Q: Do you guarantee the live delivery of your birds?
A: Yes! Assuming you order at least six day-old chicks, Greenfire Farms’ Live Guarantee extends through delivery and up to 72 hours after you receive the birds. If you end up with fewer birds than you paid for, we will immediately reimburse you the value of the lost birds if you notify us of the loss within 72 hours of receiving the chicks. We do not send replacement birds. We will vaccinate your chicks for Marek’s disease if you specifically request it in advance of shipping and pay a $1.00 per chick vaccination fee. We do not vaccinate for other diseases. You should know that, unfortunately, traveling through the postal system takes its toll on birds, especially day-old chicks. We take every precaution to minimize mortality, but it is fairly common to lose one or more chicks during shipment, especially if it takes more than 24 hours between shipment and delivery. We use heat packs when shipping small quantities of chicks in cool weather, and we make Gro-gel available to them to provide a source of nutrients and hydration during shipment. Even so, unfortunately, losses happen. If you want to decrease the chance of having a bird die in shipment, we can usually arrange to have them shipped to arrive the same day through Delta Airlines, although this method usually at least doubles the shipping costs. If you order expensive chicks or if you’re simply the nervous type, these additional shipping costs are often warranted.
Q: What can I reasonably expect when I buy chickens from Greenfire Farms?
A: The chickens sold by Greenfire Farms are expensive because they are rare and costly to import. When you buy from us you can be confident that you are buying some of the rarest and most exotic poultry on the planet. But, “rare” does not equate to “perfect,” and the birds you buy may not be flawless physical specimens. Just as only a few children are destined to grow into supermodels, only a few chickens are destined to win ribbons at shows. Chickens, like all living things, show much individual variation, and frequently those variations are imperfections. Also, know that most of the chicken breeds we sell are so rare that there is no written standard for the breed against which an individual bird can be measured. You should also realize that the rarer the breed, the more likely you are to encounter problems related to inbreeding. For some breeds and varieties that we sell, the global breeding population consists of fewer than a dozen hens. Greenfire Farms does not sell birds with obvious, significant defects from inbreeding like crooked toes. But unfortunately less obvious flaws like low fertility, low disease resistance, and other challenges are not uncommon with extremely rare breeds. If you encounter these challenges when the birds become adults, you will need to address them with your own breeding plan. We cannot offer refunds or replacements at a later date if a defect becomes evident in your birds.
Q: Can I place a deposit on some chickens so you’ll hold my place in line until they’re available?
A: Yes! On any order for birds over $100, you can send Greenfire Farms a $100 deposit and we will hold your place in line. Shortly before the birds become available to ship we will notify you, and you can pay the balance owed. If you cancel your order for any reason other than the birds have been delayed beyond the estimated ship date, your deposit will be forfeited. If we are unable to ship the birds by the estimated ship date and you cancel your order, your deposit will be refunded in full.
Q: Will you sell me a trio of birds or just a few females?
A: We usually sell only unsexed day-old chicks, not sexed individuals, pairs, or trios. The exception to this is for auto-sexing breeds like the cream legbar. We will sell sexed day-old chicks of auto-sexing breeds.
Q: Do you have a print catalog?
A: Sorry, no. But if you’re reading this online, you’re viewing our online catalog.
Q: How much do you charge for shipping birds? Do you ship internationally?
A: We ship only within the United States and Canada. Within the United States we charge $30 for shipping a box of up to 20 chicks. We can ship chicks via Delta Airlines for about $100 per box. Shipping to Canada costs more and requires a veterinary inspection. Please contact us if you want birds shipped to Canada.
Q: Do the listed prices for birds include shipping?
A: No. Shipping is an additional charge.
Q: How do you set the prices for your birds?
A: The short answer: The prices we charge reflect the increased costs we incur to make our chickens available to you.
Many of our birds are from imported stock, and it is very expensive to import birds. For example, just the USDA quarantine cost for a chicken is almost $300. Add to that the cost of shipping, permitting, Customs brokers, veterinary testing, buying the birds themselves, and the cost to import a single chicken can be $2,000 or more. There are ten separate fees just to get the birds processed through U.S. Customs. It costs as much to start a small breeding group as it does to buy a new car, and it takes many months of hard work to locate and import those birds.
