FAQ

Our unique pre-sale system enables customers to reserve eggs before they are actually produced. With our birds producing a high daily output, the pre-sale prevents surplus eggs without designated homes. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to purchase eggs from our rarer birds, which are known to sell out quickly or lay a limited quantity. Our annual pre-sale starts on January 1st, and orders are fulfilled in the order they are placed. While we strive to dispatch orders promptly, it's important to note that Pre Sale orders may take several weeks or even months to reach you. Since we ship orders in the sequence of customer purchases, the sooner you make your purchase, the quicker you can expect to receive your hatching eggs. In the rare event that our birds don't lay and you don't receive your hatching eggs, a full refund will be issued.

Given the numerous variables influencing success or failure during incubation, we are unable to offer any guarantees regarding hatch rate or development. We take measures to securely pack the eggs, aiming for their safe arrival at your location. In the unfortunate event that your hatching eggs arrive broken, please contact us on the day of delivery and provide photos or videos of the damage. We will either issue a refund or ship you a new parcel of hatching eggs. Hatching eggs are dispatched via USPS Priority Mail throughout the week. Once your hatching eggs have been shipped, you will receive an email from me containing your tracking number. While we generally experience success with USPS, we refrain from marking packages as "fragile" or requesting special handling, as this may lead to rough treatment. If you prefer specific markings on your parcel or would like us to arrange for your package to be held at the Post Office, kindly email us with your requests.

We operate as a small, family-run aviary rather than a large-scale hatchery. Eggs are gathered for each order as they are placed, and all hatching eggs are shipped in the order of purchase. Typically, most orders are fulfilled within 2 to 3 days, and sometimes even sooner. During peak periods or Pre Sales, processing may extend to multiple weeks or months. For any questions or concerns about your order, feel free to reach out to us. We collect eggs twice daily, storing them on egg turners in our dark, cool hatching egg cellar. To enhance hatching success, we ensure that the eggs sent to you are three days old or less from the date of lay. The hatching eggs we offer for sale are the same eggs we incubate ourselves.

Hatch rates/development are beyond our control, and we do not provide guarantees. When you order hatching eggs from us, you assume this responsibility. Refunds for eggs due to hatch rates/development are not offered under any circumstances. In the event of broken eggs upon delivery, please contact us on the day of receipt. We will request photos of the damaged eggs and will either send you our a new parcel of hatching eggs or issue a refund.

Despite proven fertility and diligent monitoring, we cannot guarantee a successful hatch or that all of the eggs will show signs of development. Numerous factors, including fluctuating temperature, humidity variations, rough handling during shipping, and arrested embryo development, can impact the viability of eggs. Due to these inherent uncertainties, we do not provide guarantees on hatch rates or development. By ordering hatching eggs from us, you acknowledge and accept this responsibility. Refunds for eggs based on hatch rates are not offered under any circumstances.

Regrettably, the answer is typically no. This is due to the fact that various bird species have distinct laying schedules, and I dispatch orders in the sequence of their purchase. Therefore, depending on your order's position in the queue, it may impact the shipping time. Generally, each species will be shipped separately. I make efforts to consolidate shipments whenever possible, and occasionally, I succeed. If it's feasible, I will certainly do so.

We ensure that the eggs are packed securely to reach you without breakage. Our usual method involves employing foam shippers and packing peanuts. In instances of very small quantities, we opt for bubble wrap alongside packing peanuts, a method that has proven highly successful. For larger eggs, such as those from Canada Geese that are too large for foam shippers, we utilize bubble wrap as well.

If you participated in our Pre Sale Orders this essentially means making a purchase before the eggs are laid, securing your spot on a waiting list. While we strive to dispatch orders promptly, it's important to note that Pre Sale orders may take several weeks or even months to reach you. The timeline is influenced by the date of your hatching egg purchase. Shipping priority is based on the order in which the hatching eggs were purchased. Consequently, if you were among the first to order a specific hatching egg, you'll be among the first to receive your order once that species begins laying, If you haven't bought hatching eggs during our pre-sales, kindly get in touch with us. Our regular "end of season" eggs typically ship within 3 days, depending on the number of outstanding orders for a particular breed.

Sadly, no you cannot. Prior to incubation, you can crack open an egg and look for what is commonly referred to as a "bulls eye" however, cracking open an egg after the incubation period and seeing no bullseye does not mean you had unfertlized eggs- it simply means the eggs did not develop. Under a normal situation, the blostoderm expands (ie "bulls eye" obliterates) after incubation starts and then proceeds to become a chick. But in many situations, it never proceeds beyond the expansion state for whatever reason, particularly with transported eggs. Check out this link if you would like to read more about this http://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/947994

There are a number of good reasons. First and foremost, we LOVE all of our birds (and our animals in general for that matter) They are not just a paycheck to us- they are considered our pets and part of the family. We also keep our birds outdoors throughout the year, and they tend to be hardy as a result. They live in roomy pens and are allowed to forage on pasture; a humane and healthy way to treat animals.

