Cancellations & Refunds

Cancellation & Refund Policy

All chick orders at Chesapeake Farm & Hatchery are pre-orders. When an order is placed, live inventory is reserved specifically for you and scheduled for your selected hatch and ship or pickup date. Because chicks are living animals and hatches are carefully planned in advance, our cancellation and refund policy reflects the preparation involved.

Order cancellations
Orders may be canceled within 14 days of the original purchase date for a full refund. After 14 days, refunds are no longer available, as chicks have already been reserved and removed from availability. This policy applies to both shipped and local pickup orders.

Changes and order modifications
We are unable to make changes or additions to existing orders once they are placed. If you need to modify your order, the original order must be canceled and a new order placed.

Cancellation and reordering
If an order is canceled in order to make changes, a refund will be issued to the original payment method as soon as possible. Customers are responsible for placing a new order with the desired updates.

Hatch date and availability
Canceling an order forfeits your original hatch date. New orders are scheduled based on current availability at the time of purchase. Breed availability, quantities, and hatch dates cannot be held or transferred from a canceled order.

Hatch and ship date adjustments
Because we work with live animals, occasional adjustments may be necessary due to factors such as natural hatch variability, weather conditions, or shipping considerations. We reserve the right to adjust your hatch or ship date one time if needed to ensure chick health and safe delivery.

If a second date change is required
If your order must be moved a second time, you may choose to cancel your order for a full refund or work with our team to select a new available hatch date.

Important notes
All chick orders are considered custom, live inventory pre-orders. Refund eligibility is based on the purchase date, not the hatch date. Shipping fees are non-refundable once shipping preparation has begun. Live Arrival Guarantee claims are handled separately.