Chicks That Leave the Hatchery on the Day They Hatch

Why the hatch day is the dispatch day

Same-day dispatch means the chicks leave on the day they come out of the egg. It does not mean the day you send your message. A chick cannot be shipped before it has hatched, so the date on your order is tied to the hatch. When you ask for a delivery, we tell you which hatch your birds come from and the date they leave.

I set the dispatch this way on purpose. A chick that travels on its first day has the yolk it was born with still to draw on. The sooner it is in a warm, dry box and on the road, the sooner it can start drinking and eating at your farm, and that is what makes the first days go well.

Chicks that wait around after hatching, or that sit in a holding room while the rest of a batch is sorted, are using up energy they will need later. Dispatching on the day avoids that wait.

The yolk window, explained plainly

Before a chick hatches, it absorbs the yolk into its body. That yolk is a small reserve of food and fluid that carries it through its first hours and days. Chicks can travel on that reserve for about 48 hours, which is the window we work to. Inside that window, a chick can make the trip and start feeding once it reaches a warm brooder.

The window is not a safety margin to test for fun. Heat, cold, rough roads and long waits all draw on the reserve faster. A box that sits in a hot vehicle for hours uses up more of it than a box that moves steadily in the shade. That is the core reason to get the chicks moving on the day they hatch.

Outside the window, the risk rises. A chick that arrives after the reserve is used up is weaker, and it needs more care to recover. That is why we measure the timing from the hatch rather than from when the order was placed.

What a long delay does to a box

A delay on the road usually causes three problems. The first is dehydration, because the chicks lose moisture faster in heat and cannot easily drink on the way. The second is chilling, when a box is left in a cold, damp place overnight or in an open vehicle. The third is overheating, when the box sits in direct sun and the air inside rises too far.

Each of these shows up in the first hours at your farm. Chicks may stand hunched, cluster in one corner, or pant with their wings held out. Some do not stand at all. Good handling at both ends of the journey reduces these problems, and the faster the chicks are moved from the box to a warm, dry brooder, the better they recover.

If a delivery is running late, tell us so we can keep the box in shade and the crate ventilated. We would rather make a call than let the birds suffer quietly on the road.

How the dispatch day runs at the hatchery

On the day your birds hatch, the team sorts the chicks, checks them for weakness, and packs them into crates. The vaccinations that every chick receives at the hatchery are given before dispatch, and the batch record is made up for your order. The crates are then loaded for the route that matches your region.

I cannot give you a fixed clock time for every batch, because hatches run on the schedule of the eggs. What I can tell you is the order of events. Hatch, sort, vaccinate, record, pack, load and go. A buyer who asks for the dispatch time will get the answer for their own batch in writing, not a general figure.

If you want a feel for the hatchery itself, our hatchery page describes the set-up. Farm visits are by appointment, and those are the best way to see the dispatch day from the inside.

Delivery to all sixteen regions

We deliver to all 16 regions. The route depends on where you are and how the chicks can be carried safely. A nearby town and a far northern town are not the same job, and the cost reflects that. We always quote the delivery price in writing before you pay, so you can see the full cost of the birds before sending any money.

Plan the route with us at the time you order. Tell us the town, the nearest landmark, and the name and phone number of the person who will receive the box. Those details decide the handover, and a handover that is clear on both sides is much less likely to go wrong. The delivery page sets out how the routes are planned, and the delivery notes explain what to prepare at your end.

Ross 308 and Sasso on a same-day run

The Ross 308 is an imported broiler, and it is often chosen when the aim is a fast, uniform crop. The Sasso is a local-hatch dual-purpose bird, chosen when meat and eggs both matter. Both arrive on the same dispatch logic, and both need the same first-day care in a warm brooder.

These are starting prices, and the exact figure is confirmed in writing for each order. For the full list, see the day-old chicks price list, and the breed guide helps you pick between them.

The first six hours at your farm

The first hours decide a lot. Have the brooder warm and dry before the box is opened. Put a lamp over one part of the floor so the chicks can move between warm and cooler spots. Place shallow drinkers with clean water near the chicks, and make sure they can reach them without wading through litter.

Open the box gently and lift the chicks out in small handfuls. Dip each beak in the water if it looks dry, and leave the feed in easy reach. Do not pile the birds on top of each other in a corner. Watch how they spread out across the brooder, because that tells you whether the temperature is right.

Count the birds as you move them and write the number down. If there are losses, note them with the time and a photo of the box, so the record is complete before anything else happens.

Signs a box arrived in poor shape

Some signs need quick attention. Birds that do not lift their heads, birds that are cold to the touch, and birds that pile up in one corner all need you to act now. Warm them slowly under the lamp, make sure the water is clean, and keep the room quiet so they can settle.

Tell us the same day if the box looks wrong. Send photos and the count. A problem caught in the first hours is much easier to understand than one reported a week later, and it helps us check the journey as well as the birds. The replacement guarantee page explains what happens to birds that are dead on arrival.

What same-day dispatch means for a small buyer

A small buyer often has the least room for error. One box of 50 may be the whole first cycle, and a bad first week sets the pace for the rest of the year. Same-day dispatch removes one common source of trouble, which is birds sitting in a holding area while the rest of the paperwork catches up.

It also gives you a clear date to plan around. When the hatch date is in writing, you can book the brooder, buy the starter feed and arrange someone to receive the box, all before the chicks leave. That planning is what turns a delivery into a calm morning rather than a scramble.

How to place an order for a same-day dispatch

Message us on WhatsApp or call with the breed, the number of boxes and your town. We check the next hatch and tell you the dispatch date. We confirm the price and the delivery quote in writing, and you pay by mobile money, bank transfer or cash. We do not take online card payments.

Keep the confirmation message until the birds have settled. It has the hatch date, the breed, the count and the price, and it is the reference we use if anything needs checking. The FAQ page covers the questions people ask most, and the about page explains who we are.

Vaccinated chicks on the road

Every chick is vaccinated at the hatchery against Marek's, Newcastle, Gumboro (IBD), infectious bronchitis and coccidiosis before dispatch. The batch record travels with the order, and it is the paper you keep for the vet later. Read it when the box arrives and keep a photo of it on your phone.

Vaccinated or not, a chick still needs clean water, a warm brooder and gentle handling on the first day. For the vaccine detail, our vaccinated chicks page goes through each disease and what to watch for on the farm.

Choosing a seller who dispatches on hatch day

If you are comparing sellers, ask when the chicks leave the hatchery. A seller who cannot tell you the hatch day, or who gives a vague answer about the road, may be holding birds longer than they should. Ask how the chicks travel, how long the route takes and how the delivery is quoted.

The buying guide lists the questions to ask any seller, and it applies to us as well. We would rather you check than take our word for it.

Planning the feed and the cost before the box comes

The first week costs more in attention than in money, but money still matters. Work out the starter feed you need for the batch, the water you will use in the first days, and the lamp and litter you may have to replace. The poultry calculators hub has tools that help you total those costs before the chicks arrive.

Have the money for delivery set aside too. The delivery cost is quoted in writing before payment, so you can see it in advance and avoid surprises on the day the box arrives.

Questions farmers ask