HELP what about Estes Farm Hatchery

[Blueroo63]

can anyone tell me have you ever dealt with them,
i've never done hatchery birds and would like anyone opinions
on this hatchery and they're birds and thank you all
so much for your help Glenda

 

[FLOWERPOT]

Orschelens farm supply store has their 'chick days' and they get all their birds from Estes hatchery.
Last year I bought several birds from Orchelens and they turned out to be very nice birds.

 

[Blueroo63]

thats nice to hear thank you

 

[LMEggs]

I got my alot of my layers from Orschelens I got 5 BR pullets 5 New hampshire red pullets and a mottled houdan and three marans and a silver spangled hamburg pullet and silkie blue pullet and a black cochin pullet all from estes hatchery!! and all are very good quality birds. the cochin and mottled houdan are show quality birds and my BR and NHR pullets are great layers. my hamburg has PERFECT spangling if I was going to go to a hatchery I'd go through ESTES!


Oh and the blue silkie chick in my display is a example of estes blue silkies!

 

[EweSheep]

I bought 17 Welsummer chicks from them and they were pretty!

 

[ChooksChick]

I opened another thread on this because I coundn't find the Hatchery thread...didn't think to look at 'Breeds!' Was thinking 'Chicks!'

Anyway, this is what I posted.

**I found out that our Orschelns uses McMurray for special orders, but gets their 'Chick Days' Spring lots from Estes Hatcheries just over in Springfield, MO. It could be that when Orschelns orders from McMurray, we'd get drop-shipped Estes anyway.

I looked at their website, and they have a section with basic, but helpful care info at the bottom of the left navigation column. Folks might want this for future reference.

I called to see what kind of service I'd get and to ask about vaccinations. A nice fellow answered after 2 1/2 rings and was very helpful. He's sending me brochures (offered, not asked for) with info and prices, breeds, background. The site is new, he said, so there are still typos and stilted sentences. They've been around a LONG time.

I asked about whether the chicks we got are vaccinated, and they are not, I'm glad to finally know one way or the other...but the option is there should one choose to order it.

I do want to mention that other than the 2 Polish, all of our birds have been vigorous and healthy. I bought ours the day they arrived at Orschelns, save one Polish I got the third day she was there. I definitely got the runts on those, and it was knowingly, since I wanted to 'save' them from the feed store. I'll cut the hatchery some slack on that. Nonetheless, one is getting stronger every day. The other had a defect and had to be culled.

It may be worth more investigation, but also, someone out there may have more to add regarding experience with this hatchery. Anyone use Estes before?**


I was redirected here. I'm not sure why I was told at Orscheln's that they used McMurrays...I'm guessing there is a lot of confusion at our store in general, just from other experiences.

I am very happy with the 6 BR I got from O's last year, and would like to know about personal orders from this source, not just feed store experiences.

Did you end up ordering from them?

 

[J. Jamison]

I bought 10 RIR pullets from Orschelins last year that come from Estes and I love them. They are nice big birds and lay like crazy. I went to Orschelin last week because they got a shipment in from Estes and bought more! I left there with 8 RIR, 8 BR, 8 RSL, 8 BSL, and 4 ducks! I hope the rest of them are as good as the RIR's.

 

[FrChuckW]

I agree, I went to them last week and came home with 8 banties and 4 rainbow layer pullets. One of the banty's didn't make it, but the rest are doing great. So far I am pleased with the birds that I have got.

 

[Chicken Paradise]

I received my order from Estes last week and it was very messed up. I wanted 3 partridge rocks, they sent 1; I wanted 1 red sex link, they sent 2. I wanted 1 sussex, they sent 2. It took quite a while to figure out what was what! The partridge were the ones I was looking forward to, they are so beautiful (sigh).
Also, one of the RSL died within a few hours of arrival.

 

[swampducks]

I ordered 30 guineas from them last August, 10 died and they replaced them with another 20. No questions or arguments, very nice to me.