Guarantees & Policies

1. Your Responsibility – Live Poultry Care Instructions

As the purchaser of live poultry, it is your responsibility to provide a safe and suitable environment for your birds upon arrival. This includes ensuring proper heat, bedding, feed, and water, as outlined in our Care Instructions.

To ensure the best possible start for your birds:

• Review our Care Instructions prior to placing your order to fully understand the preparation required.
• Read the Care Instructions again upon delivery to confirm you are following all necessary steps. A hard copy of these instructions will be included with your shipment.
• Be available and flexible to pick up your birds from the post office promptly upon their arrival.
• Prepare a brooder in advance and be present for at least the first 24 hours to monitor their adjustment, regulate brooder temperature, and ensure they are eating and drinking properly.
• Report any unsafe delivery conditions as outlined in our Live Delivery Guarantee section.
• Watch our instructional video, Care of Chicks on Arrival, available on our Care Instructions page, to familiarize yourself with best practices.

Proper preparation and education are essential to raising healthy poultry. By placing an order, you acknowledge and accept these responsibilities.

2. Safe and Timely Delivery Guarantee

Excludes Peafowl and Rare Ornamental Pheasants

We guarantee that your order will arrive with the full count of live, healthy poultry within 1–3 days via USPS Priority Mail – Live Shipping. To help ensure successful delivery, we may include extra chicks of the same or similar breed and gender at no additional cost.

If your shipment arrives with fewer live birds than ordered due to loss or shortage in transit, we will issue a refund for the poultry only (excluding shipping and handling).

Any losses must be documented and reported within 24 hours of delivery. The 24-hour period is for reporting purposes only and does not extend the live arrival guarantee beyond the time of delivery.

Cackle Hatchery guarantees safe and timely live arrival but does not cover mortality or health issues after delivery.

3. Refunds and Replacements Guarantee

• In-Store Pickups: No refunds or replacements will be provided for poultry picked up in-store once they leave our facility.
  • Pickup is available Tuesday or Thursday following the hatch/ship date.
  • You will receive an email confirmation when your order is ready for pickup.
  • Our live arrival guarantee applies only until the birds leave our store.
  • Orders must be picked up on the scheduled date. No rescheduling and no refunds.
• Shipped Orders: We guarantee that you will receive the breeds and quantities you ordered. While we often include extra birds at no additional cost, these will be factored into any loss adjustments. If wrong breed(s) are sent we will only refund half the cost of the bird.
• Losses in Shipment: If you receive fewer live birds than ordered due to losses during transit, we will issue a refund for the poultry only (excluding shipping, handling, and the USPS surcharge). Any losses must be reported within 24 hours after receiving.
• Replacements: Due to the time-sensitive nature of live poultry shipping, we do not offer replacements for lost or shorted birds. Instead, we provide a refund for any verified losses as outlined above. If you would like to reorder, you may place a new order at your convenience, subject to current availability.

Hatching Eggs

We do not offer refunds or replacements for hatching eggs. Purchasing hatching eggs comes with inherent risks, as there are numerous uncontrollable variables in shipping and incubation that can affect hatch rates. By placing an order, you acknowledge and accept these risks.

4. Return Policy for Non-Poultry Products

We offer a 30-day satisfaction guarantee on all products excluding poultry and poultry hatching eggs. Prior approval is required before merchandise can be returned. To request a return, please contact us at info@cackleshatchery.com or visit cackleshatchery.com.

We accept returns for refund or exchange provided that:

• The item is in its original packaging, includes all literature, has not been used, and is in resalable condition.
• The return request is made within 30 days of purchase.
• A 10% handling and restocking fee may apply.
• Merchandise drop-shipped from the factory may be subject to additional terms set by the manufacturer.
• Refunds will not be issued until the returned item has arrived at our facility.
• Shipping costs are non-refundable, and the customer is responsible for return shipping and insurance. Returns cannot be shipped C.O.D.

Damaged Items

If an item arrives damaged:

• If possible, have the delivery driver note the damage on the package upon delivery.
• If damage is discovered after opening the package, please contact us immediately, and we will assist in resolving the issue.

5. Quality Guarantee

Cackle Hatchery® guarantees that all poultry sold are of the grade, quality, sex, and breed as represented in the breed descriptions. If an error occurs, we will make a prompt adjustment to resolve the issue.

In producing our chicks, we adhere to approved and recommended flock management practices, including:

• Strict flock control and egg selection protocols
• Sanitary and disease control standards in all hatchery operations
• Compliance with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Animal Health Inspection Service’s National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP)

While we take every precaution to maintain the highest health and quality standards, we do not warrant poultry to be free from any disease that could not be detected at the time of sale.

