Home -> Terms and Conditions

UPDATED January 5th, 2023

We very much appreciate your business! We’d like to make ordering day-old chicks a predictable and pleasant experience for all our customers. So, all orders from Greenfire Farms are subject to the following terms and conditions, and any purchaser of chicks from Greenfire Farms agrees to these terms and conditions as a prerequisite of ordering. If you have any questions or concerns, address them before you place your order. There are no exceptions to these terms and conditions, so please read them carefully and be sure you are willing to abide by them before ordering. If you are unwilling to abide by them without complaint, please do not place an order.

ORDERING. Orders may be placed right here through the shopping cart function on this website, you can email us your specific needs using the contact form, or you can call our toll-free order line during regular business hours at 1-866-954-2968. You should know that, yes, Greenfire Farms is a real working farm. Our very small crew stays busy taking care of our chickens and other livestock. We don’t have people sitting in cubicles processing orders. So, there may be a delay in responding to your inquiries. Please be patient.

MINIMUM ORDER. The minimum order is six (6) day-old chicks for standard sized fowl, large fowl, and bantam/small breeds

If you wish to order fewer than the minimum order, contact us with your request. We reserve the right to override the minimum on a case by case basis and not all requests will be approved. We do not recommend ordering fewer than the minimum, and the 72-Hour Live Chick Guarantee will not apply in these cases. Under no circumstances will we override the minimum for fewer than three (3) standard size chicks.

72-HR LIVE CHICK GUARANTEE. If you place an order for six (6) or more day-old chicks Greenfire Farms guarantees you will receive the number of chicks you ordered and that they will live for 72 hours after you receive them. If you have fewer live birds than you ordered within 72 hours after delivery, we will reimburse you the value of the dead 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 and provide an emailed photo of any dead birds. This will be strictly enforced. If you do not pick up your chicks on the day they are available the 72-hour live guarantee is null and void.

SHIPPING POLICY. Orders are not guaranteed to arrive overnight or by the estimated date/time on your tracking number. We will NOT refund shipping charges for orders that do not arrive by the estimated delivery date and/or time. See 9.5.5, g. HERE on the USPS website for information on the USPS Express postage refund policy. We do not receive a postage refund from USPS nor do we offer shipping refunds. The $50 shipping charge includes postage, GroGel, feed, shipping materials, labor, Marek’s vaccination, and heat packs (when needed).

GENERAL SHIPPING INFORMATION. Orders are usually shipped on Monday or Tuesday of each week and will arrive within 1-3 days after they are shipped. You will be given a selection of available ship dates during the checkout process. We charge a flat rate of $50 for sending a box of up to 25 standard size day-old chicks via USPS Priority Mail Express. Additional shipping charges apply to larger orders. We will email you the tracking number when the birds ship; do not use the estimated date/time as a scheduled arrival time! Please note that day-old chicks are not required to be shipped Priority Express and many hatcheries do not use this service. USPS Priority Mail Express is the fastest domestic service available from the USPS. Although we pay for this express service, WE DO NOT GUARANTEE THAT YOUR SHIPMENT WILL BE DELIVERED OVERNIGHT. Just before hatch, chicks absorb their yolk sac which provides them with enough nutrients to sustain them for their first few days of life. We also include GroGel, chick feed, and heat packs (as needed) in the box to prepare them for shipment. Please remember that our 72-Hour Live Chick Guarantee will ensure that you will be reimbursed for any chicks that die within 72 hours after they arrive (see policy details above).

TIMING OF SHIPMENT. It is difficult to precisely predict laying rates, fertility rates, and hatch rates, especially when dealing with 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 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.

PICKING UP YOUR CHICKS. It is your responsibility to pick up your chicks from the post office as soon as they arrive. Once you receive your shipping confirmation email, it is a good idea to contact your local post office to let them know you’re expecting an order of live chicks and to be sure you have the correct post office location for your zip code. Your local post office will call you when your order is available to be picked up. Keep a flexible schedule the week of your shipment. Expect that your chicks will arrive 1-3 after your ship date. If you do not pick up your chicks on the day they are available the 72-hour live guarantee is null and void.

