Shipping
At Chesapeake Farm & Hatchery, we take great care in preparing and shipping your chicks so they arrive healthy, safe, and ready to thrive. Because we ship live animals, every step of our process is designed to prioritize chick health, warmth, and timely delivery.
How we ship baby chicks
Day-old chicks ship by USPS Priority Mail with live-animal handling, the same day they hatch. The United States Postal Service has safely shipped poultry for over 100 years and is the only national carrier for live chicks. We ship early in the week to avoid weekend delays and keep time in transit short. Most orders arrive at your local post office within 1–2 days, though rural areas may take up to 3 days. Your local post office will call when your chicks arrive, and they should be picked up immediately and placed into a warm brooder.
Shipping day and chick age
Chicks are shipped the same day they hatch and are typically 24–72 hours old upon arrival. Newly hatched chicks absorb nutrients from the yolk sac prior to hatch, allowing them to travel safely for a short period without food or water. Each shipment includes a USPS-approved ventilated box, GroGel for hydration, secure packaging to retain warmth, and heat packs when needed based on weather conditions.
Minimum order for shipped chicks
A minimum of 6 chicks is required for shipped orders to help maintain warmth and reduce stress during transit. Breeds may be mixed to meet the minimum, as long as all chicks share the same hatch date. Chicks from our hatching partner ship in their own box and have their own 6-chick minimum, so they can't be combined with Chesapeake-hatched chicks to reach it. The partner box ships at our regular chick rates, and it ships free when you also order 6 or more Chesapeake chicks to be shipped. Partner-hatched chicks aren't available for local pickup. To pick up your Chesapeake chicks, place a separate shipped order for partner-hatched chicks.
Placing your order
All chick orders are pre-orders with specific hatch dates selected at checkout. Orders are processed on a first-come, first-served basis, and availability is limited. We recommend placing orders 2–6 weeks in advance for the best selection.
Shipping costs
Shipping is based on the number of chicks in your order and box size and includes all required materials such as USPS-approved boxes, GroGel, heat packs, insulation, and packing materials.
LIVE CHICK SHIPPING
USPS Priority Mail
6–25 chicks — $34.95
26–50 chicks — $49.95
51–100 chicks — $59.95
Faster: USPS Priority Mail Express (optional upgrade at checkout)
6–25 chicks — $56.95
26–50 chicks — $66.95
51–100 chicks — $76.95
Shipping farther than a day's drive from Maryland, such as south of the Carolinas or west of Ohio? We recommend Priority Mail Express. Express chicks are loaded first and usually arrive sooner, but USPS does not guarantee delivery times for live animals.
Minimum shipped order: 6 chicks • Mix & match breeds
Ordering more than 100 chicks? Call us at (410) 635-1970.
Orders of 50 chicks or more qualify for wholesale pricing.
Hatching Eggs
Hatching eggs ship every Tuesday via USPS Priority Mail (usually 2–3 days). At checkout, select your preferred ship week — just like day-old chicks. Local pickup is also available. Eggs are carefully packaged individually to protect them during transit.
BUILD YOUR OWN HATCH — NEW FOR 2027!
Chesapeake hatching eggs are now Mix & Match! Choose your favorite breeds and create your own custom hatch.
Minimum order: 6 eggs total. Mix and match any available hatching egg breeds in any quantities to reach your six-egg minimum.
2027 Hatching Egg Shipping
- 6–23 eggs — $19.99
- 24+ eggs — FREE shipping
Order 24 or more eggs and shipping is free. Mix & match your favorite breeds.
Local pickup is free.
Carefully Packed for the Journey
Every Chesapeake hatching egg order is carefully selected and packed using protective materials designed to help safeguard your eggs during transit.
Important Hatching Egg Information
Because shipping and incubation involve factors outside our control, we cannot guarantee hatch rates on shipped eggs. Fertility, postal handling, temperature, incubator accuracy, and incubation practices can all affect hatch results.
We carefully select and pack your eggs before they leave Chesapeake and encourage customers to follow recommended procedures for resting and incubating shipped hatching eggs.
Pullets
Pullets ship at 12–16 weeks old by USPS Priority Mail Express, two birds per box. Your shipping date will be confirmed upon order. Pullets are health-checked prior to shipping.
Shipping Rates:
- 2 pullets (1 box) — $75
- 4 pullets (2 boxes) — $150
- 6 pullets (3 boxes) — $225
- 8 pullets (4 boxes) — $300
- 10 pullets (5 boxes) — $375
Local pickup is free.
Tracking information
You'll receive a shipping confirmation email on your ship date with a USPS tracking number so you can follow your shipment.
Arrival and inspection
When your chicks, eggs or pullets arrive, open all boxes immediately and inspect them carefully. You must pick up your chicks as soon as the Post Office notifies you that they have arrived. If you do not pick them up within one hour of your arrival phone call, the Live Arrival Guarantee is void.
Live Arrival Guarantee
All shipped chick orders are covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee as long as they are picked up from the Post Office immediately upon receiving the arrival call from the Post Office. IWhile rare, some chicks may not survive due to natural factors such as development or hatch stress. If chicks arrive deceased, we will issue a refund or store credit for those chicks, excluding shipping, provided the claim meets the requirements.
Reporting a DOA
To qualify for a refund or credit, you must report losses within 24 hours of delivery by emailing chicks@chesapeake-hatchery.com. Please include your name, order number, a clear photo of the entire group in the box, and the total number of chicks received and lost. We do not reship individual replacement chicks, as shipping very small orders increases stress and risk.