Due to the high volume of orders we get during our Pre Sale, we cannot accomodate eggs being shipped and/or delivered on a particular day. The reason being is we ship in the order the hatching eggs were purchased so, all though, we may have a rough estimate when your eggs will arrive to you, to get it on a certain day is near impossible.

Crack a fresh, unincubated egg into a bowl in good light. If you have sharp eyes, you will see that a fertile egg has a faint bullseye, the fertilized blastoDERM, on the yolk, while for an infertile egg, it will just be an irregular spot, a blastoDISC. If you don't have sharp eyes you might make use of a magnifying glass--or ask someone to help. Remember to check the bottom of the yolk; sometimes the way your egg lands in your dish will make the bullseye difficult to see.

The question of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) in chickens has been an important subject for scientific study over the last several decades. For most backyard chicken enthusiasts, females are preferred for egg laying and unwanted roosters often have to be rehomed. Wouldn't it be great if you could incubate and hatch all females, or at least hatch a much higher ratio of females than males? Sure! But as we shall see--don't get your hopes up just yet... An Australian study published in 1960 (Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 11(4) 664 - 672) found that eggs stored at 40 degrees Fahrenheit (rather than the recommended 60 degrees) for at least 24 hours and up to 7 days before incubation hatched out 54.6% more females than males. It was postulated that the male embryos were preferentially killed off by colder storage temperatures, while the female embryos handle the chilling better. At the time of this writing, we have not found a study that replicated this result. Another study (Ferguson, M. W. J. 1994 Temperature dependent sex determination in reptiles and manipulation of poultry sex by incubation temperature. In Proc. 9th European Poultry Conf., Glasgow, pp. 380–382) purportedly demonstrated sex reversal in chicks in ovum by pulsing eggs with higher or lower temperatures, but the results were never replicated. A much more recent study published in 2013 (Poultry Science, Volume 92, Issue 12, 1 December 2013, Pages 3096–3102, https://doi.org/10.3382/ps.2013-03378) found no evidence of temperature-dependent sex determination or sex-biased embryo mortality in the chicken. At this time, unfortunately, there is no replicated empirical evidence of temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) or sex reversal in chicken embryos, but poultry scientists are always working on this question, so perhaps an answer is forthcoming?

We sell hundreds of chicks locally each year out of the same eggs that we send to our customers. Before we start shipping eggs, we check the hatch rate of all breed/species to make sure our customers have the aboslute most viable eggs we can offer. Then once shipping begins, throughout the Spring/Summer/Fall we are constantly hatching chicks out of these same eggs we are shipping. Buy with confidence knowing that we truly do everything in our power to make sure our hatching eggs are the most viable eggs we can offer.

Especially with our fertile hatching eggs, we have some great lines that produce amazing show prospects. Our birds are purebred. (The exceptions are designer hybrids which are a hybrid "mixed breeds" by nature.) All that said, no one---hatchery or breeder---can guarantee you'll get a show winner. Even when purchasing from a top breeder of show birds from winning lines, not every chick hatched will make good show material. Even the prettiest chickens may not have the personality for the show circuit. This is why no one can guarantee their chicks are "show quality." The honest thing to say is that chicks may have show potential, or that they come from show lines (meaning mother, father, grandfather, etc, have won shows). Do remember that even top breeders may hatch hundreds of birds from very good lines before they find The One they feel will be a grand champion at a poultry show!

This permit is only for those of you who want to SELL federally protected migratory waterfowl (such as Canada Geese or Sandhill Crane) If you want to purchase these particular breeds from me, I will send you a sale/transfer form I need you to fill out and return to me. If you plan on keeping these birds for your amusement and NOT selling them, you DO NOT need to get a Federal Migratory Waterfowl Permit. If you have any questions about this, don't hesitate to ask.

You need to check with your state Division of Wildlife Services and make sure your state doesn't have specific requirements for you to meet. For example, in the state of Utah, you are required to obtain what is called a COR permit to own any of the species I have available. Some states require something similar and some states require nothing at all. Best to be sure and call your local DWR to see what your state requirements are.

Enter the world of candy and we have a mind-blowing flavor and texture transformation! Candy that is freeze dried has had the water/moisture removed through a freezing and vacuum process. The freeze drying process can sometimes create interesting results. A traditionally dense, chewy candy becomes crunchy and light as air! Freeze dried candy is typically richer than when it was in it's original form. The freeze drying process will make the candy extra flavorful. We continually stock many different variety which have proven to be crowd favorites! We're always experimenting and as we find new treats we think you'll enjoy.

Sub Zero Freeze Dried Goods ship worldwide. Our approximate processing time, the time to receive, prepare and ship your treats, is 1-3 days. We ship via USPS priority and package accordingly. Once the order has been processed, you will receive a shipping confirmation notification, including the tracking number.

All transactions are considered final. In adherence to sanitary and hygienic standards, we uphold a No Return and No Refund Policy. However, if any issues arise with your order, please inform us so that we can assist you accordingly.

Cancellation of your order can be made within 48 hours of your order as long as the order hasn’t”t already shipped.