Availability

Cash is accepted at the time of collection. But please be aware all other payments must have been received, and cleared, prior to the collection or despatch of your live birds or hatching eggs.
Cheque:   All cheques must be made payable to Ian Waterman
Cash:       Cash payment on the day of collection is always acceptable.
Cards:      We do not accept payment via either credit or debit cards.

We post all our eggs using Royal Mail 1st Class and will be sent next day recorded service at the following prices:
6x Eggs @ £14.50
12x Eggs @ £17.75
18 x Eggs @ £22.50
24x Eggs @ £27.50

Collection:

We enjoy people coming to collect their live birds or hatching eggs as it is an opportunity to discuss poultry with other keepers and enthusiasts.  Although we prefer a collection of live birds at the weekend a midweek collection can be arranged with sufficient notice.  We permit the collection of hatching eggs at any time, and this can be arranged when ordering or purchasing.

Transportation:

It is the responsibility of the purchaser to provide an appropriate-sized box or crate for the safe transportation of their poultry.   Please do not hesitate to contact us for advice on this important issue.  Please be aware we won’t let our birds go if you haven’t got appropriate containers and transportation for them.

Courier Services

We can provide you with the contact details of an avian courier.  All arrangements and costs incurred are the responsibility of the purchaser, and payment for stock must be cleared before your birds are released.

Hatching Eggs:

We are constantly trying to improve the quality of our birds and the hatching eggs we sell are selected from our breeding groups of unrelated pairings.  Egg fertility and hatchability will have been tested and the eggs we sell are only available because our incubators are full.  We collect our eggs twice a day to ensure they have the best opportunity to progress through to hatching, and we never sell eggs that are more than 48 hours old.

Washing Eggs

We do not wash our eggs before incubation as this removes the cuticle or bloom which is the layer of natural protection provided by the birds.  So, as far as we are concerned, any dirt that doesn’t rub off stays with the egg through the incubation process, and this strategy has not affected our hatching rates over the years.  So please be aware the eggs you receive may not be spotless.

Collecting Eggs:

Hatching eggs are better collected from us as this ensures a safer and less traumatic journey, and enables a hatch rate similar to our own. The hatching eggs you buy will be in appropriate boxes when you collect them, and ideally, they should be transported in a cool vibration-free environment.  So make sure they are not placed unsecured in the boot of your car or on a hot parcel shelf.

Postal Eggs:

We will despatch eggs through the postal system, but this is always on the understanding that the hatchability is likely to be significantly diminished having travelled in such a traumatic way.

All our eggs are carefully packed into appropriate boxes and then packed again within a cushioned outer cardboard box for added protection.  As far as we are aware we have never had an egg broken in transit yet. If you have any issues with damaged eggs when you open your package please send us photographs so we can respond appropriately.

All hatching eggs are sent out Monday to Thursday as ‘next day’ delivery, so please make sure someone is there to receive them.  Fertile eggs left sitting on a doorstep in the sun or on a shelf awaiting collection at your local parcel office will significantly diminish their hatchability.

We offer no guarantees of hatchability for eggs that have gone through the postal system.

Eggs that have travelled through the postal system must have a settling period of 24hrs before going into the incubator.  This procedure is essential because the evolution process hadn’t considered the egg being shaken in the post as part of its development.

Please be aware that some eggs are positioned ‘upside down when we package them for posting, and this is because in our experience they seem to travel better that way.  It is essential that the eggs ‘settle and rest’ in the point-down position for turkey and chicken eggs, or on their side for goose eggs.   Also, to avoid sudden changes in temperature ‘resting’ should be undertaken in the same room as the incubation equipment, and NEVER keep eggs intended for incubation in a fridge.

We take great pride in preparing our poultry for the breeding season and in managing the collection and storage of their eggs.   Importantly, we only sell hatching eggs when our own incubators are full and we are confident in fertility and hatchability.  However, given we have no control how hatching eggs sold by us are subsequently stored or incubated we are unable to offer any guarantees.