Three ways to order: 1) Call 207.468.0246  2) Click the “Contact Us” link  3) Send an email to hatchery@chiseldcreekfarm.com . Your order is confirmed only when you receive an order number. Payment methods accepted: 1) Personal checks made out to Chisel’d Creek Farm and can be mailed to PO Box 385 Bar Mills, ME 04004 for preorders. 2) Credit card payments accepted, and will incur an additional 3.5% + 15¢ charge per transaction 3) Cash or check upon delivery are accepted with the exclusion of pre-orders. Pre-orders of chicks/chickens not yet hatched must be paid for prior to hatch date either via credit card or check mailed to us.  If you email or send us a message, please provide a phone number so we can confirm your order and payment. Please never include payment information when sending us a message.

Chisel’d Creek Farm is located in southern Maine on nearly 40 acres of responsibly managed farm land. We don’t currently allow farm visitors. If you purchase chicks, we may be able to ship them by special order; otherwise we schedule delivery (see delivery range below). All orders must be picked up at Bar Mills Postal parking lot 59 Main St, Bar Mills, ME 04004 unless other arrangements are discussed (see below). We will email you your pickup/delivery date. We sell in Maine only and don’t ship across state lines at this time. 

We deliver anywhere in Maine with additional delivery fees. Towns in FREE delivery range: Bar Mills, Buxton, Dayton, Gorham, Hollis, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Saco, Scarborough, Westbrook. If your town isn’t listed and is within 15 miles of any above please call. Otherwise, all orders must be picked up at Bar Mills Postal parking lot 59 Main St, Bar Mills, ME 04004. We will email/call/text you your pickup/delivery date. We sell in Maine only and don’t ship across state lines at this time. NOTE: we make bi-monthly egg deliveries to Biddeford, Ogunquit, and York so please call to be added to that delivery list. We ship special order day-old chicks and hatching eggs only.

Please email hatchery@chiseldcreekfarm.com or click the Contact Us link to send us a message, and we will respond back as quickly as possible. *Report loss or egg breakage via the same methods. Report within 72 hours of delivery for refund/credit**

Our live birds are guaranteed live for 48 hours after delivery. We don’t guarantee laying age or rooster fertility due to environmental variables. We do not do lab testing for genetics like egg color or recessive white genes. Hatching eggs have no guarantee on hatch rate due to the numerous factors for a successful hatch. We do guarantee eggs arrive unbroken. Eggs delivered need to be visually inspected at the time of delivery. **Report loss or egg breakage via the “Contact Us” form or by emailing hatchery@chiseldcreekfarm.com.  Report within 72 hours of delivery for refund/credit**  We do always provide a basic guide for eggs, chicks, and chicken care. We have reading suggestions for all aspects of raising chickens. 

We sell straight run chicks that are not sexed, so you’ll receive a mix of male and female birds. Any older birds (such as our 8 week old pullets), if sexed, are guaranteed at 90% accuracy. If you receive a male for example when you purchased a guaranteed female, please call to discuss options. Options generally include a refund for the price you paid for the chick (credit card fees, delivery fees are not included in refunds) and/or we may provide a similar replacement birds. Unless by special circumstance, we cannot accept returned birds due to biosecurity. By purchasing from us, you agree to abide by our terms.

Beyond basic hatching materials, heating, and our time, there’s many additional factors that we consider based on the age of the birds we’re selling. We build our own coops, hand select our flocks for breeding, and provide all the cleaning and care for our chickens and their housing. We feed locally sourced, certified organic feed that’s from a New England family farm. The hatchery, let alone the rest of the farm, requires yearly upkeep and (we hope) expansion. When you purchase eggs and birds from our farm, you’re supporting not only our family but our mission to expand regenerative agriculture in the community. 

We offer Marek’s disease vaccination for all pre-ordered chicks. The fee is noted on our pricing page. You must purchase vaccination when you place your order.  Orders that don’t specify/purchase the vaccination will be fulfilled without vaccination.  If we have current inventory of chicks/chickens we will note vaccination status. 

Cancellation of pre-ordered chicks are allowed up to 48 hours prior to your hatch date. Cancellations are allowed on live birds up to 72 hours prior to your delivery date. No refunds are issued if you cancel after the above stated times; if you cancel within the allowed timeframe, refunds** will be issued back via your payment method. Hatching egg orders can be canceled 48 hours prior to ship date or delivery date to receive a refund.
**All refunds issued are minus any merchant fees Chisel’d Creek Farm incurs.

We’re currently working toward NPIP certification and follow biosecurity measures with all our flocks. NPIP certification doesn’t guarantee disease free birds, but does guarantee regular testing for diseases and NPIP biosecurity guidelines are followed.

