FAQ: Shipping & Refunds Policy

Note on Purple Coppers

We are managing a significant waitlist for Purple Coppers and appreciate your patience as we work to get these genetics out to more farms and homesteads. As of January 1, both hatching eggs and chicks are sold out for 2023 presales. Once we reach the end of our waitlist (late June) we will reconsider. We cannot maintain wait lists or interest lists, as administrative time takes us away from the coops, so the best way to keep up with our stocking is Instagram or FB. We work at the speed of lay and focus our time outside to ensure our pens are full of happy, healthy hens!

Fertility Rates & Hatching Info

We run a dynamic little poultry operation with 8 main barn-style coops and a variety of project pens. We check for fertility rates constantly in our breeding pens, which are populated by our best birds. Industry wide, a 50% hatch rate on shipped eggs is considered typical, but Marans (ours included) often yield less than 50% hatch unless incubated in high end humidity-controlled cabinet incubators.

Note on hatching Marans: If you are a seasoned hatcher who can manage lower consistent humidity rates in a professional cabinet incubator, you’ll do great with our Marans. If you’re just getting started with hatching and run consumer-grade incubators, you might consider ordering chicks— those incubators are great for the average breed but are not designed to maintain the consistent low humidity that Marans require, due to the way that their heavy pigmentation and bloom impacts oxygenation and growth. Humidity that dips significantly overnight (an issue in units without an external water tank) can cause issues early in the cycle, where humidity that is too high (over 50% for Marans) can cause large chicks that cannot turn and pip under the air sac, ‘drowning’ before zipping. We have our best hatch rates when we maintain humidity just under 50% (our GQF cabinet sits at 47%) for the duration of the incubation. We hatch upright and do not increase humidity at hatch, as that happens naturally in a closed incubator. We do not open our incubator mid-hatch.

Please read our detailed policies below before completing a purchase!

Local Pick-up

Local pickups for either chicks or hatching eggs are arranged by email after purchase, depending upon immediate availability or wait-list status. We are located in Xenia Township, south of Yellow Springs and near Cedarville and Wilberforce. Major highway intersections include Rt 35 and Rt 71, or Rt 675 and 35. We are approximately 30 mins from the crossroads of Rt 70 and Rt 75. Area attractions include private, state, and federal nature preserves and small towns with coffee shops and boutiques. There are many small farms and producers of local food products, herbs, tinctures, ferments, etc. Please be in touch if you’re looking to plan a trip.

Note that our biosecurity practices and participation in the National Poultry Improvement Plan means that we are unable to receive guests at the coops or to do walk-throughs at the time of pick-up, though we can gather the whole family on our front patio for conversation and consideration of a number of birds/eggs.

Shipping— Hatching Eggs

All hatching eggs are sent USPS in a custom foam shipping pack. We can ship up to two dozen eggs total in one box with one shipment fee. In Spring of 2023 Crosshatch Farm hatching egg shipping charges for 2023 ship dates (March-June) are a flat rate of $55. After purchase, you will receive an immediate Paypal confirmation and we will contact you within two weeks of your estimated shipment, and confirm you are ready to receive the day before shipping.

With our commitment to fertility rates and the special care that goes into shipping, we feel sure that you will receive quality eggs. However, hatching eggs are purchased buyer-beware with absolutely no “hatch guarantee” implied. Like all other hatcheries, homesteads, and heritage breeders, we put our best into the box but simply can’t control what happens during shipping or incubation.

As such, there are no refunds on hatching eggs, irregardless of the hatch rate you achieve. If your box arrives obviously damaged by the post office with broken eggs inside (this happened three times in 2022!), please send photo documentation by email and I will file a claim. In cases where the USPS issues a refund on the insurance for a heavily damaged parcel, I can pass along the shipping refund to you or discuss another shipment. I am unable to replace or refund damaged eggs beyond the postal refund, as per the buyer-beware policy above.

Shipping— Live Chicks

Chick orders can now be completed on the site with no email or additional invoice required. Your purchase reserves a place in the ship list for 2023. Late March through June, chicks are shipped immediately after hatch in live bird mailers with a coco liner, heat packs, and Grogel, an electrolyte that helps keep them hydrated during their journey. We take great care with our hatchlings and will never cut corners that would place them in danger, such as shipping older hatchlings with day old chicks, or failing to provide electrolytes. 100% of our 2022 chicks arrived safely!

We have a live chick guarantee for the first 24 hours. You must receive the birds from the Post Office within 2 hours of notice of arrival. Should your birds not arrive happy, healthy, and vital please send photo documentation of both living and perished chicks and we will refund you an adjustment per bird. Note: DO NOT mix chicks with other chicks upon receipt. Please understand I cannot replace chicks that perish after being kept with other chicks that may cause death due to different ages, crowding, or disease.

In Spring of 2023 Crosshatch Farm hatching live chick shipping charges for Spring 2023 are a flat rate of $55, we will cover any additional charges to your particular location.

Shipping— Juveniles

From time to time we find ourselves in conversation with other breeders or NPIP-certified farms about juvenile hens near the point of lay or breeding or show quality cock birds. We prefer to arrange direct travel plans and a point of meet in these cases, but are willing to explore shipping options in some cases.

No Returns or Reclamation of Roosters

As a biosecure National Poultry Improvement Plan certified homestead, Crosshatch Farm is absolutely unable to take eggs or birds back for any reason once they leave the property. As each egg has a 50% chance of being a rooster, please plan accordingly for how you will handle and provide for male birds you may not be able to keep. Many of our customers have good luck rehoming young cockerels in social media groups dedicated to heritage breeds and colorful egg breeding. Some find success with homesteaders who respond to Craigslist area ads for free roosters to process as food.

Gift Certificates

We can provide print or digital gift certificates upon request.