Heritage Poultry Farm offers a 48-hour Live Arrival and Livability Guarantee — Contact our Customer Service department to report any losses that occurred during shipping, or the loss of any properly cared for bird(s) within 48 hours of arrival, for a replacement, refund, or credit to your account. Reports must be made by phone during normal business hours. If your 48 hours lapses over the weekend or a holiday, please contact us on the next regular business day. Replacement orders must meet our minimum order requirements for safe shipping.

For other issues with an order, please contact Customer Service by calling, using the Contact Us form on our website, or text us via the Chat window on our website during normal business hours. Allow 4-5 days for a response to questions submitted via email or our Contact Us form.

See below for deadlines* and charges for order cancellations. Please read carefully as the day and time varies for each type of poultry or fowl.

BABY CHICKS
Cancellations and changes to orders for baby chicks must be made by 12:00 PM Central on the Friday before scheduled delivery. NO CANCELLATIONS CAN BE MADE AFTER THAT TIME.

GUINEAS
Cancellations and changes to orders for guinea keets must be made by 12:00 PM Central on the Friday before scheduled delivery. NO CANCELLATIONS OR CHANGES CAN BE MADE AFTER THAT TIME.

PHEASANTS AND CHUKAR PARTRIDGE
Cancellations and changes to orders for pheasant or Chukar Partridge chicks must be made by 12:00 PM Central on the Wednesday before scheduled delivery. NO CANCELLATIONS OR CHANGES CAN BE MADE AFTER THAT TIME.

QUAIL
Cancellations and changes to orders for quail chicks must be made by 12:00 PM Central on the Friday before scheduled delivery. NO CANCELLATIONS OR CHANGES CAN BE MADE AFTER THAT TIME.

JUVENILE BIRDS
Cancellations and changes to orders for juvenile birds must be made by 12:00 PM Central on the Friday before scheduled delivery. NO CANCELLATIONS OR CHANGES CAN BE MADE AFTER THAT TIME.

*Deadlines are subject to change.

When you order your chicks, during checkout you will select a hatch/ship date for your order. We hatch 2-3 days per week (Monday-Tuesday, or Monday-Wednesday) depending on the time of year. Your chicks will ship Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of the week you select and can take up to 3 days for them to arrive at your post office.

You will receive an email and/or text with tracking information when your order has shipped. Please note that USPS tracking does not always show incremental updates between the origin and destination.

If you have questions about an order, contact our Customer Service during business hours.

While you can place an order for multiple types of poultry at the same time, and/or schedule them for the same week, please note different types of poultry will be shipped separately. In addition, each type of poultry ordered must meet its minimum requirements for safe shipping. If you have questions or concerns, or need additional assistance with an order, contact our office during normal business hours by calling.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING HATCHING EGGS:

• We guarantee all hatching eggs we ship are fresh and will arrive in good condition.
• We are unable to guarantee the hatchability of any eggs due to conditions beyond our control during shipping and incubation.
• All hatching eggs are shipped prepaid Priority Mail and are insured. Open the box at the Post Office and report any broken eggs to your Postal Office or delivery driver before calling customer service.
• We do not accept orders for specific breeds other than what is listed on our website.
• HAWAII ORDERS: please allow three weeks to obtain an import permit.
• SHIPPING RESTRICTIONS: Please note several states and Canada have restrictions regarding shipping hatching eggs. Please see the ‘Ordering Restrictions by State and/or Country’ FAQ for an updated list.

McMurray Hatchery is pleased to offer FREE SHIPPING* on full orders these day-old baby birds:

• Baby Chicks — Valid on full orders only (25+ chicks Feb-Mar; 15+ chicks Apr-Oct)
• Guinea Keats
• Partridge Chicks
• Peafowl Chicks
• Pheasant Chicks
• Quail chicks

Free shipping is via USPS and guaranteed 2-3 day delivery. Express shipping is available for an additional fee, however please note that Express shipping gives priority loading to all items but does not guarantee expedited delivery on orders of live animals.

*Some exceptions apply. The following are not eligible for free shipping: small orders of chicks (6-14 chicks), small orders of  juvenile chicks, started pullets, juvenile birds, and exotic breeds.

