Beginning with the 2027 season, hatching eggs will be available for shipment via UPS only. We will no longer ship turkey poults.
We provide freshly collected hatching eggs and take care to store them under optimum conditions prior to shipment. Eggs are collected regularly and held at the proper temperature to help maintain their viability and provide the best possible hatch results.
We have tested our hatching egg packaging and UPS shipping during the 2026 season and have been pleased with the results. However, hatching eggs are fragile and shipping always involves some risk.
All shipped hatching eggs will be sent via UPS. Each egg is individually wrapped in bubble wrap and placed inside a well-padded shipping box to provide as much protection as possible during transit.
We will carefully select and inspect the eggs before shipment. Once a package has been accepted by UPS, however, we have no control over how it is handled or transported.
We therefore cannot be responsible for carrier delays, mishandling, temperature exposure, loss, or damage beyond the limited replacement policy below.
We do not guarantee hatchability of shipped eggs. Even when eggs arrive intact, shipping can affect air cells and viability, and hatch results can be affected by incubation conditions and other factors after delivery.
We understand that occasional breakage can occur during shipping despite careful packaging. We may also include one or more extra eggs with an order, if available, at no additional charge.
If three or more of the eggs purchased and paid for arrive physically broken or cracked, we will provide one replacement shipment for the damaged eggs.
Any extra eggs included at no charge are provided as a courtesy and do not count toward the three-egg minimum for a replacement.
To qualify for a replacement:
Damage to one or two eggs does not qualify for a replacement. Extra eggs included at no charge are not counted when determining eligibility.
We sell hatching eggs, not guaranteed poults.
We cannot guarantee that every egg will develop or hatch. Hatch results can be affected by numerous factors, including fertility, handling during shipping, air-cell damage, storage, incubation temperature and humidity, turning, incubator performance, and other conditions beyond our control.
A poor hatch rate does not qualify for a refund or replacement.
Turkey poults will no longer be shipped beginning in 2027.
This decision is the result of recent changes by the U.S. Postal Service and our experience with the increasing problems involved in shipping live poults. Delays within the postal system can leave live birds sitting in transit for extended periods, creating unnecessary stress and potentially resulting in the loss of the birds.
Unfortunately, once poults are accepted by the carrier, we have no control over how quickly they move through the system or how they are handled. Recent USPS policies and the difficulty we have experienced obtaining compensation for losses caused by postal delays have made shipping live poults an unacceptable financial risk for our business.
We simply cannot continue to assume responsibility for losses caused by circumstances that are completely outside of our control. For this reason, all turkey poults will be available for local pickup only.
Local pickup will be available in the Northern Indiana / Southern Michigan area. Please contact us at porterturkeys@aol.com for information regarding available poults and pickup arrangements.
A transportation fee may apply if we need to drive to meet the buyer at an agreed-upon location.
By purchasing shipped hatching eggs, the buyer acknowledges that shipping involves inherent risks and agrees to the terms of this policy.
We will do everything reasonably possible to provide high-quality heritage turkey genetics and package the eggs carefully for shipment. Once the shipment is accepted by UPS, the buyer assumes the risks associated with transportation and the subsequent handling and incubation of the eggs, subject only to the limited damaged-egg replacement policy described above.
Our goal is to provide high-quality heritage turkey genetics while being realistic about the risks involved in shipping hatching eggs. This policy allows us to continue offering our genetics to customers outside our local area without assuming unlimited responsibility for circumstances beyond our control.