We’d Love to Talk to Everyone All Day, Every Day — Unfortunately Time Is Not Real and These Are the Questions That Fill Our Inboxes.
Please Reach Us At support@vagabondculture.com If You Cannot Find An Answer To Your Question.
Orders are processed in the order they are received.
Beyond that, we can’t give shipping estimates. We can’t predict laying pace, weather, molting, or when birds decide to go broody and pretending otherwise only creates stress on both sides.
Because of this, there are no shipping estimates moving forward.
If you need a guaranteed ship date or a specific timeline, we may not be the right fit ... and that’s okay. We’d rather be upfront than overpromise.
We’ll notify you when your order is ready to ship. Until then, patience is part of the process.
We ship hatching eggs Monday through Wednesday only because we believe it leads to the smoothest transit and highest hatch success. Shipping later in the week increases the risk of delays, weekend holds, and temperature exposure.
We also do not ship around holidays for the same reason — longer transit times and carrier backups aren’t worth the gamble.
Eggs collected Wednesday night through Saturday are considered extras for the week.
Those eggs are:
We don’t gamble with hatch rates.
No, we do not guarantee hatch rates.
We do guarantee fertility, and we check fertility weekly.
A egg not hatching does not mean it wasn’t fertile. It means something happened that prevented development; most often related to shipping, handling, temperature swings, transit delays or hatching technique/equipment.
Once eggs leave our care, too many variables exist to guarantee hatch outcomes.
For this reason, fertility is guaranteed - hatch rate is not.
No - and not for the reason people usually assume.
We do keep our darkest eggs early in the season - for our own hatches and for documentation. That’s how breeding programs move forward. If we didn’t know exactly which hens are laying the darkest eggs and actively work those eggs into our program, our lines would never improve.
With that said, you will receive eggs from these same hens later in the season.
We’re not hoarding dark egg layers because we don’t want you to have them. You’re just receiving eggs from those hens after we’ve secured what we need for our own breeding goals, which means the eggs you receive may be lighter because it’s later in the season, not because the hens aren’t capable.
Same hens. Same genetics. Different point in the laying cycle.
We hatch early spring and fall only. Outside of that, eggs going out are intended for customers - and by then, pigment may have naturally started to ease, as it does with all chickens.
Also! You are not the only person receiving eggs the day yours are packed and we have to be fair to everyone.
What you’re buying isn’t a snapshot of our peak-season color .... you’re buying access to the genetics behind it.
Again, absolutely not - and here’s why.
Yes, we breed for bloom. We love bloom. We select for it and track it closely.
What bloom is not.... is consistent or guaranteed on each egg - even from the same hen.
Bloom is highly seasonal and weather dependent. The level can swing day to day, from very light to a thick, solid coat where you can’t even see the base egg color. The same hen can lay wildly different eggs depending on conditions alone.
We know which hens lay heavy bloom.
But if we sent an “all heavy bloom” mix in the warmer months, you’d likely receive a mostly non-bloomed order - and think "what happened" and we’d be stuck asking you to “trust us.” That’s not fair to you, and it’s not how we operate and plainly we don't want the stress.
Bloom also isn’t 100% guaranteed, even when both the hen and rooster carry bloom genetics.
So instead of overpromising, we point customers toward assortments where you’re likely to hatch bloom-carrying layers, without guaranteeing surface bloom on the eggs upon arrival themselves.
There are breeders who promise bloom and charge accordingly. We’re not one of them.
Our Marans start out laying very dark eggs, and like all chickens, their pigment is gradually spent over the season.
Our Marans pen is made up entirely of layers that lay in the 6–9+ range on the Marans color chart - nothing lighter. We haven’t had to cull for egg color from our own layers in over four years and no "new blood" marans are added until they lay and are graded.
Orders are fulfilled in the order received, and shipping timing matters.
We ship March through August for hobby breeders.
August through November is reserved for our hatches and "late season" eggs for serious breeders only, because egg color naturally lightens later in the season and seasoned chicken keepers are more accustomed to the pigment differences.
Late-season eggs are sold as "new pen blood" at a discount. The value is in the genetics, not immediate surface color.
We don’t force laying, the chickens set the pace.
Once your birds start laying, you’ll see the full range of their color.
The egg you hatch from does not always reflect what your birds will lay later. Bloom and pigment often show up once birds begin laying, and bloom changes over time.
Every year, we have a few that express early disappointment and that disappointment is followed months later by excitement once birds start laying. This pattern is consistent, quite annoying and expected.
That said, we are always happy to answer respectful questions and have thoughtful conversations.
What we will not tolerate are rude, aggressive, or hostile messages.
Any communication that crosses that line may result in being blacklisted from future purchases indefinitely.
While we have made exceptions in the past when genuine apologies were offered, that will not always be the case going forward.
We put an enormous amount of care, time, and intention into our breeding program. Mutual respect is not optional.
If you’re in the waiting phase right now, trust the process.
No.
We do not vaccinate chicks, based on our own beliefs and flock management practices.
If vaccination is a requirement for you, hatching eggs are the better route, as they allow you to make all health decisions yourself from day one.
No, not all.
Most of our chicks are straight run only, it will be noted otherwise.
We stopped shipping chicks in 2024.
