Ideal Poultry vs. Welp Hatchery

[Cowgirl71]

I'm trying to decide which to order from. I want Rhode Island Whites and very few hatcheries carry this breed, but I've narrowed it down to these two hatcheries. I'll be ordering RIWs, Barred Rocks, and California Whites. Have any of you had these breeds from these hatcheries? How was your experience with these hatcheries? Good? Bad? Thank you!

BTW, I know that hatchery RIWs are not SOP birds. I want these just for egg laying.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

I've ordered from both several times each over the years. Quality is six of one, half dozen of the other. Ideal has always had the best customer service in my opinion, but the birds I haven't noticed any difference in.


BTW, Welp's customer service isn't bad, I've just got faster answers, and had to make fewer calls to get anything done with Ideal. Not trying to say anything bad about either of them.

 

[GardeNerd]

I had a Barred Plymouth Rock from Welp, via Privett in NM. She was a fabulous hen. She rarely ever took a day off, was quiet, and pretty. I don't know about SOP, because for a backyard flock of layers, it wasn't a factor for me.

I have used both Welp and Ideal hatchery multiple times. Both have excellent customer service, and I have no complaints with either.

 

[Cowgirl71]

Thanks so much for all the info!

Ideal is a little cheaper for the birds I'm wanting. However, I've heard several horror stories about Ideal. Folks who are experienced with raising chicks ordering from Ideal and then losing half or most of them before they're two months old for no apparent reason.

I've also heard that both Ideal and Welp drop-ship from Privett, so they're selling the same strains of birds. Is this true?

I did order 50 Cornish Xs last summer from Welp and was very happy with them. Will definitely order some more from them this year.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Ideal has their own breeding farm. I think Welp drop ships all but a few breeds, I've heard it was from Privett, but just hearsay, don't know if it's true. I've seen pictures of Ideals farm somewhere online. I've never had any problems with birds just dropping dead with either of them. Last year I bought around 300 chicks from ideal to resale, several breeds, had no more losses than I had from any other hatchery or my own eggs I hatched out for that matter.
Wish I could be more help, but I just have never seen a big difference in most of the hatheries quality or stock. I do however order large orders, can only think of a very few times I've ordered less than 100 at a time from any hatchery, and then only if it was late in the season and I was just trying to fill a local customer's order when most hatcheries were sold out of a certain breed.

 

[Cowgirl71]

Quote:
Thanks so much!

May I ask which breeds you got from Ideal and Welp? Common egg layer types or rare breeds?

 

[RThomas]

I've ordered twice from Ideal, and currently awaiting my third order. Personally, I haven't had any issues with Ideal. From the first two orders, I had only one DOA, and one die witin the first week. I ordered a good variety of chicks, as well as ducklings and goslings. The sexing was perfect at 100% and the orders were correct. The customer service was also very good. They will also change your order with no problems.

I haven't ordered from Welp.

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

I've had good luck with welp and decent birds. I would order again, but they do not have one of the breeds I am interested in trying this year and Ideal does, so I'm going with Ideal this spring. I'm hoping the Orloffs I get are at least as good as the ones I got from Welp.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

Quote:
Thanks so much!

May I ask which breeds you got from Ideal and Welp? Common egg layer types or rare breeds?

This last years order from Welp was spangled Russian Orloffs (OK quailty, nothing special, ordered only 25 of them I think) Favorolles (They sorta semi look like Faverolles.

but are laying good, ordered I think 25) the rest were sex links and layer types.

Ideal we ordered around 400 mixed layer types, weekly special straight run, etc.. All done fine except I got around 6 or 7 bantams of some kind (Looked like maybe dark cornish), they might have been part of the freebies they added so not complaining. All done fine and the few layers we kept for ourself are laying right now and doing good.

I think the only rare breed I ordered from a hatchery last year was that one small order of Orloffs, all the other rare breeds I ordered last year I bought from breeders.

I like Ideal, but mainly because I get some great deals from them, shipping is a bit cheaper on orders of 100 than most of the other hatcheries and I can get a live person most anytime I call. Just a suggestion, but if you can take birds at odd times, get on thier email specials list.. You can get some steals if you can take what's left over on hatch day! The only catch is you have to take shipment on the day you get the email.

BTW, I was glad to see that the people responding actually read your post this time. I love my SOP heritage birds, but I also love my hatchery stock, and personaly think they both have a place on my farm.

 

[Cowgirl71]

Thanks so much for the replies everyone! I think I'm gonna try ordering from Ideal Poultry!

Quote:
Thanks! I'll go do that right now!