Minimum Order Quantities Explanation and FAQs

Ducks (hatch year round)

• Standard Breeds -4 total ducklings
• Small Order Charges
• 2-5 Ducklings - $37.99
• 6-9 Ducklings - $35.99
• 10-15 Ducklings - $9.49
• Call Duck Breeds -6 total ducklings

Geese (hatch February -August)

• All Breeds -6 total goslings

Turkeys (hatch March -July)

• All Breeds -15 total birds (can combine with chickens)

Game Birds (hatch May -August)

• Pheasants -15 chicks
• Quail - 50 chicks
• Chukar Partridge - 30 chicks

Guinea Fowl (hatch June -August)

• All Breeds -15 total keets

Hatching Eggs (available year round)

• All Breeds -20 total eggs

Minimum Order FAQs

Our minimum order quantities are for safe shipping.

1. Can't I just order 5 chicks?

   
   
   Unfortunately not. We have minimum order quantities which prevent us from shipping just 5 chicks.
   
   

2. Can I pay for the 20 chicks but you just ship me a smaller amount?

   
   
   Unfortunately not. We need to ship the birds with enough warmth to arrive safely. This is achieved by having at least the minimum number of birds packed in the specialized poultry boxes.
   
   

3. Why do you have Minimum Order Quantities?

   
   
   We have minimum order quantities to ensure we can safely ship your order. The key concern when shipping poultry is temperature. Our minimum order quantities are seasonal, and ensure that the birds have enough collective warmth to safely arrive at their destination. Minimum Order Quantities allow us to comprehensively guarantee live arrival.
   
   

4. What is a Breed Specific Minimum and why do you have it?

   
   
   A breed specific minimum is the minimum amount of a certain breed which we can send. For example, we have a breed specific minimum of 5 Silver Laced Wyandottes. We cannot ship fewer than 5 Silver Laced Wyandottes in an order. We have breed specific minimums to ensure that we can fill your order in a timely fashion. If we allowed customers to order 1 chick of 20 different breeds, the order would need to be scheduled very far in advance to ensure we have all of your chicks available on a certain day, and the potential delays would be unacceptable.
   
   

5. I see you have a Breed Specific Minimum of 5 on most chicken breeds. May I mix males and females of that breed to meet the minimum?

   
   
   Currently, you cannot mix gender options to meet that minimum of 5 chicks per breed. However, if you would just like to order just 1 male, or less than 5 straight run chicks, you can do that. Simply add atleast 5 females to your shopping cart first. Next, go back to the breed's product page and add just 1 male.
   
   

6. I just need one male chicken, but you have a Breed Specific Minimum of 5. Can I order several females and then just get 1 male, or do I have to get 5 males?

   
   
   As long as you have atleast 5 total chicks of a certain breed in your shopping cart, you can get just 1 male. Simply add the 5 females to your shopping care first, and then our system will allow you to add in however many males you would like (even just 1).
   
   

7. Can I order less than 5 females? For example, can I get 3 females, and 2 males of a breed?

   
   
   Unfortunately not. If you want to order females of a specific breed, we need at least 5 on the order. We cannot mix males and females to meet the Breed Specific Minimum.
   
   

8. How do I add just 1 male chick to my shopping cart?

   
   
   1. First, add at least 5 female (or straight run) chicks to your shopping cart.
   2. After adding these 5 chicks, you will go to your Shopping Cart overview page. Here, click back on your browser to return to the Breed Page you were just at. Alternatively, you can click the name of the chicken breed you just added within the shopping cart itself to return to the Breed Page.
   3. With at least 5 chicks of the desired breed in your shopping cart, you are now free to add less than 5 males (or straight run) chicks to your shopping cart. Simply change the Quantity box to 1, select the male Chicken Gender, and add the birds to your shopping cart.

   
   

9. Why do you have Minimum or Small Order Charges?

   
   
   Occasionally, we are able to safely ship a smaller order utilizing special shipping methods. For example, we can ship as few as two Pekin ducklings using a special poultry box lined with foam, additional insulation, as well as a time released heating pad. The additional packing materials, as well as the additional handling cost of a small order, are figured into these extra charges.
   
   

10. Can you ship me older birds to get around the Minimum Order Quantities?

    
    
    Unfortunately not. The only breeds we offer to ship beyond the hatching stage are the Rare Birds (such as Wood Ducks, Lady Amherst Pheasant, etc.). Shipping juvenile or adult birds is much more costly, as we need to use much more specialized boxing and packaging materials, as well as send the birds via Express Mail (as opposed to the standard Priority Mail for chicks, ducklings, poults, etc.).
    
    

11. Can you please make an exception for my school project, organic farm, Hollywood movie, young child, elderly parent, 4-H club, top-rated golf course, church group, etc.?

    
    
    Unfortunately not. Our minimums are for safe shipping. We cannot make exceptions. We can combine bird types to meet minimums in some occasions though. Please Contact Us if you are interested in mixing and matching various bird types towards a minimum order.
    
    

12. I only need a few of a certain type of bird. Do I really need to buy 20 of those chicks?

    
    
    No, you do not need to order an excessive amount of the bird you need, but you do need an order which meets our total minimum requirement. For example, if you just wanted 5 Black Breasted Red Cubalayas Chickens, you could order those chicks and then meet the rest of the minimum order requirement with Assorted Chicks. This will give you a cost effective way to just order the birds you want.
    
    

13. I only need a few birds. What should I do with the extras?

    
    
    Individuals like you raise birds all over the country. It is not difficult to sell or give away excess birds. In most areas, posting an ad for free chicks or ducklings on Craigslist.org will yield several potential adopters in a matter of hours. Also, many customers will split orders with order nearby customers, allowing them to just receive and pay for the chicks they want. For more info, check out this blog post on getting rid of unwanted birds.