FAQ

Can I get female chicks from you? My town doesn't allow roosters.
There are only a few breeds that I can sex at a young age. In general, I sell the chicks without knowing the gender. Most people are concerned about this at first, but they generally end up either purchasing what they hope will be hens and then coming back for more if they get any  roosters (which are not hard to re-home), or they buy more than they really want and re-home the roosters. Some will opt for feed store chicks or mail ordering. Most of these chicks come from large hatcheries where they have professional chick "sexers." This is great in some ways, but buying from large hatcheries comes with its drawbacks. I've had many buyers come my way b/c their chicks were sick or had died on the way or soon after.

What do I do if I get a rooster?
Most people give their roosters away for free. If you have a particularly remarkable rooster, you might be able to sell it. Here are some routes you can go, whether or not you are giving away or selling your rooster:

1) Call Farmer's Feed in Gilroy (408) 842-8124. They sometimes take roosters in exchange for store credit. Talk to Lalo.
2) Post an ad on Craigslist.
3) Post an ad on the forum of backyardchickens.com
4) Call Half Moon Bay Feed and Fuel (650) 726-4814. They take and distribute roosters for free.
5) Post an ad to svchickens@yahoogroups.com

How much are the chicks?
Chicks start at $12. If I have a particularly rare or expensive breed they will be priced accordingly.

Why do they cost so much more than those from a feed store?
Unlike a large hatchery, HSC hatches eggs that come from small farms, often run by people who love animals. They tend to be more particular about what their chickens eat and the conditions in which they live, all of which affect the eggs that you end up eating. Our chicks get a lot of attention from everyone at the house as well as visiting neighborhood kids, making them great, friendly pets!

Also, HSC is committed to raising exclusively heritage chickens. This means that all of our chickens are purebred lines that have been around for a long time, many of which are on the endangered list. What this means for you is that your heritage chickens will ultimately lay eggs for many more years than many of the production chickens sold by feed stores and big hatcheries. At the same time, you will be helping to rebuild the population of these threatened breeds!


Can I reserve chicks?
Yes! It's highly suggested to pre-order. That's what a lot of people do. Of course there is no guarantee, but so far I haven't had to refund anyone's money yet. Pre-ordering assures you that you have access to whatever hatches first. Because I can't be absolutely sure of what I will be hatching until the eggs have arrived, pre-orders will be taken once the eggs are in the incubator.

How do I reserve a chick?
First, send me an email letting me know what you would like to reserve at amberlin.wu@gmail. When you hear back from me that I think it's feasible to fill that order, you can pre-pay for your chicks via paypal at the same address. If, for whatever reason, I am not able to deliver on what you have reserved, I will return your money.