We dropped by Wachter Hay & Grain as their open and airy lot that we walked by in Ojai was so pretty and cozy. I enjoyed how there was an outdoor browsing section (on both sides of the main building) and confirm the staff all were wearing masks and abided by the 6 ft distancing stickers on the ground. Everyone we met there was friendly ("let me know if you need anything!"), and I also appreciated that we were allowed to browse at our own pace. We also enjoyed spotting two snoozing kitties in the back area near the plants and birds section! There's a small succulent selection back there too. Doors are open to allow for airflow, and you can walk in to buy supplies for your pets - dogs, cats, hamsters, horse section also, etc. The outdoor section sells home goods like pots and planters (ceramic, glazed, terra cotta), chairs, outdoor trash cans, plant stands, outdoor furniture, etc. There was also an indoor section with seasonal home goods (lots of pumpkin decor now!). We made our socially distanced purchase and were on our way on a beautiful sunny day in Ojai. read more

Always fun place to visit. They have such great holiday displays with fun household items. If you need supplies for your own animals, they have sufficient stock too. The outdoor furniture and supplies are wonderful as well. read more

See all

There are no prices posted anywhere dog food - no prices on shelf price and no price tags. I looked at the reviews and realized it's because if you have to ask you can't afford it. They must stay in business due to the non-pet stuff they sell. There are so many options for pet food these days. No idea why anyone would shop here. read more

Love this sweet place! Always look forward to chatting with the gals who are always so lovely and so helpful! read more

very rude, karen like "boss lady". Buyers beware. Sold us a juvinile rooster as a hen full price. once confronted, karen mode was activated & she stated she knew what she was doing and didnt need us to explain how to tell if its a rooster.... i will always choose to drive to GOLDEN STATE HAY IN SANTA PAULA, just to avoid people like this lady in this store. RUDE RUDE RUDE. stated "this will be the only time i do this" because she knew what she did & believe me lady, you lost some good clientel. us n our farm go where we are valued. this place is only about the money, not the people. read more

The people here are amazing and so helpful. The products are good quality. The variety of goods is inspiring

Love this store so much but No internet site...cannot drive from orange county very often so quite disappointing .

They should not be selling bunnies and guinea pigs and keeping them outside in pens. The animals don't look good. I won't buy anything from here anymore until they stop this. The shelters are loaded with bunnies and piggies that people dump after buying at places like this. I hope they reconsider and stop selling bunnies and piggies. read more

This store is not where you come for a bargain, but if you are looking for a certain type of patio furniture or unique garden or pet gift, this is the place. The chicken coops and baby chicks are so darned cute, I almost wanted some, but I resisted the urge because I travel too much and do not want to be tied down to daily chicken feeding and egg gathering. I did buy some butterfly garden seeds as a gift, and loved the succulent pots and hummingbird feeders. If you enjoy wandering around looking at pretty stuff, the huge store spread out over a couple of buildings is a delight. The workers are very friendly too. read more

See all

This feed store is located conveniently right in downtown Ojai. They sell outdoor furniture and some home accents as well as your standard bulk feed, small selection of horse tack, fencing supplies, bales of hay, and pet supplies for dogs, cats, small mammals, small birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. They sell live pets here including guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens (full size and bantams) and fresh water aquarium fish. They usually have koi for sale as well as feeder mealworms, crickets and rats and mice. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, though I would be wary of buying aquarium fish here as my tank contracted ick after a purchase at Wachter's. This is not uncommon in retail pet stores, but still best to avoid contracting if possible. I generally come here to buy bulk food for my chickens, to check out their bantams for sale, to buy things like hummingbird feeders or the occasional live feeder rodent if I'm otherwise out. Their patio furniture and outdoor home accessories are very attractive and high quality, but with that comes higher price. I wish I could afford the cool things they have in their covered, open-air barn, but sadly cannot right now. I also wish they carried guinea pig food in 50 pound bags for cheap. For that I have to drive a ways away to another feed store. read more

