We ship Monday through Wednesday using USPS Priority Mail 1 to 3-day service which includes a tracking number. All eggs are individually bubble wrapped, then placed into our custom-made EPS Foam insert. In most cases, we double box our shipment and stuff borders with either shredded paper or bubble wrap to ensure there is minimal movement to the eggs during transit. We label the outside of each box with several cautionary and fragile stickers.
Incubator: Your incubator should be set up and running at least 24 hours prior to setting your hatching eggs inside. This period will allow the environment inside of the incubator to stabilize and give you time to make any necessary adjustments before you place the eggs inside to begin the incubation period. Incubator features that will help increase your hatch rate is, a fan to circulate air, an automatic egg turner to turn the eggs periodically, and a digital display for temperature and humidity. Please locate your incubator’s manual for proper settings.
Inspection: Once you receive your eggs, the first thing you do is carefully unwrap all eggs and place them in a carton, pointy side down. Handle the eggs gently; check for any visible signs of damage to the shell. Preferably, by candling eggs, check for fine hairline cracks that you might not see with the naked eye, and to check for internal damage, such as detached air cells. Dispose of any eggs with hairline cracks. Please email me or contact me with photos if you received any damaged eggs. Make sure to take pictures of the package as well.
Damaged Air Cell: Eggs received with air cell damage are best incubated in the upright position during the incubation period. Do not turn the eggs for the first 7 days; this will help stabilize the air cell and give the embryo a better chance of growing and getting strong. After the first week, you can start turning the eggs by tipping them back and forth or side to side, but always leaving the eggs in the upright position
The Bloom: DO NOT wash hatching eggs, EVER!!! Eggs have a natural protective coating called the “bloom.” This coating seals the shell pores, prevents bacteria from getting inside the shell, and reduces moisture loss from the egg.
Resting Period: Shipped eggs need to sit and rest. Place them, big end up in an open egg carton, and allow them to rest at room temp for 12-24 hours. This “resting” period can significantly increase your chances of a successful hatch by enabling the air cell within the egg to settle back into the proper position.
Temperature: 99.5 degrees F, throughout the entire incubation period.
Humidity: First 18 days, the recommended range is 45-50%. The final 3 days increase humidity to 65-70%.
Please download our “Recommendations for a Successful Hatch” here. (Insert pdf file here)
No, we do not have a guarantee on shipped eggs. Your hatch rate can be from 0-100%.
Shipped hatching eggs may travel a great distance and experience excessive variations in climate, including temperature, humidity, and pressure changes that may occur with fluctuations in altitude. These conditions, coupled with the possibility of simple human carelessness when handling the package, can decrease the likelihood of a successful hatch. Because of these factors, a fertile and viable egg can be packed into a box, shipped to you, and arrive in a non-viable state.
What we do ensure is:
Please understand that buying hatching eggs is a risk.
All year long, as long as our hens are laying.
Your order is fully insured through USPS. If, for some reason, your eggs arrived damaged, file a claim with USPS using your tracking number. Make sure to take several pictures of your damaged box and upload them to your claim. USPS should reimburse you for your order.
Your order is fully insured through USPS. If, for some reason, your package gets lost in the mail, file a claim with USPS using your tracking number. Inform them that the order is perishable and, due to their delay, will be no good.
We've had a client's shipment get lost in the mail for 9 days, and he was still able to hatch 12 out of 18 eggs. So please don't give up on your eggs before trying them out for at least 10 days.
Chicks are sent USPS Priority Express Next-Day to 2-Day Guarantee. We ALWAYS add "Special Handling" to all of our chick shipments. We package our chick boxes with excelsior pads, Grogel, feed, and a heating pad to ensure they stay hydrated and warm throughout their trip.
We will provide you with a tracking number. Once your chicks arrive at the post office, a post office representative will give you a call so you can go and collect them.
We have a minimum order of 8 chicks during the months of February-June and 4 chicks during July-October.
Yes, we vaccinate for Marek's Disease. We are also active participants of the NPIP program through the Florida Department of Agriculture that tests our bird every six months for Pullorum-Typhoid and every year for Avian Influenza.
We are also firm believers in maintaining our coops, feed, and water clean at all times. Coop’s bedding is changed as often as 2 times a week. Feed is available 24/7, and water is changed 2 times a day.
Yes! We offer a 72-hour live guarantee on all of our birds and chicks. If any chicks perish in transit, take a photo of them in their shipping box, and we will issue you a refund for any that did not make the journey. To get your refund, you must notify us of the loss within 72 hours after receiving the birds and provide an emailed photo of any dead birds. If you fail to pick up your package the day it arrives at the post office, your 72-hour live guarantee will be null and void.
The primary goal before getting your chicks is to have the brooder adequately set up. The brooder should be safe and predator-free, with clean food, water, bedding, and a good heat source.
Chicks will arrive very thirsty and will drink a lot of water. Provide warm water to help with body temperature. Allow them time to adjust to their new settings. Avoid handling and playing with your birds the first couple of days.
We recommend feeding Medicated Chick Starter for the first 8 weeks; then, you can move them over to a layer crumble 14-16% protein.
No! Our breeds are sold as "straight run." Straight-run breeds do not reveal their gender until around 12 weeks of age or older.
We are currently filling orders on a first-come, first-served basis. We will reach out to you approximately one week before we anticipate availability to ship your order.
We do weekly hatches of Indio Gigante's starting mid-January up until the end of September. All orders placed in October through mid-January will be shipped February of the next year, wheather permitting.
Yes. If you would like to pay your order using a check, your order will be released upon clearance of payment.
If you would like to make payment via Venmo or Zelle, please send us an email to rarerooster2019@gmail.com with payment confirmation so we can release your order.
Please visit our "Indio Gigante" page on the top banner.