While Heritage Poultry Farm continues to offer free shipping on full orders of live birds for our customers, the United States Postal Service (USPS) now requires a $15 additional surcharge per box on all shipments of live animals. This mandatory surcharge is required on all live orders with ship dates beginning January 19, 2025.

A USPS surcharge will be applied to orders containing live birds during checkout as a separate line item. This mandatory fee is presented transparently, ensuring customers can see all assessed fees. The surcharge is passed on without any markup and is non-taxable. To minimize shipping costs and surcharge fees, each order is carefully optimized during checkout for the most efficient and cost-effective boxing.

For questions, or to voice your concerns regarding this surcharge, we recommend contacting your state senator or representative in Washington, DC. Click here to look up your senator or representative and their contact information.

The United States Postal Service has many rules regarding the shipment of live animals. The USPS is the only carrier that ships day-old baby poultry. The USPS guarantees that shipments of day-old poultry will be delivered within 2-3 days. McMurray Hatchery also offers a live delivery and livability guarantee on all of the birds we sell.

Express shipping is available for an additional fee, however please note that Express shipping gives priority loading to all items but does not guarantee expedited delivery on orders of live animals. The USPS retains the right to alter the flights used to protect the animals — for example, live animals can not fly on flights that have dry ice.

Below is the USPS (DMM 604, 9.0, 9.5.5, Paragraph G) ruling/reference for all mail:

United States Postal Service Domestic Mail Manual

604 Postage Payment Methods and Refunds

9.0 Exchanges and Refunds

9.5.5 Refunds Not Given

A postage refund will not be given if the guaranteed service was not provided due to any of the following circumstances:

g. The shipment contained live animals and was delivered or delivery was attempted within 3 days of the date of mailing.

Each spring and fall, migratory birds travel along the migratory pathways. Often, these wild birds carry diseases, such as Avian Influenza, passing them on to other birds along their path.

As an NPIP facility, our flocks are regularly tested for Avian Influenza, and we have multiple levels of biosecurity practices in place. In 2022, we saw an elevated number of cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) infecting residential and commercial flocks along these migratory pathways. In April of 2022, we received a confirmed positive test in one of our barns. A diagnosis of HPAI can be catastrophic for poultry flocks, especially breeders of rare, endangered, and Heritage breeds. In conjunction with Iowa and USDA officials and our industry partners, over the course of the next year and a half, we were able to successfully preserve our genetics and rebuild our flocks.

The fall 2023 migratory season has seen yet another elevated number of infected migratory birds across the United States, including along the Central and Mississippi flyways. State and local officials have indicated that the current strain of HPAI is especially pathogenic, and they are seeing increased mortality in wild waterfowl.

As a commercial breeder located along the two main flyways, our biosecurity efforts are ongoing. As a precaution, and in addition to our NPIP protocols, our flocks are divided across multiple farms locally so that in the event of another outbreak, our team would be able to continue to preserve our flocks.

Despite our best efforts, one of our barns tested positive for HPAI this fall. Because of this, we will be offering limited numbers of certain breeds during the upcoming 2024 hatching season as we work to preserve the genetics of these flocks for future seasons.

Whether you have already received a recent order from us or you are placing a future order for the 2024 season, you can rest assured that all of our chicks and other baby poultry are healthy and pose no risk to you or your existing flocks. All chicks hatched and shipped previously, and those that will ship in the future, are from flocks with ongoing negative test results. All of our stringent biosecurity precautions will remain in place, including the continued testing of all flocks at all locations.

We thank you for your patience as we continue to navigate these challenges. As always, our priority is the preservation of our rare and Heritage breeds, and continued open and honest communication with our customers.

Questions or concerns may be directed to our customer service.

WHAT IS AVIAN INFLUENZA?

Avian influenza (AI) is an influenza type A virus that can affect poultry. Domestic poultry — including chickens, turkeys, pheasants, quail, guineas, and domestic ducks and geese — are all susceptible to the virus, which can be fatal to these flocks. Viruses by nature have the ability to mutate and change over time, creating strains of a virus. Both viruses and strains can be classified by their pathogenicity, or ability to produce disease and/or spread. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus strains are extremely infections, often fatal to poultry, and can spread rapidly from flock to flock. 