See all

I wanted some information on the brand of soil amendment they sell here. I asked the girl working and she said I don't know anything I just work here. I spent quite a while picking out my tomatoes even though there were no prices anywhere. Seven dollars for a 4 inch pot!? I bought three anyway and one was very dry so I asked for a little water. She pointed outside and said there's a hose. What do you want for that kind of money..Customer service? Product knowledge? Don't be silly. Nice selection of tomatoes though. read more

First, let me tell you that Wachter's is one of the fixtures of Ojai that the town would be incomplete without. The same people have been staffing the store for the 12 years I've been going, and they are always pleasant and helpful. Moreover, when you're shopping you can enjoy the bunnies, reptiles, and fish housed for sale at the back of the store. That said, I have switched to another shop for my reptile worm supply because Wachter's is consistently short 25% to 50%, and a good number of the worms that are actually included are dead. Not everyone counts out the worms as they feed them to their pets, but I do so I can allot a certain amount to each lizard and plan accordingly when I need to refill. That means I may be one of the few who catches the shortage. Unfortunately, this shortage has been the case for over 2 years. Wachter's was gracious about the issue when I notified them of it back then, and they refunded me, but the next batch I got was the same. And the one after that. I gave the shop another shot recently, but the result was once again the same. I really hope Wachter's can work this out with their supplier so I can return there. They will definitely have my business if I can "count" on their worms! read more

Excellent service and selection. We always go there to replace our flock every couple of years. Today they had an excellent selection of young hens to choose from. Nick was helpful, friendly and very knowledgeable about the different varieties of hens available. Can't say enough good things about this place. We always come back bc they never disappoint. Make the trip, it's worth it. read more

We love this place. Everyone who works there is kind. They have a great selection of all kinds of things. Love looking round. Always something new to see. read more

not sure what's up with all these bad ratings but we have been shopping here for over 5 years and have never had a bad experience!! we've bought all our hens from them and they are healthiest and happiest girls! we buy horse supplies, bunny supplies, and shavings from there weekly! we love this store and all the employees are just the best! especially sam! so helpful & knowledgeable especially when it comes to animals! love supporting our local feed stores! read more

I love this place. Old school hospitality! They have everything for pets/reptiles, and super attentive. Best place for feeder rats too :3! read more

After lunch at Bonnie Lu's, we walked around downtown and stumbled into this pet supply store. The place is bigger than it looks, well stocked with pet food and supplies for cats, dogs, turtles, horses, you name it, as well as compost, outdoor furniture, plant pots, and other gardening supplies. The best secret though is if you walk around outside in the back, they have lots of live animals such as goats, birds, and chickens. I was disappointed that they didn't have any pot-bellied pigs, but they had a huge turtle. Kids will be entertained. read more

The animals they are selling there are not kept in good living conditions. go to the back where they have large bird cages for finches and parakeets and you will see it covered in bird feces. The feeders have feces on it, the perches have feces on it, the ground has feces on it, and everything else. Making an animal live in its feces it inhumane, but they take it a step further and make the birds eat out of a feces covered food dish. Just another example how establishments selling animals do not care about the health and wellness of the animals they are selling. I found a cockroach in the food dish for the rabbits. Please do not support the sales and breeding at Watcher hay & Grain, any other pet shops for that matter. They do not care about their 'Product'. Always adopt. read more

This little store, where to start! It is your typical Ma and Pa store. Complete with a variety of funny, charming, gentle personalities of the staff. Its a busy little store, all the staff have their duties which they take seriously, their is only one little register, but they will take the time out to talk with you and answer your questions; hoping you feel right at home! Spend time roaming the grounds, especially in the back with the "mini farm" of cute little animals. They have cute furniture in the outside horse stalls, and a little walk-through garden area on the other side. One gem is that you can always expect consistency with the staff and store. It's homegrown, and much of the staff is family friends or relatives who have worked there for many years. The sweet "red-head" is a hoot, Ms Tammy. Great friend, mother, employee and just all around wonderful human. I am, however, waiting for them to get some piggies in for adoption. Hint, Hint read more

