Wise County Chicken Farm partners with trusted hatcheries to offer hatching eggs shipped directly to customers. Because hatching eggs are a natural agricultural product and must travel through the mail, fertility, development, and hatch results cannot be guaranteed.

By purchasing shipped hatching eggs, the customer acknowledges and accepts the inherent risks associated with shipping and incubating fertile eggs. Please review this policy carefully before placing your order.

Shipping Schedule and Availability

Hatching eggs are generally shipped Monday through Wednesday through the United States Postal Service (USPS). Shipping schedules may vary based on egg availability, breeder production, holidays, weather conditions, and carrier operations.

Requested ship dates and estimated delivery dates are not guaranteed. Orders may be delayed when necessary to collect fresh eggs or when shipping conditions could place the eggs at unnecessary risk.

Hatching egg availability is seasonal and may change without notice. Because hens are living animals, laying patterns and egg production cannot be guaranteed.

Direct Shipment from Hatchery Partners

Hatching eggs may be shipped directly from one of our trusted hatchery partners. Egg selection, packaging methods, and shipment timing are managed by the supplying hatchery.

Wise County Chicken Farm serves as the retailer and point of contact for the order. Customers should contact Wise County Chicken Farm directly with any questions or concerns rather than contacting the supplying hatchery.

Packaging and USPS Handling

Every reasonable effort is made to carefully package hatching eggs for shipment. However, once a package enters the USPS shipping network, it may be exposed to vibration, impact, temperature changes, delays, pressure changes, and handling conditions outside our control.

An egg may appear intact while still experiencing internal shipping damage, including:

• Detached, loose, or saddled air cells
• Disrupted or damaged internal membranes
• Hairline cracks that are difficult to see
• Temperature-related damage
• Interrupted or failed embryo development

These conditions may affect development or hatchability even when the eggs arrive without visible exterior damage.

Fertility and Hatchability

Hatching eggs are collected from breeder flocks with access to roosters and are sold as fertile hatching eggs. However, fertility is biological and may naturally vary by season, breed, individual bird, breeder age, weather, and other factors.

A fertile egg does not guarantee that an embryo will develop or that a chick will successfully hatch. Wise County Chicken Farm does not guarantee:

• A specific fertility percentage
• A specific number of developing embryos
• A specific hatch rate
• A specific number of live chicks
• The successful development of every egg

No refunds, replacements, or store credits will be issued based solely on fertility results, development rates, or hatch rates.

Incubation Variables

Hatch results can be affected by many conditions that occur after delivery and are outside the control of Wise County Chicken Farm and the supplying hatchery. These include, but are not limited to:

• Incubator temperature accuracy
• Humidity levels
• Egg turning frequency and technique
• Ventilation and airflow
• Incubator cleanliness
• Power outages or temperature fluctuations
• Incubator calibration
• Storage conditions after delivery
• The amount of time eggs are allowed to rest
• Candling, handling, and incubation practices
• Customer experience and equipment performance

Customers are responsible for using properly functioning and accurately calibrated incubation equipment.

Customer Responsibilities Upon Delivery

Customers are responsible for monitoring tracking information and retrieving the package promptly upon delivery.

After receiving shipped hatching eggs, we generally recommend:

• Opening and inspecting the package carefully
• Photographing any visible damage before discarding packaging
• Allowing the eggs to rest with the pointed end down before incubation
• Keeping the eggs in a stable, temperature-controlled environment while resting
• Following incubation recommendations appropriate for the species and breed ordered
• Confirming incubator temperature and humidity with reliable, calibrated instruments

Recommendations may vary depending on the condition of the air cells, transit time, species, and incubation method.

Visible Damage and Broken Eggs

If eggs arrive visibly cracked or broken, the customer must contact Wise County Chicken Farm as soon as possible and no later than 12 hours after confirmed delivery.

To submit a damage claim, customers must provide clear photographs showing:

• The exterior of the shipping box
• The shipping label
• The interior packaging
• All visibly damaged eggs
• The entire contents of the shipment

Please do not discard the box, packaging materials, or damaged eggs until the claim has been reviewed. USPS or the supplying hatchery may require additional documentation.

Damage claims submitted after the required reporting period or without sufficient photographic evidence may be denied.

Damage Claim Resolution

Approved claims for eggs that arrive visibly broken may generally be resolved through replacement eggs or store credit for the value of the approved damaged eggs.

Replacement eggs are subject to breed availability, seasonal production, minimum shipping requirements, and hatchery scheduling. An immediate replacement shipment cannot be guaranteed.

Shipping charges are non-refundable once an order has shipped. Compensation is limited to the purchase price of the approved damaged eggs and does not include incubation supplies, equipment, electricity, lost production, veterinary expenses, or other consequential costs.

Loose, detached, or saddled air cells and other internal shipping damage are inherent risks of purchasing shipped hatching eggs and are not considered visible shipping damage eligible for compensation.

Incorrect or Incomplete Shipping Information

Customers are responsible for providing a complete and accurate shipping address, telephone number, and email address when placing an order.

Wise County Chicken Farm is not responsible for delays, losses, returned packages, or additional charges caused by an incorrect or incomplete address. Orders generally cannot be rerouted after entering the USPS shipping network.

Carrier and Weather Delays

USPS delivery dates and transit times are estimates and are not guaranteed. Wise County Chicken Farm and our hatchery partners are not responsible for delays caused by USPS, weather, transportation interruptions, natural disasters, holidays, government actions, or other circumstances outside our control.

Orders may be postponed during extreme heat, extreme cold, severe storms, or other unsafe shipping conditions. Any such delay is intended to protect the quality and viability of the eggs.

Cancellations and Changes

Because hatching egg orders may be scheduled, collected, and prepared specifically for the customer, cancellation or change requests are not guaranteed.

Orders cannot be cancelled after they have been processed for shipment or transferred to the supplying hatchery for fulfillment. Requests to change a breed, quantity, shipping address, or requested shipment date must be submitted as soon as possible and may be declined if fulfillment has already begun.

Returns

For biosecurity, food safety, and product-integrity reasons, hatching eggs cannot be returned or exchanged.

Customers should not mail eggs back to Wise County Chicken Farm or the supplying hatchery unless specifically instructed to do so in writing.

Breed and Assortment Expectations

Egg color, shell shade, size, shape, and natural appearance may vary. These differences are normal and do not necessarily indicate a problem with fertility or quality.

When purchasing an assortment, hatchery choice, or mixed-breed offering, the exact number of eggs from each breed or variety is not guaranteed unless specifically stated in the product listing.

When purchasing breeds for certain feather colors, egg colors, or other traits, offspring characteristics may vary because genetics are not always expressed uniformly.

Acknowledgment of Risk

Purchasing shipped hatching eggs involves greater risk than obtaining eggs locally because the shipment must pass through a commercial carrier network.

By completing a purchase, the customer confirms that they understand and accept:

• That hatch rates are not guaranteed
• That fertility and development may naturally vary
• That shipping may cause visible or invisible internal damage
• That incubation equipment and practices affect results
• That delivery dates are estimates
• That hatching eggs cannot be returned
• That claims are limited to eggs arriving visibly broken and properly documented within the required timeframe

Questions or Concerns

Please contact Wise County Chicken Farm before ordering if you have questions about shipping, breed availability, minimum order requirements, incubation, or this policy.

We are happy to provide general educational guidance; however, Wise County Chicken Farm cannot control shipping conditions, incubation equipment, customer practices, fertility outcomes, or final hatch results.