FAQ

We strive to provide high-quality eggs with a high fertility rate by regularly hatching our own eggs to ensure healthy chicks and good hatch rates. When shipping our eggs, we take great care to package them securely to prevent damage during shipment.

However, it’s important to note that eggs are a natural product and can be influenced by various factors. Eggs are provided at your own risk, and we do not guarantee nor offer refunds for unhatched eggs. We encourage you to review our TERMS & CONDITIONS before making a purchase.

As much as we wish to provide a straightforward answer with time line, our ability to do so is constrained by the natural processes of our chickens. We are unable to manipulate their laying patterns or fertility.

When fertile eggs are labeled as ‘Out of Stock,’ it usually indicates one of the following situations:

1. We have existing back orders to fulfill, resulting in a waiting period of longer than four weeks.
2. There is an excess of broody hens.
3. The fertility rate does not meet our standard of 85% or higher.
3. It’s during the ‘Moulting season,‘ typically occurring from March to August in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia, when our hens cease laying.

Usually, we have fertile eggs available from September to February each year. However, their availability is contingent upon various factors, making it difficult for us to predict exact restocking times.

Please refer to our “HATCHING TIPS” section for comprehensive information on hatching. We’ve compiled detailed guidance to help you achieve successful hatching results. If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out to us.

We recommend starting incubation as soon as possible. However, if you are unable to incubate the eggs immediately, please follow these guidelines:

Store fertile eggs in a cool place with a consistent temperature between 10-15°C. Avoid extreme temperatures, as fluctuations can negatively affect embryo development.

Store the eggs with the pointed end facing downwards. This helps to keep the air cell in the correct position, rotate the eggs gently once or twice a day to prevent the embryo from adhering to the shell membrane and to ensure even development.

The development of eggs begins from the moment they are placed in the incubator or under a broody hen. The date the eggs were laid has no direct correlation with the hatching date. If all eggs are incubated or placed under the broody hen at the same time, they are expected to hatch around the same time as well. Therefore, it’s the incubation period that determines the hatching date, not the laying date of the eggs.

Choosing the right egg incubator can indeed be challenging, as it depends on various factors such as budget, experience level, and personal preferences. Generally, higher-priced incubators from reputable brands like Brinsea, Rcom, Greatlander, and Multipquip tend to offer better quality and reliability. These brands have established a reputation for producing incubators that deliver consistent results and provide features designed to support successful hatching.

For beginners or those looking to start small, it’s advisable not to overspend initially. Starting with a smaller, more affordable model allows you to gain experience and determine if hatching eggs is a hobby you want to pursue further.

When purchasing an incubator, it’s important to prioritize safety and quality over price. Avoid buying from unknown or unreliable sources, such as eBay unbranded. Electrical items like egg incubators involve heating elements and water, so it’s crucial to choose a product from a reputable poultry supply company to ensure user safety.

Ultimately, the best egg incubator for you will depend on your specific needs, preferences, and budget. Researching different brands and models, reading reviews from other users, and considering factors like capacity, features, and ease of use can help you make an informed decision.

We collect eggs daily from the pens.
For interstate shipments, egg collection takes place from Thursday to Monday morning. This timing ensures that eggs are suitable for incubation after a few days in transit. Older eggs are incubated for our day-old chick sales.

At Pip & Grow, we don’t operate a waiting list. Drawing from our extensive experience in the industry as both consumers and breeders, we understand that many other breeders implement waiting lists, sometimes months in advance of the season. However, our approach differs.

We believe in ensuring that our customers don’t have to wait for eggs unless we can guarantee their availability. While we do produce plenty of eggs during the breeding season, not all may meet our standards for sale. Some may have fertility issues or offspring-related concerns.

Instead of waiting lists, we offer our customers the option to set up notifications for each breed using the ‘Notify Me’ function. This way, when we have completed our testing and are ready to offer eggs, an email notification will be sent out. This grants our customers the freedom to explore other options in the market or choose to order from us, based on their preferences.

We use Australia Post’s business portal to send out our eggs, ensuring they are all express posted with tracking for your convenience. Your address will be printed exactly as entered, and Australia Post will provide tracking details and updates via email.

Please be aware that Australia Post sometimes skips the scanning process, so it may appear that the parcel is not moving after the initial scan. However, once it reaches the local airport or depot, all tracking details will be updated at once, often resulting in an earlier estimated arrival date than initially stated. Our local post office dispatches at 4 PM Adelaide time, and we typically post our eggs before 3 PM.

More details found “HOW WE POST“

Unfortunately, we cannot offer a precise arrival estimate for your parcel, as it depends on the destination zone (Zone 1 – 3) and the workload at your local Australia Post depot. Typically, most orders across Australia are express posted on Mondays, arriving for customers by Wednesday to Thursday. Orders dispatched on Tuesdays generally arrive by Fridays. However, it’s important to note that unexpected delays can occur.

More details found “HOW WE POST“

Absolutely, yes!

It’s important to note that the fertility of the eggs begins to decline after approximately *14 days from collection, according to studies. To ensure you receive the freshest eggs possible, we typically post them between Thursday and Monday, as we reserve older eggs for our own incubation purposes.

Even if your parcel experiences an extended transit time, rest assured that the viability of our eggs is not significantly affected. Instead, the most critical factor affecting viability is physical damage, such as damage to the air cell, which can occur during shipment. We take utmost care in packaging our eggs to minimize any potential damage during transit.

*More info found
https://www.poultryhub.org/anatomy-and-physiology/incubation

We do not recommend “Resting”.

Air cell damage occurs when there is a tear between inner and outer membranes of the egg under the shell, often caused by vibrations, drops, and other factors during transport. This type of damage cannot be repaired by allowing the eggs to rest. Instead, leaving them to rest may further age the eggs and reduce their viability. Therefore, it is advisable to incubate the eggs as soon as possible to maximize their chance of hatching successfully.

Related Post : “Resting” fertile eggs

Rest assured, we fully cover any physical damage, such as cracked or broken eggs, that may occur during transit.

Please refer to our “Damaged eggs upon arrival guarantee” for instructions on how to proceed. We kindly ask that you contact us as soon as possible with photos of the damaged eggs, including a close-up showing our stamp, “Pip & Grow.” This will help us expedite the process of providing you with a suitable resolution.

Just like plant seeds, fertile eggs contain the potential for life, but they require the right conditions to develop. In the case of fertile eggs, they need to be incubated under the appropriate temperature and humidity conditions for the embryos to grow and hatch successfully. Without the proper environment, they won’t develop, much like seeds won’t sprout without soil, water, and sunlight.

“Currently Available” egg orders:

• We’re accepting orders for the following week’s Monday to Tuesday shipment. Upon request, we can post eggs any day of the week for urgent needs. You’ll receive a dispatch notice via email once the order is posted.

“Back ordered” egg orders:

• We’re currently fulfilling orders with a short waiting period. We’ll email you to confirm the estimated shipping date.

If an order includes both currently available and back ordered eggs, we’ll dispatch the order when the back ordered eggs become available and post them together.