Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do you guarantee that the eggs are fertile?
No. It isn’t possible to test each individual egg for fertility, nor is it possible to match eggs to individual laying hens when they are kept in groups with a cockerel. We sell eggs that we reasonably believe are fertile if we have seen mating between the cockerel and hens, or if we have been hatching our own chicks from the flock.
2. Does posting eggs affect their fertility?
No. This is a misnomer spread by many sellers. Either the egg is fertile or it isn’t. Posting won’t change this fact, however posting may affect hatchability – see the next question.
3. Does posting eggs affect their hatchability?
It can do. Rough handling through the postal system, extremes of temperature, and other factors can damage the internal structure of the egg, yolk and air sack. Such damage can reduce the likelihood of hatching a fertilised egg. We recommend collection if possible, or Royal Mail Special Delivery, which is supposed to reduce some of the mechanical processing of mail and also expedite the delivery process.
4. When I candle the eggs only some are developing – why?
There are numerous factors that can influence or prevent the development of an embryo, all of which are outside of our control, including nature, the postal service, and your own incubation techniques. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the eggs where not fertilised, it simply means that an embryo has not developed to a visible size. We have done comparisons between setting collected eggs, and setting our own eggs that we have posted to ourselves. Posted eggs generally have a lower development and hatch rate compared to collected eggs.
5. What happens if none of the eggs develop or hatch?
Understandably this can be very frustrating. We provide an information sheet with the eggs to provide some guidance which should improve your chances of hatching. However, due to the factors that can influence the hatching process, including nature, delivery, and incubation techniques which are outside of our control we cannot provide a guarantee that any or all of the eggs will develop or hatch, which means we don’t offer refunds or replacements. You should be comfortable with this fact before purchasing as it does not reflect on the quality of our eggs, and accept that some, none or all of the eggs you purchase may develop and hatch.
6. What happens if I only hatch one or two chicks?
First of all – congratulations on hatching your chicks and we hope you take great care of them. Chickens are flock animals and do best in groups, and it may also be the case you would like to continue to increase your flock count. Subject to the eggs actually being available, we may be able offer a secondary purchase discount, if you want to incubate more eggs. Please contact us and we will arrange a dispatch date. This offer is obviously subject to the eggs being available and you should plan your setting dates accordingly.
7. I want to buy a chicken - how do I get it?
Live chickens are available for collection only. We are in the BT19 post code. You can either email us via the Contact Us form to arrange a time to view and collect your chickens, or you can purchase using our online store. We will then contact you to arrange a suitable time to collect your chickens. In the unlikely event that you purchase a chicken via the online store and none are available, we will contact you to let you know and also issue an immediate refund.
8. I want to order more than 6 eggs - how will the postage be calculated?
If you would like to order more than 6 eggs from any breed in a single order please use the Contact Form to let us know. We will then arrange a suitable combined postage discount especially for you.
No. It isn’t possible to test each individual egg for fertility, nor is it possible to match eggs to individual laying hens when they are kept in groups with a cockerel. We sell eggs that we reasonably believe are fertile if we have seen mating between the cockerel and hens, or if we have been hatching our own chicks from the flock.
2. Does posting eggs affect their fertility?
No. This is a misnomer spread by many sellers. Either the egg is fertile or it isn’t. Posting won’t change this fact, however posting may affect hatchability – see the next question.
3. Does posting eggs affect their hatchability?
It can do. Rough handling through the postal system, extremes of temperature, and other factors can damage the internal structure of the egg, yolk and air sack. Such damage can reduce the likelihood of hatching a fertilised egg. We recommend collection if possible, or Royal Mail Special Delivery, which is supposed to reduce some of the mechanical processing of mail and also expedite the delivery process.
4. When I candle the eggs only some are developing – why?
There are numerous factors that can influence or prevent the development of an embryo, all of which are outside of our control, including nature, the postal service, and your own incubation techniques. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the eggs where not fertilised, it simply means that an embryo has not developed to a visible size. We have done comparisons between setting collected eggs, and setting our own eggs that we have posted to ourselves. Posted eggs generally have a lower development and hatch rate compared to collected eggs.
5. What happens if none of the eggs develop or hatch?
Understandably this can be very frustrating. We provide an information sheet with the eggs to provide some guidance which should improve your chances of hatching. However, due to the factors that can influence the hatching process, including nature, delivery, and incubation techniques which are outside of our control we cannot provide a guarantee that any or all of the eggs will develop or hatch, which means we don’t offer refunds or replacements. You should be comfortable with this fact before purchasing as it does not reflect on the quality of our eggs, and accept that some, none or all of the eggs you purchase may develop and hatch.
6. What happens if I only hatch one or two chicks?
First of all – congratulations on hatching your chicks and we hope you take great care of them. Chickens are flock animals and do best in groups, and it may also be the case you would like to continue to increase your flock count. Subject to the eggs actually being available, we may be able offer a secondary purchase discount, if you want to incubate more eggs. Please contact us and we will arrange a dispatch date. This offer is obviously subject to the eggs being available and you should plan your setting dates accordingly.
7. I want to buy a chicken - how do I get it?
Live chickens are available for collection only. We are in the BT19 post code. You can either email us via the Contact Us form to arrange a time to view and collect your chickens, or you can purchase using our online store. We will then contact you to arrange a suitable time to collect your chickens. In the unlikely event that you purchase a chicken via the online store and none are available, we will contact you to let you know and also issue an immediate refund.
8. I want to order more than 6 eggs - how will the postage be calculated?
If you would like to order more than 6 eggs from any breed in a single order please use the Contact Form to let us know. We will then arrange a suitable combined postage discount especially for you.