Please read all policies prior to placing your order. 

By placing your order, you agree to the terms and conditions outlined below. 

 

Waiting Lists

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Unfortunately, we have had to enact a strict deposit policy to join waitlists after countless last-minute cancellations of orders (cancellations after confirmation AND after chicks had hatched) and no-call no-shows to scheduled pickups. Now we require a 50% non-refundable deposit to join any of our hatching egg or chick waiting lists. We can accept deposits via Venmo or PayPal (friends and family). Should you wish to send it as a business, the incurred fees will be added to your total at pickup.

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We spend countless hours managing our wait lists, providing updates, incubating eggs, and caring for chicks. We ask that you respect the time we put into this by responding to contact within 24 hours.

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Failure to respond to contact or not contacting us if you cannot make a pick-up within a 15-minute grace period will result in forfeiture of your deposit and birds or eggs.

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Local Chick Pickup

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We will make every effort to provide you with thriving chicks with full crops. We will send them out in a box lined with pine shavings. 

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We are unable to provide a refund or replacement for chicks after they leave our care. We will not select birds that appear ill in any way to sell. There are too many variables beyond our control once birds leave our possession. If you have a concern, please let us know during pickup. For more information on caring for chicks, see our blog.

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Grown-Out Pullets

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Pullet pre-orders are set to charge the 50% non-refundable deposit when you check out through the website. The pickup date will be approximately 6-weeks after the hatch date (it will be listed in the description). You will be notified of the pickup date, time, and location at least 1 week prior to the pickup date. If there are extenuating circumstances that prevent you from picking up during the set time, it is your responsibility to contact us within 24 hours of receiving the email to make other pickup arrangements. 

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We have a 30-minute grace period after end of pickup. Failure to contact us within this grace period, if you are running late, will result in forfeiture of your deposit and reserved birds. Failure to contact us at least 48 hours prior to scheduled pickup to notify us you cannot make pickup will result in forfeiture of your deposit and reserved birds. 

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Please bring a box, carrier, or crate to transport your birds in. Please ensure this has some type of bedding in it. These pullets are small, and sliding around on a slick surface can cause serious injury or death. 

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We are unable to provide a refund or replacement for pullets after they leave our care. We will not select birds that appear ill in any way to sell. There are too many variables beyond our control once birds leave our possession. If you have a concern, please let us know during pickup. 

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Hatching Eggs

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In order to provide you with the freshest eggs possible, we only ship on Monday and Tuesday. Eggs will be collected within 3-4 days prior to shipment and be marked with the date of collection. We collect all of our eggs daily, and we store them at room temperature, pointy side down until they are loaded in our foam shippers. All of our hatching eggs are sold as pre-order. We will ship your eggs in the month requested, in the order payment is received. There will not be any skips/holds/cancellations. You will be notified of their shipment when we sent the tracking information to you.

 

Our hatching eggs ship in USPS Priority Mail Medium Flat-Rate boxes. Hatching eggs are shipped from the Knoxville, TN regional USPS distribution center, in an effort to reduce time on the road, at least on our end. Estimated shipping time is 2-5 business days. Our eggs are secured in high-density foam shippers to reduce the risk of cracking, breaking, and detached air cells in transit. We also label our boxes to notify postal workers of the need for extra care.

 

We only ship to the 48 contiguous United States of America, no PO Boxes. Orders from PO Boxes, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or any foreign country will be rejected.

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**All egg orders will be marked for hold at the post office. Please provide the best number to reach you, as that will be on the box. Once the post office contacts you, be prepared to collect your shipment the same day. You will be provided a tracking number and will be able to view an expected delivery date.**

 

Please message us with any questions prior to placing your order.

 

Disclaimer: Due to the variables associated with shipped eggs, there are no guaranteed hatch rates/results, refunds, or returns. Variations in plumage, confirmation, and egg color is to be expected. The egg color you receive may not be the same as the egg color from the offspring, especially with our rainbow layers. As the season progresses, eggs appear lighter also. We use the best-of-the-best at the beginning of the season for pictures. 

 

Please keep in mind these are live embryos. Due to the shipping process, potential mishandling in transit, and incubation issues, we cannot guarantee the hatch rate. If your package arrives damaged, you are responsible for filling a claim for reimbursement with the USPS. Priority Mail comes with $100 in insurance. We highly recommend you conduct a few test hatches to figure out any hiccups with your incubator prior to purchasing hatching eggs from us, as we understand this is an investment. There are no returns, refunds, or replacements.

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Shipped Chicks

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We genuinely care about every chick we have the honor to hatch out. We are NOT a hatchery. We are a small, local breeder. We are thrilled to be able to share our chicks on a wider scale with shipment, and we do make every effort to ensure they arrive happy and healthy. 

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Your chicks will be shipped within the month you selected, but we cannot guarantee the week as this varies based on our hatches and hatching egg shipments. 

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Per USPS policy, chicks must be shipped within 24 hours of hatch. We strategically hatch to be able to ship them out on Monday and Tuesday. Chicks are shipped via USPS Priority Mail Express for the shortest transit time. We drive our chicks to the Knoxville, TN regional USPS distribution center, in an effort to reduce transit time, at least on our end. 

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Each shipping container will be lined with an excelsior pad. We include a 96-hour heat pack under the pad. Cups with Grogel Plus B and peaches are secured in the box to provide them with nutrients on their journey. There is a minimum order of 6 chicks for shipping in order to help them regulate their temperature on the journey. 

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Cancellations & Refunds of Shipped Chicks

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We do not allow cancellations of shipped chick orders. If your chicks have died in transit, please take pictures as soon as you open the box. Please send pictures along with your order number to melhornfarm@gmail.com immediately. **We do track your shipment. Delayed pickup after the post office has notified you and/or delayed communication with us will void any refund for chicks dead on arrival.** We cannot refund the cost of shipping, but if you showed due diligence in picking them up, we can provide a refund.  

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Disclaimer: Please carefully read the description of the chicks you are ordering. We have some breeds that are auto sexing, but most of our breeds are sold straight-run. 

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Please reach out to us with any questions. We are happy to be a resource for you. 

We have also written posts on our blog answering common questions related to incubating, settling chicks after shipment, raising chicks, and much more.

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Our Guarantee to You

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If for any reason, we are unable to fulfill your order, you will receive a 100% refund of either your deposit or purchase. We will make every effort to keep you apprised of your order, and you are welcome to contact us with questions or for updates at any time. Our goal is not to take your money without giving you the eggs or birds of your dreams, but we do ask that you respect our time by honoring your orders and pick-ups.