Hatching Eggs Policies at Medicine Springs Ranch

When ordering hatching eggs from us, you agree to the policies listed below. 

Shipping:

All eggs are shipped Priority Flat Rate. If you wish to set up different shipping please contact us before ordering.  If you wish to combine two Half dozens, please contact us so we don't overcharge you for shipping. We can ship USPS Express (you will have to check pricing form zip code 83462), Fed Ex or USPS if you prefer, but you are responsible for the additional shipping fees. 

Refund Policy:

We do everything we can to ensure your eggs are delivered swiftly and safely. However, sometimes unforeseen circumstances occur that are beyond our control. If any issues arise during shipping, we will collaborate with you to either reimburse or replace your eggs. Please note, our hatching eggs must be held at the post office, and you are required to pick them up within 3 hours of availability. For refund or replacement consideration under our refund policy, you must provide photographic evidence of damaged eggs within one hour of pickup from the post office. As an additional measure, we typically include extra eggs with orders. If you receive extra eggs and some arrive damaged, refunds or replacements will only be provided for the number of eggs you originally ordered and paid for. Once your eggs arrive safely, we do not offer guarantees or replacements, as our eggs are collected multiple times daily and stored under optimal conditions, ensuring you receive the freshest eggs possible. If the postal service performs well and you have a reliable incubator, you should achieve a successful hatch!

Cancellation Policy:

Please be aware that we do not accommodate cancellations once an order is placed. If extenuating circumstances arise and you absolutely must cancel, we will adhere to the industry standard, refund your order, and place you on a “Do Not Sell” list. We reserve the right to refuse service and/or cancel orders if someone is unkind or if an order appears suspicious.

Communications:

We strive to be available for our customers, but as we operate a working ranch, our time and bandwidth are limited. We appreciate your patience as we communicate with you and respond as our schedule permits.

We are not a high-production hatchery; rather, we are a small ranch operated by two individuals with small breeding flocks to ensure high-quality poultry. This is our passion, and we want to share it with you! Laying patterns and availability may vary due to weather and other factors beyond our control, but we do our best. We make no guarantees on fertile hatching eggs once they leave our hands. We will not issue refunds due to poor hatch rates or no hatch. Eggs are inherently a risk; by placing an egg order, you accept this responsibility. If your eggs arrive damaged, please take a photo and notify us immediately so we can initiate a claim with the post office. We are committed to working with you in such cases, but these situations will be handled on a case-by-case basis. While we have never encountered this issue, we are open to finding solutions!

Hatching Tips for Shipped Eggs:

· Set up your incubator 24 hours prior to the arrival of your eggs to ensure that temperatures and humidity levels are correct: 99.5 Fahrenheit and 40-45% humidity.

· Upon arrival, carefully remove the packaging and place the eggs back into the egg carton, pointy side down, for 24 hours.

· Position them upright in the incubator without turning for the first 7 days, then either continue to incubate upright or turn them once daily.

· On day 19, you may increase humidity to 60%, but this is often unnecessary as the humidity will rise quickly when the first chick hatches.

· If you opt to candle your eggs, it is best to check on day 10 and/or day 19 when you place them in lockdown. Candling dark eggs can be challenging, but if you can see a defined air cell, trust that it will hatch.

The Importance of High Altitude Adaptation for Hatching Eggs 

To ensure a high success rate, aside from the basic factors, it is important to know at what altitude your hatching eggs are coming from in relation to where you plan to incubate. Purchasing hatching eggs from a lower altitude than you could present several challenges, including a low hatch rate.  Here here is a scientific explanation of why our hatching eggs are easier to hatch at any elevation of they come from high altitude. In a nutshell, flocks adapted to higher altitudes can increase hatchability for everyone at the same elevation as well as ensure successful hatches all the way to sea level. You will not need to adjust anything with our eggs because our flocks have adapted to high altitude. You can hatch normally following the Hatching Tips provided with your shipped eggs (adjusting if needed based on the weight loss/air cell chart below). However, if you are purchasing eggs from someone who is lower in elevation than you, it is important to understand the challenges you will have. The following are excerpts taken from several studies proving adaptation at higher elevation increases hatchability. 