At this time, we have no plans to resume shipping chicks until there is a meaningful improvement in USPS handling - beyond continued price increases. Current shipping conditions create unnecessary risk and stress for live birds.
For now, chicks are local pickup only.
That said, we do offer limited meet-up and delivery options.
Yes. our chick minimum for 2026 is four (4)
Chick orders require a minimum quantity, but breeds may be mixed and matched from what we are offering this year to meet that minimum.
Please do not mix our chicks with other chicks already on your property.
Once chicks are introduced to birds from other breeders or to chicks hatched from your own pens, we can no longer take responsibility for outcomes. For that reason, we do not refund or replace chicks that become ill or pass after being mixed.
Chicks from different lines are raised under different conditions and do not share the same immune background. Even chicks that appear healthy can carry organisms another group has no resistance to.
Mixing chicks often leads to issues such as:
We also cannot replace or refund chicks that struggle due to conditions on your property, including (but not limited to) coccidiosis, Marek’s, respiratory illness, temperature regulation issues, or lack of access to food or water.
If chicks are sold " straight run."
We cannot and do not guarantee male-to-female ratios. Roosters are always a possibility, and buyers should plan ahead for that outcome.
We do not accept roosters back, and once a live animal leaves our property, we do not take it back under any circumstances. This is due to our own biosecurity protocols, which are extremely strict by design.
Once chicks leave our care, their health, housing, and biosecurity are the responsibility of the buyer. Proper brooder setup, sanitation, quarantine, and long-term planning are essential for success.
Please review your shipping selection carefully before completing checkout.
If an incorrect shipping option is selected, we will reach out approximately one week prior to your expected ship window with an invoice for the remaining shipping balance. Shipping costs are calculated based on your delivery address.
That balance must be paid within 72 hours. If it is not, your order will lose its place in the shipping queue and we will move on to the next order. Once payment is received, your order will be re-entered based on current availability.
We offer free shipping for local pickup and for dry-goods orders over $100 only. Hatching eggs are excluded from free shipping unless explicitly stated.
Allowing us to calculate and invoice shipping ensures accuracy and keeps fulfillment moving smoothly for everyone.
We breed for egg color, health, and our own internal standard - not the show ring.
That doesn’t mean structure is ignored. We do cull traits that would make a breed indistinguishable (especially with Marans), but health always comes first. We will never prioritize cosmetic perfection over strong, functional birds. A bit of color leakage is not a concern if the bird is otherwise thriving.
READ MORE HERE ABOUT OUR BREEDING PRACTICES AND WHAT WE CULL OUT OF OUR MARANS LINE.
We are intentional about what stays, what goes, and why.
Because of that confidence, we proudly offer hatching eggs. We’re genuinely excited to see what you hatch, and we have no concerns about defects showing up down the line. We are not cherry-picking outcomes by only selling chicks — we believe in transparency and letting our breeding speak for itself.
We’re an open-door program. What we hatch is what you hatch.
When we do backcross, it’s intentional and limited. We will only backcross up to two times to a genetic parent stock before removing roosters and bringing in carefully sourced hatching eggs for new blood. This prevents genetic stagnation and keeps our lines healthy and moving forward.
If strict SOP breeding is your goal, there are excellent breeders who specialize in that.
If your priority is healthy birds, exceptional egg color, and honest breeding practices, you’re in the right place.
If your package arrives with visible damage, any claim must be filed directly with USPS. We are unable to submit claims on your behalf.
Please do not discard the shipping box. USPS may request to inspect the original packaging to determine whether damage occurred during transit. Choosing Hold for Pickup at your local post office can make this process easier if inspection is required.
We use a packing method that has proven, so far, to perform amazingly and is designed to withstand normal rough handling during shipping. Bumps and movement are expected in transit and are accounted for in how we pack.
If eggs arrive smashed, something went significantly wrong during shipping — beyond normal handling — and USPS should be held accountable.
What you’ll need to keep and document:
Your package is insured for this reason.
Claims should be started as soon as possible. Claims can be initiated by calling 1-866-974-2733, after which USPS will issue a claim number and request documentation.
Be prepared to advocate for yourself. Damage claims often require persistence, clear documentation, and follow-up. If eggs are destroyed in transit, that responsibility lies with the carrier — and it’s important to push until the claim is properly addressed.
Yes — with limitations.
USPS is our default carrier, and our packing methods and shipping schedule are built around it. However, if you strongly prefer a different carrier, we’re open to discussing it as long as the buyer covers any difference in shipping cost.
Alternative carriers must be arranged in advance, approved by us, and follow the same shipping window and handling standards we require. We won’t experiment with methods that put eggs at higher risk.
If an alternate carrier isn’t a good fit logistically, we may decline the request.
This is a widely known fact, hatching eggs are inherently a risk, and that risk is understood at the time of purchase. For that reason, all sales are final.
We do not offer refunds, cancellations or replacements on hatching eggs under any circumstances. Once an order is placed, it is considered a commitment to the process.
We also do not offer refunds on live orders. Our offerings are intended for informed, prepared poultry keepers who understand the realities involved.
If needed, and only prior to fulfillment, a customer may contact us with reasonable time by email to request:
These options are offered at our discretion and are not guaranteed.
Please order thoughtfully and with realistic expectations. We’re always happy to answer questions before checkout ! after that, the order stands.
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