Liability is strictly limited to the number of poultry ordered. Any claims must be accompanied by clear photos, which will be reviewed by our team before any adjustments are made. Under no circumstances will we refund more than the cost of the poultry.

6. Our Photos & Photo Usage Policy

The images of poultry displayed on our website are representations of the breeds listed and may not always depict birds from our specific bloodlines. At Cackle Hatchery®, our goal is to breed parent stock that produces chicks capable of maturing into birds that closely resemble the standard representations shown in our photos.

We work with numerous flock owners and customers who exhibit their birds at poultry shows across the United States. It is important to note that the birds displayed at these shows typically represent the best-marked individuals from their flocks. As with any purebred poultry, natural variation in markings, size, and conformation occurs within flocks.

8. Privacy Policy

At Cackle Hatchery®, we value your trust and are committed to protecting your privacy. We uphold strict security standards to safeguard your personal data and regularly review the technology we use to ensure its protection.

• Your personal information and email address are never sold and are used exclusively for Cackle Hatchery® communications.
• Only authorized employees and representatives have access to customer data, and they adhere to strict standards, procedures, and legal requirements to ensure your privacy.
• Your name and mailing address may be used by Cackle Hatchery®, its affiliates, partners, and subsidiaries for the sole purpose of sending you a product catalog.

9. Special Offers & Website Pricing Policy

Throughout the hatching season, Cackle Hatchery® periodically offers special promotions and limited-time discounts to provide customers with a variety of poultry at different times and at reduced pricing.

• Availability & Duration: Special offers are posted weekly on our website and shared through the Cackle Hatchery® Newsletter. Each promotion will have a defined start and expiration date, and orders must be placed within this timeframe to qualify for the discounted pricing.
• Order Timing: Orders placed before the promotion starts or after it expires will not be eligible for special pricing.
• Shipping Requirements: Special offers typically require that orders ship within two weeks of the order date.

11. Shipping Policy

Cackle Hatchery® offers two types of shipping policies: one for non-live products and one for poultry orders.

Non-Live Product Shipping (Excludes Hatching Eggs)

• Free Shipping: Available for non-live supply orders over $25.00.
• Orders under $25.00 will incur a flat-rate shipping fee of $9.99.
• Exclusions: Free shipping does not apply to Puerto Rico, Hawaii, or Alaska and is available only within the lower 48 states.

Poultry Shipping

• We ship poultry only within the United States and do not ship internationally.
• Alaska: A $25.00 non-refundable fee applies to all orders shipped to Alaska. Our 100% live arrival guarantee applies; any losses reported within the proper timeframe will be refunded.
• Fry Pan Special: Cannot be shipped to Hawaii or Alaska unless an additional fee is paid.

12. Gender Selection Accuracy & Refund Policy

At Cackle Hatchery®, we strive to provide accurate gender selection, but sexing chicks is not an exact science. Overall, we guarantee a 90% accuracy rate across all poultry where gender selection is available.

15. $20.00 Cancelled Order Fee (Restocking Fee)

• Cancellation Policy: Orders cannot be canceled within 48 business hours of the scheduled hatch date.
• Cancellation Fee: Any poultry or supply order that is canceled will incur a $20.00 restocking fee, which will be deducted from the total purchase and shipping price.

When an order is placed, those birds or supplies are reserved and removed from inventory. Cancellations result in lost sales opportunities and additional processing/bookkeeping labor.

16. How We Ship & Boxing/Packing Policy

Newly hatched chicks are equipped with a 3-day supply of yolk in their system, which sustains them during transit. We ship every Monday and Wednesday via USPS Priority Mail – Live Shipping.

18. About Breeding Blue Feathered Poultry

When breeding blue-colored poultry, blue does not breed true due to the Andalusian Blue dilution gene. Breeding blue to blue results in approximate color distribution:

• 34% Blue
• 33% Dark Blue/Black
• 33% Splash

19. Payment, Check & Order Change Policies

All orders must be paid in full at the time of booking. All returned checks are subject to a $25.00 fee.

26. Pick-Up Orders Guidelines

Customers who select pick-up orders must adhere to the following guidelines:

• Pick-Up Dates: Available for pick-up on either Tuesday or Thursday following your hatch/ship date.
• Mortality & Morbidity Disclaimer: Once poultry leave our store, there is NO guarantee for mortality or morbidity. Please inspect your chicks before leaving.
• No Rescheduling or Refunds: Missed pick-ups cannot be rescheduled or refunded.