HOW IS AVIAN INFLUENZA (AI) TRANSMITTED?

The virus can be carried by free-flying and migratory birds — primarily waterfowl such as ducks, geese, and shorebirds. Domestic, residential, and commercial poultry are at risk for Avian Influenza, and strict biosecurity practices should be put in place to protect these flocks — especially those in migratory pathways. Avian influenza can be transmitted by:

• Secretions from infected birds’ mouths, nostrils, eyes
• Droppings of infected birds
• Movement of infected birds
• Foot traffic and contaminated clothing/equipment

WHY SHOULD I BE CONCERNED ABOUT AVIAN INFLUENZA?
Over the past few years, the USDA has confirmed the presence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in both commercial and backyard flocks in multiple states. Click the links below for updated information online from the USDA:

• About Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)
• Recent Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in the United States

WHAT IS BIOSECURITY AND HOW DO I PROTECT MY FLOCK?
Biosecurity refers to the measures taken to prevent the introduction or spread of disease. By practicing good biosecurity when it comes to your poultry, you can reduce the risk of people, animals, equipment, and vehicles carrying infections diseases — either accidentally or on purpose — onto your property, and help prevent the spread of disease. Protect your flock from avian influenza and other transmissible diseases by: 

• Keeping visitors to a minimum
• Covering coops and runs to prevent contact with wild birds and their droppings
• Refraining from feeding or otherwise attracting wild birds on your property
• Wash your hands before and after working with your birds
• Utilize a foot bath to disinfect the shoes of anyone coming in contact with your flock, and consider using a designated set of coop-only shoes and/or clothes when coming in contact with your flock
• Cleaning and disinfecting tools and equipment frequently
• Changing your flock’s food and water frequently
• Looking for signs of illness and report sick birds immediately

For a comprehensive list of biosecurity basics and information, click here to visit the USDA APHIS website.

Current shipping restrictions due to Avian Influenza:

• OHIO — Movement of live birds restricted in 13 counties (Darke, Mercer, Van Wert, Auglaize, Paulding, Putman, Allen, Hardin, Logan, Shelby, Miami, Montgomery, and Preble counties) from March 17, 2025 through May 15, 2025. Click here to read the official proclamation.

To prevent the embryo from sticking to the shell membrane, it is advised to turn the eggs 3-5 times daily.  Turn the eggs an odd number of times on a regular schedule.  The frequent turning also helps to increase hatchability.

Upon delivery of your hatching eggs, please let them sit out at room temperature for 6-12 hours before placing them in the incubator.  Have the incubator up and running at operating temperature.

1. Have your incubator ready and running at operating temerature.
2. Upon receving your eggs, let your eggs set at 50 to 60 degrees room temperature (do not refrigerate). Eggs should set for 6 to 12 hours prior to putting into your incubator.
3. Temperature should be set according to your incubators’ manual. Temperatures in general are:
   Chicken, Bobwhite Quail, Chukar Partridge, Pheasant, Guinea: 99 3/4
   Peacock, Goose, Turkey 99 1/4
   Ducks 99 1/2
   Temperatures above are for forced air incubators. Still air incubators require a slightly higher temperature. Still incubators require 1 to 3 degrees higher operating temperature.
4. During incubation, the eggs should be turned 3 to 5 times per 24 hours if you do not have an automatic turner. (make sure your hands are clean when touching the eggs!) Stop turning the eggs 3 days prior to hatch or remove turner from incubator if using automatic turner. Eggs turned more frequently increases hatchability. Eggs turned odd number of times and on a regular schedule also increases hatchability. In still air models, when turning your eggs, move them to different locations each time to offset temperature variations which occurs in incubators with no fans.
5. Humidity: Again follow your incubators’ manual. In general moisture levels should be: (for first 18 days)
   50 to 55 percent relative humidity
   83 to 87 % f on a wet bulb thermometer
   
   Three days prior to hatch, humidity level should be
   65 % f
   89 – 90 % f wet bulb. Excessive drying because of low humidity will cause chick to stick to the shell and fail to survive. Also remember too much humidity can cause hatching problems also.