CHICK ORDER CANCELLATION. If we do not ship the chicks by the estimated ship date, you may cancel your order and immediately receive a full refund. If you cancel or remove chicks from your order for any reason other than our inability to timely ship then you will forfeit 50% of the cost of birds removed from your order. This cancellation/change fee applies as soon as you complete your purchase so please be confident with your order before you place it. Cancellation requests must be made by the Thursday before your scheduled ship date to allow time for us to find a home for the chicks that were reserved for you. Cancellations made after the Thursday before your scheduled ship date forfeit 100% of the cost of the order. There are no exceptions to this policy.

HATCHING EGG ORDER CANCELLATION. If we are unable to ship the order of hatching eggs as expected due to a sudden decrease in egg production or drop in the recent viability for that breed then you may cancel the order and receive a full refund. If you simply change your mind and no longer want to incubate eggs then you will forfeit 50% of the order total. There are no exceptions to this policy.

COVID-19. Our cancellation policy remains in effect. If you have any concerns or are unable to go to the post office, please notify us immediately so we can postpone or delay your order.

STRAIGHT RUN. You are purchasing straight run day-old chicks. You will receive any combination of male and/or females chicks with your order. We do not vent sex. We do not guarantee that you will receive any specified quantity of male or female chicks. You will not receive a refund or replacement chicks if you received more males or females than you desired. The only exception is when your purchase is for an auto-sexing breed (55 Flowery Hen, Bielefelder, and Cream Legbar).

HATCHING EGGS. Please review individual breed pages for detailed breed information. We have disclaimers relating to any breed that has incorrect traits that are noticeable on the day of hatch and these chicks should be culled if you are hatching for future breeding purposes. Please read individual breed pages for these disclaimers before you purchase eggs. No refunds will be given for chicks that hatch with incorrect traits. As with any structured breeding program, you should expect to make culls.

WE DO NOT GUARANTEE THE HATCH RATE OF THE EGGS YOU WILL RECEIVE! Your results will be anywhere from 0% - 100%. You are purchasing eggs not chicks! If you are not comfortable with this reality, do not purchase hatching eggs.

Our hatching egg shipping boxes will hold up to 12 eggs for standard and large fowl egg orders or up to 16 for bantam egg orders. We cannot combine orders. The hatching eggs will be shipped Priority through USPS for a flat rate of $20 or $14 for bantam egg orders. If a shipping upgrade to Express is requested, the cost for the upgrade will be an extra $20 to $40 depending on the buyer’s location.

Every egg will have a number written on the shell that corresponds to the pen number that the egg was collected from. You will receive a list of what breed the pen number corresponds to in your order. We will also include a hatching guide in the box for your convenience.

PAYMENT. Full payment is due before the birds are shipped. We accept most major credit cards, Paypal, money orders, and personal checks. Paypal is orders@greenfirefarms.com. Please do not send payment if you do not have an order submitted. We respect your privacy and never share or sell your personal information with any third parties.

Checks may be mailed to:

Greenfire Farms

P.O. Box 676

Midway, FL 32343

GIFT CERTIFICATES. If you purchased or were gifted a gift certificate (lucky you!) then you should know that the certificate doesn't expire. So you'll have plenty of time to put together your dream order! Now once you purchase a gift certificate you will receive an email with the gift certificate code. If you want to purchase it for someone else simply give the code to them by forwarding that email to them. If you lose that email with the code, don't worry. Just contact us and we can look up the order and send you a new email with the code. You can use a gift certificate on multiple orders. Once the balance of the certificate is zeroed the certificate will no longer work. Now, if for some reason you decide that you aren't going to use the certificate then it will be best to gift it to someone who will use it, as the certificate cannot be cashed out. There will be no refunds on order cancellations of gift certificates. If you have any issues with a gift certificate, contact us.

