Chick Foster Program

Are you an animal lover, educator or parent looking for a special activity? Foster some baby chicks for a few weeks!

Here’s how it works:

Sometimes we run out of space to brood chickens and ducklings.* When someone orders older birds, it is a huge help for us to get their daily care off our plate!

Once we hatch out the chicks and we’re sure they are all healthy, we provide literally everything you need. Containment area, brooder plate, feed, grit, and bedding.
You and your family and friends can enjoy, handle and love on the chicks for a few weeks as they grow!
We will pick the chicks back up at a designated time when they’re bigger and send them off to their new happy homes.

*Due to the increased mess, fast growth rate and risk of drowning, we do not foster ducklings.

FAQS:

The duration of each foster program is different depending on the goals and needs of each group of chicks. We typically request that you commit to at least 5 weeks.
As long as chicks are safe and warm and your feed and water containers are sufficient for the size and age of your flock, chicks can be left alone all day.
If you will be gone for longer than a full day during your foster program, please arrange to have a friend or neighbor check in on them.
To avoid any unnecessary stress on the chicks and you, we do our best to plan ahead well and make sure that you are fully prepared to foster. Please ask as many questions as you have before committing, and we’re always happy to help make adjustments if your current set up isn’t working well.
In the case of an emergency, we will always take the chicks back if you must back out, but please note that we still may need at least a few days notice to make appropriate arrangements on our end.
Chicks are very easy to take care of or else we wouldn’t be fostering them out! If you should notice ANY changes in behavior or appearance of the birds, please notify us immediately. In the event of a general health issue or illness, you would not be responsible.
Some or all of the chicks that we are fostering out are already sold as adult birds. In the case of negligence or accident resulting in death, you may be responsible for the full purchase price of the adult bird (up to $45 per bird).
We’ll let you know prior to fostering if some or all of the chicks are sold. If there are spares, we’d be happy to sell them to you at the end of your term!