2027 Pre-Orders Are Now Open - Limited Availability
Purchase Policies, Care Information & Customer Agreement
Only Chicks Farm policies apply to all hatching eggs, day-old chicks, started pullets and poultry orders from our farm in Napanee, Ontario. Please read this page carefully before submitting an order request, as placing a request means you understand and agree to our ordering, pickup, shipping, hatch, sexing, and live bird policies.
A NOTE FROM US
Only Chicks Farm has been raising and working with poultry for many years. We care deeply about our birds and the people who purchase from us. Our goal is to provide healthy, well-raised poultry along with honest communication and ongoing support where possible. This document outlines our policies so that expectations are clear, fair, and consistent for everyone. While most customers will never need to reference this entire policy, it is important that it exists to protect both our customers and our farm. Placing an order with Only Chicks Farm indicates acceptance of the terms below.
OUR APPROACH TO SUPPORT & GUIDANCE
We value long-term relationships with our customers and are always happy to offer general care guidance and husbandry advice when questions arise. Providing guidance does not imply responsibility for outcomes, nor does it change the terms of sale. Once birds leave our farm, ongoing care and management rest fully with the buyer.
GENERAL TERMS OF PURCHASE
• All poultry and hatching eggs are sold as agricultural livestock or livestock products.• Living animals are influenced by many factors beyond any breeder’s control, including environment, handling, nutrition, weather, stress, and existing flock conditions.• Variations in growth, behaviour, colour, maturity, and performance are a normal part of poultry ownership.
DEPOSITS, PAYMENTS & REFUNDS
Due to limited availability and high demand, all pre-orders require a deposit to secure a spot. Unless otherwise stated for a specific product, all pre-orders require a 50% deposit to secure a spot. Started pullet reservations require a $30 deposit per pullet. Deposits must be received within 12 hours of order confirmation.
Orders without a deposit after this time will be automatically released and made available to others. We are unable to hold inventory without a deposit, as doing so prevents other customers from ordering. Please only request a pre-order if you are ready to submit a deposit within the stated timeframe. Deposits are non-refundable and apply toward the total balance of the order.
REFUNDS & CREDITS
• We do not offer cash refunds.• In certain situations, a store credit may be offered at our discretion.• Store credits are non-transferable, have no cash value, and may be applied to future availability only.
BIOSECURITY & GENERAL HEALTH INFORMATION
Poultry health is influenced by many variables, and certain poultry conditions are widely present in backyard and commercial poultry environments. Only Chicks Farm follows consistent, practical biosecurity and flock management practices from Ontario Poultry Guidelines. However, due to factors outside of our control — such as transportation, stress, environmental exposure, and your pre-existing flock conditions — we cannot guarantee specific long-term health outcomes. Purchasers accept the inherent responsibilities and risks associated with keeping poultry.
BREED AVAILABILTY, TIMING & HATCH DISCLAIMER
Please understand that we are working with live animals and nature, so exact hatch numbers, breed availability, and timing can never be guaranteed.
For CHICK ORDERS, we do our best to fill orders as requested, but we cannot guarantee that every breed will hatch in the exact numbers needed for every order. Some breeds may have a lower hatch than expected, fertility can fluctuate, hens may slow down, or certain breeds may not hatch out during a specific hatch.
For HATCHING EGG ORDERS , the month given is an estimated booking month, not a guaranteed exact ship or pickup date. Egg availability can be affected by broody hens, molt, seasonal laying cycles, weather, fertility changes, pen changes, or hens simply slowing down.
If a breed is not available, does not hatch in enough numbers for chick orders, or eggs are not available in the expected timeframe, this does not mean the order is automatically refunded. The order may be adjusted by offering a different available breed, moving the order to another hatch/date/month, filling part of the order when possible, or issuing a store credit where applicable.
By placing an order, you acknowledge that poultry availability is not always predictable and that timelines, breeds, and quantities are subject to availability.
CHICK PURCHASE POLICY
Day-old chicks are not vent sexed. We are a No-Kill Micro-Hatchery.
Chicks are carefully monitored prior to leaving our care and are believed to be in good condition at the time of pickup/shipping. Chicks should be inspected promptly, and any concerns should be communicated to us within 24 hours of pickup.
