Learning Center


Avoid Salmonella Exposure:
Safe Practices for Handling Poultry
Source: Ohio Poultry Association

Don't Forget! Always wash your hands.
Even healthy and clean looking birds can be carriers of Salmonella bacteria. Salmonella bacteria are in the droppings of many chicks and ducklings and contaminate their environment and the entire surface of the bird.

Basic Safety Practices
If you choose to own chicks, ducklings, or other birds, following a few basic steps can help you avoid exposure to Salmonella.

1. It is absolutely essential to wash your hands with soap and warm water immediately after touching birds or anything in the birds' environment.

2. Chicks and ducklings are not appropriate pets for children under five years of age.

3. Do not allow the birds to be close to your mouth or face.

4. Live poultry should be kept outside.

5. Adults should clean cages/pens. Litter should be frequently changed.

6. Do not handle birds before or while cooking, eating or doing other kitchen tasks.

7. Do not use the kitchen sink to clean bird cages, feed or water containers.

8. If you are experience abdominal pain, fever, and/or diarrhea, visit your physician right away.

Salmonella can cause serious illness, especially in infants and young children because they are more likely to put their fingers in their mouth and because their immune systems are still developing. Older adults, pregnant women, people on chemotherapy, diabetics and people with weakened immune systems may also have more severe symptoms.


Guide to Ordering Chicks

How to Care for Baby Chicks

FAQ's
 
How are baby poultry shipped?
We ship them out through the US Postal system. Depending on the size of your order your babies will either go Express or Priority. Please, keep in mind USPS is our only outlet for shipping poultry. They do not guarantee Express shipments to arrive next day. Here's an excerpt from usps.com regarding Express (Live Animal) shipments: "Customers sending Express Mail shipments containing live animals should expect a 2-3 day transport of their shipment."
 
Do you ever have birds older than a day old?
We are a hatchery specializing in baby poultry.  Periodically throughout the year, though, we do offer 1-20 week old pullets limited to the following varieties, Golden Buff, Black Sex Link, and White Leghorns.

Do you include "packing peanuts" or extra male chicks for warmth?
No. We will never include free extra males like other hatcheries to keep chicks warm during transit. We are far too innovative to send you chicks you don't want or need! We pioneered the 3 chick minimum without sending males for warmth. Instead, we cleverly pack extra nesting material, include a long lasting heat pack when needed and ship small orders Express Mail to ensure they arrive safe and healthy.
 
I'm picking my birds up at the Hatchery.  Do I need to bring a box with me to take them home in?
We will have your order of baby birds already packed up and waiting for you when you arrive at the hatchery.  You will need to provide your own crates or boxes for 16-20 week old pullets if you are picking them up.
 
Do you offer custom hatching if a customer provides the eggs?
We will not do custom hatching due to Bio-security risks.
 
How much room do I need for my chickens?
You will need an area of approximately 1 to 1.5 square feet per mature bird.
 
My birds are pecking at each other.  How do I stop them from pecking?
Make sure the birds are not overcrowding each other.  Also stress, feed deficiencies, illness and boredom all cause feather pecking.  Add grass clippings or leafy alfalfa hay to the pen to eliminate boredom.  If this does not work, you may try an anti-pick spray or anti-pick device which fits over the beak.
 
Can I have the beaks trimmed on the baby chicks?
We do not offer beak trimming service for the simple fact that the beak will grow back if the procedure is performed on birds under 6 weeks old.  If you decide to have the beaks trimmed we recommend having it done before the birds start to lay.
 
When will my hens start laying eggs?
It varies from breed to breed.  Some breeds will start to lay as early as 17 weeks old and other breeds may take up to 30 weeks before they start to lay.
 
Can I put the new chicks in with my existing older chickens? 
It is not recommended as the older, larger birds may peck on the smaller, younger birds.  They can be put them together if you wait until the birds are similar in size.  Some pecking may still occur in the beginning, but after a few days the birds should settle into a new pecking order.
 
How many roosters do I need for my hens in order to have fertile eggs?
We recommend 1 rooster for every 6-8 hens.  Keep in mind, hens will lay eggs without a rooster present but the eggs will not be fertile.
 