The origin of your eggs is one of the most significant factors for success at high altitudes. Here's the science behind why local is always better:

• Adapted Eggshells: Birds living at high altitudes lay eggs with shell porosity (the number and size of pores) that is perfectly adapted to the local environment. This is nature's way of ensuring a successful hatch.
• Lower Hatchability for Eggs From Lower Altitudes: Eggs brought from sea-level have shells that are not suited for high-altitude conditions, leading to a significant drop in hatch rates.
• Genetic Adaptation is Key: Flocks adapt genetically over time.

In an article by E.L. Besch, A.H. Smith and R.R. Burton titled “The Influence of High Altitude on the Hatching of Chicken Eggs,” the authors make the interesting observation that “[in] an altitude adapted strain of white leghorn chickens maintained at 3,810m at the White Mountain Research Station, . . . it has been shown that hatchability progressively increased to about 50% after several generations.”

The Science of High Altitudes & Eggshells

To understand the challenge, we need to look at the physics of the environment and the biology of the egg. It's a simple chain of cause and effect.

• Cause: Lower Air Pressure. At high altitudes (like in Colorado or Montana), the atmospheric pressure is lower and there is less oxygen.
• Effect: Faster Gas Diffusion. As stated on the page 168 of Nests, Birds and Incubators, D.C. Deeming states that “at high altitudes the atmospheric pressure is lower, the partial pressure of oxygen is reduced and gases diffuse faster.” This means that there is a possibility that the developing embryos will loose excessive amounts of weight and will not get the oxygen they need to grow and survive. 
• The Role of the Eggshell: Even though eggshells look solid, they actually have tiny pores all over them, some with almost as many as 20,000. These pores allow air and moisture to pass through. The more pores an eggshell has, naturally, the more air and moisture can pass through the barrier. These pores are what allow the air cell to form and why an egg will lose weight over time

·  The High-Altitude Challenge

·  The core problem is simple: developing embryos risk losing too much weight (from moisture loss) and not getting enough oxygen to survive. This is why adjusting humidity is not just a suggestion, but a necessity. As you'll see in our Humidity in Incubation article, there is an ideal amount of weight for eggs to lose. Depending on how porous an eggshell is, the humidity level will need to be adjusted to ensure the right amount of weight is lost.

The following three scenarios are considered:

1) Eggs produced at sea level: hatched at altitude (3000-6000 feet)
Of the three scenarios, this is the least desirable because it will definitely result in reduced hatchability. Eggs produced at sea level have a relatively large effective pore area and will therefore lose more water at higher altitudes. To compensate, setters and hatchers should be operated at a higher relative humidity. This is best achieved by pre-conditioning the inlet air to a relative humidity of 75 per cent, with a temperature of 24-28ºC (optimum). At the same time, increase the ventilation rate from normal for sea level, to accommodate the reduced oxygen levels. 

2) Eggs produced at same altitude as hatched (3000-6000 feet)
In general, this will give good results. Ventilation rates should be higher than normal for sea level. During humid external conditions, increase ventilation even more, as humidity reduces oxygen levels in the air still further. This higher ventilation rate may cause reduced humidity in the setters and hatchers. To avoid constant humidifying, humidity set points should be lowered and the resulting more than optimal weight loss, e.g. 14-15 per cent, is preferred in this case. 

3) Eggs produced at altitude; hatched at sea level
Generally, this will give good results. The set points for relative humidity need to be reduced to achieve optimum weight loss as the eggs have a reduced effective pore area.

Advice

Exact set points for relative humidity are dependent several factors including altitude and eggshell conductivity (age of the flock, nutrition, genetics). It is therefore recommended that relative humidity set points are fine-tuned by weighing trays of eggs before setting and again at transfer at 18 or 18.5 days. Alternatively, the size of the air cell provides an indicator of weight loss. If during an egg-breakout it is observed that too many wet, fully developed embryos have failed to pip, this indicates insufficient weight loss and/or a shortage of oxygen. In this case, set points for relative humidity should be reduced and/or ventilation rate should be increased.

Optimum weight loss for good hatchability and chick quality is indicated in the table.

Table 1. Optimum weight loss for good hatchability and chick quality based on experience

Age breeder flock 

Optimum weight loss (%) 

Young flocks 

10-11

Medium flocks 

11-12

Old flocks 

12-13

References
Dragon et al., 1999. Journal of Experimental Biology, 220:2787-2795
Rahn et al., 1977. Reduction of Pore Area of the Avian Eggshell as an Adaptation to Altitude.

For further information or advice, please contact the Pas Reform Academy. 

August 2008