Once you are contacted that your chicks are ready, pickup must be completed within 5 days unless other arrangements have been approved. We cannot keep chick orders indefinitely, and after this time chicks may be released to the next available customer.
Once chicks leave our care, responsibility transfers to the buyer, including proper transportation temperatures, brooder setup, heat management, draft protection, nutrition, hydration, sanitation, and ongoing monitoring.
We are not responsible for losses caused by improper setup or care after chicks leave our care. If you contact us about chick losses, weakness, illness, or concerns after pickup/delivery, we will do our best to help troubleshoot. In order to properly help, we may require photos/videos of the full brooder setup, heat source, temperature readings, bedding, feed, water setup, and chick behaviour. Without this information, we cannot properly assess the situation or help prevent further losses.
No guarantees are made regarding sex unless explicitly sold as sexed, markings, egg colour, temperament, size, or future production.
PULLET PURCHASE POLICY
Started pullets are offered seasonally from approximately March to November, depending on current and upcoming grow-outs, hatch results, sex ratios, development and the birds retained for our breeding program.
Customers may request the earliest available pickup, a preferred pickup month or flexible timing. A requested month is a preference and is not a guaranteed exact pickup date.
Before a reservation deposit is requested, we will confirm what we reasonably expect to have available, including the breed or project, approximate age, estimated pickup timeframe and applicable pricing.
A $30 reservation deposit per pullet is required once the proposed availability and timeframe have been accepted. The deposit is applied toward the final purchase price.
Reservations are made by breed or project group, not by one exact individual bird. General colour or appearance preferences may be provided and will be considered where possible, but exact colour, markings, pattern, crest or final adult appearance cannot be guaranteed.
We do not photograph every individual pullet or offer photo-based selection. Website photographs show examples of our breeding birds, projects and grow-out groups.
Final pricing is based on the breed or project and the pullet’s age at pickup. Because reserved birds continue growing while in our care, the final price may increase according to the age-based pricing listed on our website.
Pullets are generally not laying at pickup unless specifically stated. We do not guarantee an exact laying date, laying frequency, mature egg size or exact egg shade.
All pullets are sexed to the best of our ability before leaving the farm. Mistakes are rare, but poultry sexing cannot be guaranteed with 100% accuracy.
If a pullet is later confirmed to be a rooster, Only Chicks Farm may offer a replacement pullet when availability allows or farm credit toward a future purchase. No cash refund will be issued.
Pullets are observed before sale and are believed to be in good condition when they leave our care. Buyers are encouraged to visually inspect their birds at pickup. Any concerns believed to have been present at pickup must be communicated within 48 hours, with clear photos or video.
Once pullets leave our care, responsibility for transportation, housing, quarantine, integration, nutrition, environmental conditions and ongoing care transfers to the buyer.
HATCHING EGG POLICY
Hatching eggs are sold for incubation purposes only. Eggs are packaged with the utmost care and are tested here regularly. The eggs are not put up for sale unless fertility is above 90% here on the farm. Hatch results are influenced by many outside factors including individual incubators, calibration of incubator, handling, shipping conditions, and individual incubation practices. Hatch rates, fertility, and development are not guaranteed as these conditions and differences in methods are out of our control.
SHIPPING POLICY
• Shipping is undertaken at the buyer’s request and risk. • We are not responsible for delays, weather events, or handling by third-party carriers.• Shipping fees are non-refundable unless you choose Purolator Express and they decide to reimburse for failed delivery timeframe (this is out of our control).
PICKUP POLICY
Pickup dates and time windows are scheduled in advance and agreed upon by the purchaser. Timely arrival is important for animal welfare and farm operations. Missed pickups without prior communication may result in loss of reserved birds or eggs, forfeiture of deposit, and cancellation of the order.
CHANGES & CANCELLATIONS
• Order changes are not guaranteed. Often, we will give a credit for future store use. • Production schedules cannot be altered due to buyer indecision.
COMMUNICATION
We ask that any questions or concerns be communicated directly to us and respectfully. We are always willing to help where possible and appreciate open, good-faith communication.
ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS
Placing an order, submitting a deposit, or accepting birds or eggs indicates full acceptance of this policy. Failure to read this document does not exempt buyers from its terms & conditions.
