Live Chicks & Fertile Hatching Eggs are shipped out 1 to 5 days from the order date. Transit may take 1 to 3 days.

Live chicks are shipped by the hatchery using USPS Priority Mail, a fast and safe way for them to travel. As soon as your chicks ship, you’ll get a USPS tracking number so you can follow their trip. You can also track your package directly on the Gone Broody website to see updates anytime. When your chicks are close, make sure to coordinate with USPS about the best plan — local post office pickup or delivery to your home. Most chicks arrive in 1–5 days, healthy and strong, and it feels good knowing you can track and plan their arrival every step of the way.

Fertile eggs are shipped in strong molded bulb egg cartons, cushioned with soft paper padding, and packed inside tough mailers to keep them safe on the way to you. This keeps eggs safer and the packaging better for the earth. The hatchery no longer uses foam shippers because the foam had a 5% breakage rate and raised concerns about waste. The hatchery changed to molded cartons in 2021, and it made a world of difference. Now breakage is extremely low — just 1% out of 6,000+ orders. Safer eggs, smarter shipping, and cleaner for the planet.

USPS Claim Help

If eggs ever arrive damaged, you can file a claim with USPS and get a refund for the insured damage. Just take clear photos of the eggs and packaging, keep the box or envelope in case USPS asks for it, then go to the USPS claims page and click File an Insured Mail Claim. Enter your tracking number, upload your photos, and submit. USPS will review the claim and send your refund. Breakage is very rare now, but it feels good to know your order is protected.

Hatch Rate Policy

Our hatcheries guarantee that eggs are fresh and fertile at the time of shipment, but hatch rates are not guaranteed. Hatch success can vary widely based on shipping stress, incubation setup, temperature, humidity, turning, and individual incubation practices. Because these variables are beyond the hatchery’s control, no hatch-rate guarantee is offered.

See the full policy here Hatch Rate Policy.

Fertility is monitored at the flock level on the farm, not by testing each individual egg. Every breeding group is regularly verified through internal test hatches. If any flock ever drops below expectations, it is paused from hatching-egg shipping immediately until performance is strong again.

Lazy roosters are almost never an issue, because farms rotate roosters routinely to keep breeding behavior active and consistent. When a test hatch shows a 90%+ fertility rate, that flock is cleared for shipping fertile eggs again. Eggs from flocks that don’t meet that standard are never shipped as hatching eggs — instead they are used for farm test hatches, pet food toppers, premium dog/cat meal add-ins, or sold as eating eggs.

Customer hatch reports are also tracked. Recent feedback included multiple 100% hatch rate reports, which is exceptional for mailed eggs, where 50% is already considered a solid average. Packaging slips invite every buyer to share hatch results, so fertility data stays real-world verified, transparent, and continually confirmed.

If a fertile egg arrives with a very small hairline crack, some customers have successfully sealed the shell by applying a tiny drop of melted wax, provided the membrane beneath the shell remains intact. Eggs with larger cracks or damaged membranes should not be incubated and should be discarded or repurposed if safe to do so. During incubation, eggs should be monitored closely—any egg that begins to leak liquid at any point should be removed immediately. For best hatch results, eggs should be incubated pointy end down and turned gently side-to-side, which supports proper embryo development. Incubators that roll or shift eggs along the floor or sideways are less ideal, especially for eggs that may have experienced minor shell damage during shipping. Candling around day 7–10 can help confirm whether development has started and guide next steps during incubation.

We get it.  You’ve got a lot of choices when it comes to online retailers.  Here’s why we think you should shop with us at Gone Broody:

• Installation & Assembly Services - Enter your Zip Code on the product page and get an immediate exact and fixed quote of the installation cost. Follow the link on the checkout page after product purchase to buy and schedule you installation and assembly services.
• Simple Shipping - Transparent shipping costs & delivery times with free shipping on many products. Yard placement available for outdoor buildings.
• Track Shipping without the hassle.
• Great Service.  We pride ourselves on the best personalized service, anywhere.
• Monthly payment plan financing options available so you can splurge a little.