Do I need a permit to raise game birds?
Regulations vary from state to state.  Check with your local extension office or game warden.
 
Can I put Turkeys in with my chickens?
We do not recommend mixing breeds of poultry together in the same pen due to the fact they can pick up a disease called blackhead.
 
How many nest holes do I need for my hens?
Figure on about 7 hens per nest box hole.
 
Do you ship out of the country?
No! Federal and custom regulations make it too difficult to ship live birds out of the country.  Also, the amount of time involved in shipping makes it prohibitive.
 
Do you recommend the Marek's Vaccination?
Yes! It is a good idea to have them vaccinated as it helps build up their antibodies.  A single vaccination confers lifelong immunity, but is not 100% foolproof.  About 5% of the chickens vaccinated can still get the disease anyway.
 
My eggs are soft and keep breaking what can I do?
This comes from a deficiency in their diet and you need to increase the amount of calcium or vitamin D the hens are receiving.  Adding Oyster shell to their feed will also help harden the shell.
 
Should I medicate my birds for worms right away?
You can do it before they start laying, but if you medicate them after they start laying, you must wait 30 days after treatment before you can use the eggs.
 
How much light do my birds need once they begin to lay eggs?
For maximum egg production, it is recommended that hens get 14 hours of continuous light each day.  They need periods of darkness as well.  It is best to monitor the amount of light they receive with a timer set to turn on and off consistently at the same time every day.
 
How do I get my chickens to lay in the nest box and not on the floor?
In order to coax your chickens to use the nest box, it should be located 18 to 20 inches from the floor.  Also, try to eliminate any dark corners as they like to hide in dark spots to feel protected while laying an egg.
 
What is causing my chickens to loose their feathers?
Chickens go through a normal molting stage at about 18 months old.  This molting period usually lasts for 3 to 4 months.  Egg production will cease during the molting period, but will resume at a slower rate after the birds end molting.
 
When will my credit card be charged?
Your card will be charged at the time your order is placed or if you choose to defer payment, you will be charged two weeks before your hatch date.
 
What is the longest time I can store my eggs before I set them in the incubator?
Your eggs can be stored up to 7 days and will not significantly affect the hatching, but up to 14 days can definitely decrease your hatch.
 
Can I set my eggs as soon as I receive my shipment?
We recommend you let them set for a minimum of 6 hours at room temperature before setting them.
 
Is there a proper way to set my eggs in the incubator?
Yes! Eggs should be set blunt end up to maximize hatchability and your eggs should not touch each other.
 
Should I candle my eggs?
Egg candling early on is a good idea, because it helps you find the rotten eggs and remove them so that quality of the other eggs do not become contaminated. By day 3 blood vessels can be seen, and by day 7th  movement can be seen, remove the bad eggs.
 
What temperature should I set my incubator at?
Keep in mind every incubator is different depending on the air flow in the incubator. A good temperature should be 99.5 but always follow the manufacturers suggestions.
 
What should the humidity read in the incubator?
A good hatch humidity reading should be 60%, but keep in mind this also depends on the type of incubator you may have.

Can't Login to My Account

We get many questions from customers about not being able to login to their account. They either get an error message, login failed message, or the page just resets itself. Generally it is a common error and can be fixed very easily. Here are a few steps to take if you are having trouble logging in to your account.

  1. Refresh your browser.
  2. Try using a different browser then what your on. Try using Firefox, Google Chrome, Internet Explorer.
  3. If you don't have another browser you may need to update to a more current edition of your current browser.
  4. Make sure you are using capital letters and lower case letters when appropriate.
  5. Recover your password. There is a button for this right on our login to account page on our website.
  6. Make sure you have only used the account email for one person and one account, our system does not allow an email to be used twice. If your email is used more then once you usually will get a message that says please login with existing account. If this happens it is best to call in so we can get the email taken off one of the accounts.

If you try all of these and your login is still not working feel free to call in to see if we can fix it. Sometimes the problem may be beyond our control but we will do our best to answer any questions you may have.