Question 1

Do you ship hatching eggs or chicks?

Accepted Answer

Not right now. Everything is local pickup in Newport, Tennessee, or a meet-up we arrange in East Tennessee. Skipping the mail is a big part of why our hatch rates hold up — shipped eggs arrive with rattled air cells and hatch far worse than eggs that never left the county.

Question 2

Can you guarantee a hatch rate?

Accepted Answer

We guarantee the eggs are fertile, fresh, and correctly handled up to the moment you take them, and we candle a sample from every batch we sell. What we can't guarantee is your incubator, your power, or your humidity — so hatching eggs are sold as-is. If you want a sure thing, buy day-old chicks instead.

Question 3

How many hatching eggs should I set?

Accepted Answer

Set more than you want birds. A good home hatch runs 70–85% on fresh local eggs, and roughly half of what hatches will be cockerels. If you want six laying hens, set two dozen and you'll land in the right neighborhood.

Question 4

Can you sex the chicks?

Accepted Answer

Not on standard breeds — day-old chicks are straight run, which means you get whatever hatches, usually close to an even split. Feather-sexing and vent-sexing are error-prone on backyard breeds, and we'd rather not guess and be wrong. Grown birds we sell are sexed and we'll tell you exactly what you're getting.

Question 5

Are the chicks vaccinated?

Accepted Answer

No. We hatch in small batches on our own farm, and Marek's vaccination has to be given within the first day at a scale we don't run. If you want vaccinated birds for a large flock, a commercial hatchery is a better fit — no hard feelings.

Question 6

What do I need before I bring chicks home?

Accepted Answer

A brooder — a tote or stock tank with a heat source, pine shavings, chick starter, and a shallow waterer — set up and holding 95°F before you pick them up. Read the brooding guide on this site and you'll have everything you need; it's a short list and none of it is expensive.

Question 7

How soon will the pullets start laying?

Accepted Answer

Coturnix quail start around six weeks, which still surprises people. Chickens run five to seven months depending on breed and the time of year they hatch — a spring hatch usually lays that fall, an autumn hatch often waits for longer days in late winter.

Question 8

Do I need a rooster for eggs?

Accepted Answer

Only for fertile ones. Hens lay just fine without a rooster; you need one if you want to hatch your own. Check your city ordinance before you take a cockerel home — plenty of towns allow hens and not roosters.

Question 9

Do you take deposits, and are they refundable?

Accepted Answer

Yes to deposits — a partial deposit holds your pick and is applied to the total at pickup. Deposits aren't required for same-day pickups. They're non-refundable if you change your mind, but if a hatch fails on our end we'll either roll you to the next one or refund you in full, whichever you'd rather.

Question 10

Can we visit the farm?

Accepted Answer

Yes, by appointment — call or text Michael first so somebody's there and the birds are penned. While you're here the farm shop usually has eggs, produce, and cut flowers out.

The questions we actually get asked

Still want to hatch your own?