Meyer or Ideal?

[enggass]

Are either of these 2 hatcheries birds truer to breed than the other? I know a hatchery is a hatchery, but who in your opinions had better stock?
Looking at Welsummers and Barnevelders...
Thanks,
Steve

 

[IwannaBEaMERMAID]

for sultans . . . .Meyer's

 

[Meyer Hatchery]

Check out our website: www.meyerhatchery.com

The images on our website are pictures of our breeding stock. What you see is what you get...

Hope that helps you make the best decision!

 

[Kassaundra]

I have no experience w/ Ideal, or the breeds you mentioned, but I am very pleased w/ my order from Meyer. I got EE's they were/are healthy and very pretty.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I have ordered from Ideal twice. I was disappointed both times with service, quality and it took almost 7 days for the last order to get to me from time they shipped out. I know, it was the PO fault but I have never had that to happen with all the other hatcheries I have ordered from and it has been often that I have ordered from 8 different hatcheries.

Meyer has always been great for me. I will be ordering from them anytime I want hatchery birds which is every year as I try new breeds for my free range flock.
My 2nd choice is Welp but hands down, I prefer Meyer.

 

[TrostPoultry]

Depending on what you are getting, Ideal can have some very good birds. I have ordered from them in the past, and was amazed at the show quality birds that I received. Other times they are a major let down when it comes to show quality. With that said, as with any hatchery, they are about making a profit and producing birds that represent the breed. I have never ordered from Meyer, but I would say that Ideal birds do represent the breed, and are just as well as any other hatchery stock (at times much better). As far as their customer service, Ideal far exceeds Meyer in my opinion. I have talked to Meyer regarding a potential order, and I was less than impressed. In fact that was the final reason I did not place the order. Ideal has stood behind every shipment they have sent me. I also have 4H members that ordered from them, and lost nearly every bird in the order within 10 days of getting them. They called Ideal for advice on what they did wrong, Ideal not only helped them understand, but the replaced the order free of charge! Ideal is also very supportive of youth programs and very helpful when you need them.

I live in Wisconsin, and our winters get terribly cold here. Ideal is the ONLY hatchery that I can reliably get chicks from in winter and not have to worry about them arriving in good condition. Even the hatcheries that are only a couple states away can't get birds to me in the dead of winter.

I order from Ideal multiple times a year. I use their chicks to give away to youth that are interested in keeping chickens, but don't want large numbers, or to deal with getting chicks via the mail. I also organize small orders from the local area and always use Ideal to fill those orders.

Hope that helps!

Jeremy

 

[PineappleMama]

I love that Meyer shows their actual birds and actual eggs... go scope the hatching eggs area.

The GLW eggs are SO pretty, not that that's what you're looking for but I'm all for more, and honest, info so I'm loving the way Meyer handles their pics... not those cartoony drawings of what the breed is supposed to look like, like Ideal and McMurry have, but what their ACTUAL birds and eggs look like... to me, that's a HUGE difference in the ethics department alone.

 

[Chicken Chickita]

Okay, so I just placed an order with Meyer. Wish me luck! I've never ordered from a hatchery and have only gotten pullets from local breeders before. I'm a little nervous but also very excited!

 

[Schwartzfarmnc]

Quote:
I also placed my very first order with them on Wednesday and we are so very excited.
What hatch date did you pick? We got the 8th of March.
So far I'm very satisfied with meyers, wonderful customer service.

 

[Chicken Chickita]

Quote:
I also placed my very first order with them on Wednesday and we are so very excited.
What hatch date did you pick? We got the 8th of March.
So far I'm very satisfied with meyers, wonderful customer service.

I picked March 8th too! I'm so excited!! Its a little stressful ordering from a hatchery for the first time but I've heard good things about Meyer. They also had a good variety to pick from. I ordered some cochins, german spitzhaubens, a few polish, a barred rock, a columbian wyandotte, a silver laced wyandotte, and a black sumatra. I can hardly wait for March!!