Back in the 1870’s a group called the American Poultry Association (APA) formed to define chicken breeds. They created the Standard of Perfection for all responsible poultry breeders to follow. The birds selected are always bred to adapt to certain regions, be used for specific purposes, and be healthy in an outdoor lifestyle. Heritage chickens must have parents/grandparents from stock prior to the 1950s recognized by the APA. They must be naturally mated, able to live and be productive for many years, and they must grow slowly. This might sound strange, but there are hybridized or cross breeds that don’t check these boxes. For example, many commercial meat birds (i,e. Cornish Cross) aren’t able to breed well (or at all) naturally because they’ve been bred to grow so fast for meat production purposes that they are too heavy at maturity to breed successfully. There are breeds that meet the APA standards and are considered heritage breeds that have color varieties not recognized. Similarly, the APA has standardly recognized breeds that aren’t heritage chickens. 

We raise two heritage breed chickens, both of which are on the Livestock Conservancy’s watch list for being endangered: Buckeyes and Faverolles. Our third breed, Ameraucana, is an APA recognized breed developed after the 1950s so not considered “heritage.” We also breed three colors, only two of which are recognized as standards. Blue and Black Ameraucanas are colors recognized; Splash is not.

We cannot accept returns on any birds back to the farm, due to biosecurity. Take a look at our blog for rehoming and other ideas for chickens you can’t keep.

Having at least two birds gives chickens a healthier, happier life. Chickens naturally form flocks and do best with others. We will cancel or decline orders for only 1 chick. Hatching eggs are sold in half dozens (6 eggs). Older pullets, cockerels and mature birds are sold as a breeding pair or two birds minimum. We don’t sell single birds except cockerels/roosters to an existing chicken owner, for the same reasons as above. Our maximum order size is 250 day old chicks/hatching eggs pre-ordered and there may be extended lead times so please call to inquire on large orders; inventory dictates other sales. A deposit may be required on large orders.

We feed high-quality, certified organic feed to all our chickens producing eating eggs or hatching eggs. Outside breeding season, our roosters are fed a maintenance feed of about 10% protein. Our feed is sourced in New England and produced by a family farm.  For overall care, including questions about what to feed your chickens, you can visit our blog.  If you want an in-depth look at chicken feeding and care, we are always happy to send recommendations on books worth reading to help get you started on your chicken owning journey.

Per bird: general recommendations are four square foot indoor space (plus space for feed/water containers) and ten square foot outdoor space. Nest boxes need to be a minimum of 1′ x 1′ x 1′ and you need one nest box per three to four laying hens. 

Some reasons we will cancel an order:
Minimum or maximum amounts weren’t met.
You are outside the state of Maine. 
Your payment didn’t clear. 
You were unavailable for your delivery.
You requested cancellation. Refunds are issued except if outside allowed cancellation timeframes. Note: **All refunds issued are minus any merchant fees we incur. 

Some roosters show human aggressive traits and some breeds are known for it more than others. We don’t breed aggressive birds at our farm. You can read more on how we handle aggression (and ideas for extra roosters) on our blog.

Your order is confirmed only when you receive an order number. Your pickup date, estimated delivery (or special order shipment date) will be provided in your confirmation email. We will call or email on your pickup, delivery (or shipment) day to confirm. 

Your new birds will arrive in a box with holes for ventilation, and they’ll have shavings or other soft material for a more comfortable journey. We re-use boxes whenever possible to reduce waste so you may get a fun-looking box with your delivery. If we’re delivering pullets/cockerels, we often bring them in a crate so that you can put them into your own box or your coop. Have fresh food and water available when your birds arrive. You’ll receive a flyer with basic care tips and our contact details are on the flyer if any questions come up. Thanks again for ordering from Chisel’d Creek Farm!

Most chickens will begin laying at about 6 months of age. Some earlier, some later depending on factors like season, lighting, and the breed. Nutrition plays a key role in production so be sure you’re providing quality feed. Scratch is best fed as a treat rather than a staple of their diet, but can help provide extra fat/protein especially during winter months. And no, you don’t have to have a rooster in your flock unless you want to hatch eggs. Hens lay eggs regardless of a male being present.

In general, hatchlings will be 50 percent male and 50 percent female. The ratio can skew one way or the other in any given hatch, and there’s no guarantee on male/female hatch ratio, color ratio, or hatch rate for any hatching eggs ordered.

Cross-beak also known as “scissor beak” is a genetic problem in which the upper portion of the beak crosses the lower portion, causing the chick or grown chicken difficulty eating. If you get a chick that develops cross-beak, please just give us a call.

If you miss your delivery date, need a bit longer to prepare your coop etc., we reserve the right to charge a fee. If you’d like to pick up your chickens early, for example picking up six-week-old chicks at five weeks old, that’s just fine. We do not refund money on orders picked up early, and chicks 6 weeks and under are straight run. Note: There are always slight age variances that are due to hatchery discretion. For example, day old chicks can be up to six days old simply due to variances in actual hatch date and your scheduled delivery timing. We don’t charge you for that.