Anyone order from Farwest hatchery out of Oregon??

[wildblueWildfowlunlimited]

Just curious as communication from them seems poor, as in no management or "order" ,in placing an order. They offer a lot of nice variety BUT I would feel better with some positive feedback?? ............Anyone??

Thanks

 

[daze333]

I thought I would post what I know about Farwest. They are just starting this year. That is why you cannot find much on them. It is a guy who has been in the industry for years but finally stepping out on his own. I have heard he is a really nice local guy and is trying really hard, but their communication is poor. It took me 2 weeks to just get my chicks ordered and get a date when they would be delivered. Now on the day they were supposed to get to me, I get up at 5am, dress, make hubby's lunch, get the brooders ready and wait by the phone for the po to call, they never did! I called Farwest and talked to the owner, Terry. He explained that they had a turner problem and my chicks hatched deformed. But I had to call them to get this info, they didn't even call me!! He promised that he would fill my order the very next week. So I said okay. Now they said they would ship Tues and on Wed I called them and they hadn't shipped yet! So I asked them to confirm all my birds shipped and e-mail me the tracking #. It is Friday and I haven't heard anything from them and no chicks in the mail either! Frustrating!!! I planned on selling some of these chicks at an event in April and now do not have enough time to order from somewhere else! Maybe in a few years they will have their act together....

 

[hokankai]

I had quite a different experience, as I ordered my chicks over the phone and got right through to the office. I ordered 3 chicks for pick-up in May. They sell to a lot of feed stores in the area and I believe he was the source of my chicks from Urban Farm Store in Portland last year as they are listed on Farwest's website. All of those chicks grew up to be absolutely beautiful/friendly hens!

I don't know about shipping, but they seem to have their act together when it comes to pick-up. I don't have the chicks yet, but I hope everything turns out okay!

Edit: Also, looks like they're booked for the rest of the year in a lot of breeds. They must be pretty busy!

 

[SewChaos]

I know this is an older thread, but I thought I'd post my 2 cents. I ordered from them last month, via their website - downloaded the order form, filled it out, emailed to them. They called the next business day to confirm my order and get payment (my credit card #). They even told my I didn't need to pay the small order fee - which I thought was great. I sent them an email last week to change my order a bit, swapping 2 birds of 1 breed for another - it took a week, but they did respond and even discounted my order for the $0.50 difference in price.

My chicks are due to arrive in April, so I'll know more after that, but I was thrilled to find someone with reasonable shipping charges, who allows a smaller order.

 

[chezpoulet]

I too would be interested to hear from folks who have ordered from them, re quality of their stock etc. It would really nice to be able to either pick up or have the chicks shipped from closeby!

 

[Oregon Blues]

Sewchaos, please come back and tell us how your order was completed. Many people are curious.

 

[hokankai]

Feel free to PM me for my experience.

 

[SewChaos]

I learned yesterday that The Eugene Backyard Farmer (an urban farm store in, you guessed it, Eugene) is receiving their chicks from them this year. The last two weeks they've not received all the breeds they've ordered. When I asked them, they said it is FarWest's first full year as a full scale operation and that they are dealing with a learning curve. No one's complaining about the quality of the chicks, and they are finding out BEFORE they are supposed to receive them what they are (or are not) getting.

I'm willing to give them a chance, it's gotta be hard to figure it all out. I'll let you know how it turns out....

 

[SewChaos]

Well I was supposed to receive my chicks this week. I called them this morning and was told that they couldn't fill my order, the BCM "aren't handling the sexing well" so they didn't ship them. Would have been nice to get an email or phone call letting me know. (I did let them know that I would have appreciated a call.)

My order is now a "priority" and it should ship next Tuesday, with 4 straight run BCM instead of 2 pullets and a cockerel. The owner will call me on Wednesday to confirm that they have shipped.

So far, I'm not overly impressed, even allowing for a learning curve.

 

[Grumpypantsmomma]

I will add my 2 cents! I ordered my chicks over the phone I scheduled a pickup, and i was called early the morning of pick-up date and told that they would not be on the office and that the manager was bringing some ordered chicks to my local feed store and he would bring them by and call me before he got there. O.K I though that would be fine, I waited all night for the phone call to met the guy, next morning got a phone call that the chicks had been taken to Seattle, and we could schedule another hatch at no charge the following week and a pick up time. So i did so, the hubby and i drove up to the hatchery only to find out they only had our standard chicks, and that we had to wait for the rest to show up from the other part of that hatchery. So we waited and then were told that the driver was running late and had a scheduled drop off at columbia feed and seed here in my town and that they would drop the chicks there with darlene the store owner who i know personally and she would call me around 4pm when he was scheduled to deliver. as i was driving home i checked out the chicks he did give us. The mottled java was getting really week, so i held hi the drive home and noticed his wing feathers were way to advanced for a 2-3 day old chick. but thought nothing of it except to get some save-a -chic down it. I called the feed store to talk to darlene but she wasn't in and the dude who answered said that that they would not except the chicks because they would have to take care of them. I was furious. I got a call back from Darlene saying that they had already delivered their chicks @ 11 am and there was no chicks for me and she was fine with holding the babies for me. the problem With the time slot that far west delivered the chicks to my feed store is that is the time he supposedly got the phone call saying the driver was running late because they were still sorting chicks. I still cannot get ahold of them, i am missing over 2/3 of my order and and $95 in the whole.
The second scheduled pickup date was march 25th, I sent email and left messages, I gave them til after easter to reply before serving them with papers to go to small claims court, but now can't afford it, it would cost me more money then i am in the hole.

Oh and of the 5 Light Sussex chicks ordered are not Light sussex, they are light brahma Sussex cross they have the beautiful columbian pattern but some have pea some have straight and some wonky combs all with feathered feet and mean to all the other chicks until we separated them into their own breed, the speckled sussex pullets we ordered are the meanest little ***** as well they look like crosses are not letting nobody else eat and are little bitters, i can't grab the waterer with out the biggest one attacking my hand or the others biting me or jumping on my arm and scratching it with their little feet. Of all of the chicks ordered, most of them are nothing like the breeds were ordered, and I am short over 2/3 of the order, really wondering what the others would have been like.