You should also know that all breeders do not treat their stock in the same manner. At Greenfire Farms, we house our birds in large (expensive) pens and pay good people to clean up after them, feed them, and care for them. We are proud of the way we treat our animals –our farm was chosen by the USDA as the location to film one its instructional videos– and would encourage you to pick up your birds at the farm and see for yourself. This level of care costs a lot of money.
Can you buy less expensive birds that lay nice eggs and are fun to keep? Absolutely. You can go to the local feed store and buy perfectly nice chicks for $3 each. We can’t compete on price against large commercial hatcheries. But, we try to offer what they can’t offer: the very rarest chickens of the most beautiful and interesting varieties, raised in a comfortable and natural environment.
Q: What are your terms and policies for ordering?
A: When our customers order from us, we ask that they read, understand and agree to these terms and policies:
72-Hour Live Guarantee. If you place the minimum order Greenfire Farms guarantees you will receive the number of birds you ordered and that they will live for 72 hours after you receive them. If after 72 hours you have fewer live birds than you ordered, we will reimburse you the value of the lost birds. We do not send replacement birds. To get your refund you must notify us of the loss within 72 hours after you receive the birds.
Minimum Order. The minimum order is six day-old chicks. You may order fewer than six chicks but it is not a practice we recommend, and the 72-Hour Live Guarantee will not apply in these cases. We believe a half-dozen chicks is the minimum number of necessary to provide warmth and cushioning for safe shipment. You, the buyer, assume the risk of loss if you order fewer than six chicks. You can order any combination of breeds or varieties to meet the minimum. We strongly encourage you to order the minimum to increase the health and safety of the chicks during shipping.
Vaccinations. If you specifically request it we can vaccinate your chicks for Marek’s disease for an additional fee of $1.00 per chick.
Shipping. Orders are usually shipped on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday each week and are delivered by the U.S. Postal Service. Up to 20 day-old chicks can be placed in a box. We charge $30 for sending a box of chicks via overnight express mail. We will email you the tracking number when the birds ship. We do not ship via two-day priority mail. We can arrange to ship birds for same-day delivery via Delta Airlines. This usually costs about $100 for a box of chicks. To safeguard valuable chicks the additional shipping costs are often warranted.
Payment. Full payment is due before the birds are shipped. You may book your order with a $100 deposit, and we will notify you shortly before shipping for payment of the balance. We accept Paypal, money orders, and personal checks. Paypal is orders@greenfirefarms.com. Checks may be mailed to:
Greenfire Farms
P.O. Box 676
Midway, FL 32343
Timing of Shipment and Order Cancellation. It is difficult to precisely predict laying rates, fertility rates, and hatch rates, especially when dealing with very small numbers of very rare animals. We do our best to accurately estimate delivery dates, but it is only an estimate, and we can be wrong. You will be placed on a waiting list when you pay for your order or make a $100 deposit, and nobody will be allowed to jump ahead of you in line. If you order more than one breed of chick, the delivery date will be determined by the latest delivery date for the breeds you ordered. You should know that when you buy rare birds it is common to wait several months for delivery. Greenfire Farms is not a commercial hatchery, and frequently the ‘factory’ that will produce your order consists of two or three hens that will quit laying for the most trivial reason or for no reason at all. Please be patient. If we do not deliver the birds on or before the estimated ship date, you may cancel your order and immediately receive a full refund. If you cancel your order for any reason other than our inability to timely ship you will forfeit your deposit. There are no exceptions to this policy.
What You Should Expect. You should expect birds that are healthy when you receive them and on the average are higher quality than birds you would buy from a large commercial hatchery. Just as every child is not destined to become a supermodel, every bird is not destined to win ribbons at shows. We do not represent that every bird we sell is show quality or is flawless. You should receive birds that can be the foundation for a breeding program that with enough time and skill can produce show-quality birds. You should also realize that the rarer the breed, the more likely you are to encounter problems related to inbreeding. For some breeds and varieties that we sell, the global breeding population consists of fewer than a dozen hens. We cull for obvious defects like crooked toes, but low fertility, low egg production, low disease resistance, and other challenges are not uncommon with extremely rare breeds. If you encounter these challenges when the birds become adults, you will need to address them with your own breeding plan. We do not offer refunds beyond the 72-Hour Live Guarantee.