USE OF OUR PHOTOS AND NAME. You do NOT have permission to use our photos and/or our farm name, Greenfire Farms, for any reason.

VACCINATIONS AND DISEASE. Unless you specifically request otherwise your birds will be vaccinated for Marek’s disease. This vaccination is free of charge and strongly encouraged. Please note that the Marek’s vaccine is not 100% effective, and even vaccinated birds may later contract Marek’s if the disease is present on your property. Marek’s is very common in backyard flocks and can live for years in dander, even when no birds are present. Many recently imported breeds are especially susceptible to Marek’s strains found in America. Marek’s disease is NOT spread through the egg from parent to offspring. We will not refund or replace chicks that show symptoms of Marek’s after they are shipped.

On rare occasions, several weeks or months after we have shipped chicks a customer will say that their chickens have developed symptoms of a disease, and the customer is certain the disease originated at our farm. Our reputation is important to our farm, and we go to extraordinary lengths to ensure our birds are disease-free. We have one of the most scrutinized flocks of chickens in America. Our birds are extensively tested in their country of origin, are tested again by the USDA when they arrive in this country, and are tested on an ongoing basis by the USDA when they are on our farm.

Lastly, but most importantly, you should know that it is very difficult to determine the origin of a disease in a chicken flock. The transmission of disease is a complex and subtle process, and even expert pathologists often struggle to identify the precise origin of a disease. If you have a flock consisting of chickens from other sources, songbirds have access to your flock, or people have visited your property after being near chickens located elsewhere, then there are potentially many different disease pathways that could cause disease in your chickens. If you feel you might jump to conclusions about disease in your flock –hey, you know who you are– then please do not order from us.

NPIP. 58-1156-E. Your copy of the NPIP VS form 9-3 will be attached to your shipping confirmation email for your records. We will file a copy with the state. This is required.

QUARANTINE. All birds received from Greenfire Farms must be quarantined and observed for at least 30 days before exposing them to your chicken flock.

STARTED BIRDS (ADULTS OR JUVENILES). If we have started birds available and you are interested in purchasing one or multiple there are a few things to keep in mind. These birds were vaccinated for Marek’s disease at the day of hatch. You will pay a flat rate at the time of your order however, if the shipping cost is more than you paid you will be contacted to pay the difference. If the shipping ends up being less than you paid, then you will be refunded the difference for the unused shipping cost. Shipping started birds is more expensive than day-old chicks, take this up with USPS not us. Just like day-old chicks the started birds will be shipped Express through USPS and you will be notified when they ship. We do not guarantee live arrival and we don’t offer a 72 hour guarantee for started birds. Don’t worry, we will add gro gel and feed in the shipping boxes to help offer hydration and nutrients during their journey. If we have apples, we will add a few slices into the box as well. We will never ship birds that appear unhealthy. Upon receiving the started bird, it is wise to quarantine the bird before exposing them to your flock. Ignoring to quarantine, should be decided at your discretion and is not our recommendation. See above section on vaccinations and disease.

To be clear, there are no refunds for started birds. It is our hope that they arrive safely to you and are a welcome addition to your flock. We have shipped started birds many times with minimal issues. Please contact us if you have specific questions about ordering a started bird. Once the order is placed the order cancellation policy is in effect. Please be confident in your order before placing it and trust that we will do our best to make your ordering experience a positive one.

NO FARM VISITORS. We'd love to spend time with you on our farm, but we take biosecurity very seriously, and farm visits expose our flocks to the potential for inadvertent disease transmission. We simply can't take that risk, so we don't schedule farm tours or the pick up of orders on the farm.

WHAT YOU SHOULD EXPECT. You should expect birds that reflect the fundamental attributes of the breed. You should not expect a cosmetically perfect bird. In fact, you should expect to find some defects in virtually every bird you raise. Just as every child is not destined to become a supermodel, every bird is not destined to win ribbons at shows. Only a tiny fraction of chickens conform to their breed standard in all respects. 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 Chick Guarantee.