After writing my first positive review on Yelp it was send straight to filter. So I'm back to my old ways, ranting and raving. So here it is: If you have more money that you know what to do with, go to Wachters and buy everything from expensive outdoor furniture to fancy pet food, horse and chicken feed, or what have you. Or you can go a couple of miles down the hill to Ventura Hay and buy your organic animal supplies there for approximately one third less of the price, and, in addition, get great, friendly service! The best part: This way you can avoid the condescending redheaded lady at the counter of Wachters that will leave you with an ever so tight, ill feeling in your throat. read more

I'm not sure what happened to my first review from several years ago....?, but after picking-up items (dog food bags and toys) for a customer I continue to get a "high brow" attitude from the females at the register. I'm a local and never get a "pissy" tone from other stores employees. Makes me wonder why they continue working in the service sector when it's obvious they hate it! read more

When I say, I've experienced "better," it has NOTHING to do with the staff. The ladies at Wachters are wonderful,and I've known them for years; it is the prices I complain about today. I realize it is "rip-off time around the world," but charging $22. for a 6' lead is reprehensible, especially given that Wachters buys in bulk, so one would think the economies of scale would militate toward lower prices, perhaps even bargains. In retrospect, had I not been in a hurry, I would have gone to the Wharf, in Ventura, or a thrift store. My bad for going to Wachters, but this heat has me reeling instead of rocking, moaning instead of rolling. Now, will the earth tilt off its axis? Probably not. Will Trump win re-election? It looks that way. Will I go back to Wachters? read more

My husband was looking to purchase a good amount of welded wire fencing. He first described what he was looking for as hog wire. The woman at the counter we spoke to was quick to correct him that it wasn't called hog wire and was called welded wire and seemed annoyed that he had called it hog wire at first. Once she decided what it was he needed, she quoted him an astronomical quote on the fencing. He asked if that was the best deal that she could give him and she said it was. We knew the quote was way too high so we did a little look-see around the store and then left. I am giving it two stars simply because the woman we dealt with was incredibly unpleasant and really seemed to hate her job. The next customer got her wrath too. I will say that there are some darling items in here and many fun unique gifts. I recommend coming in here in a pinch and I agree with other reviewers that this place is more for tourists. What a disappointment.. Glad we shopped around - we ended up getting our fencing...which was in fact ok to refer to as hog wire! LOL!...at Ojai Valley Feed. They had given us a quote that was over half under the quote we were given at Watcher Hay and Grain and we live just down the street. read more

This 5-star rating is based only on their Christmas trees. We always find a good one there, and they have good stuff inside during the Holiday season as well. read more

I bought my first layer hens and supplies there and have been going back to add to my flock ever since. Sam is the Man! If you are thinking of getting started or just want to add to you flock of hens he's the guy to talk to. He knows his stuff and that is why I keep on going back. It's a great old time feed store and I've recommended it to friends and family who want to get into raising layer hens. read more

What a cool place! Great variety and fun stuff to look at. I needed pellet cat litter after my cat just had surgery and I called ahead with a baby and cat in the car. They ran my bag outside and delivered the product in exchange for my card to run. Talk about top-notch customer service. I found my favorite granary in town and I will definitely be back soon! read more

What a cool place the Ojai zoo is. :)) They always have what I'm looking for and are so helpful and friendly with their customer service. I wouldn't normally write a review but I read some really crappy reviews here on yelp and had to comment.. The prices are very competitive but it's the customer service that is outstanding. Try getting that online. read more

Not sure what's up with the negative reviews here... smells a little like the competition to me. Anyways, we drove to Wachters from Valencia to purchase some chicks. The staff were so helpful in helping us with what we needed to get started with raising chickens. Katie, in particular, was amazing. Very knowledgeable. She gave us lots of info and advice, but never gave us a hard sell on anything. I love shopping like that. Ojai is not close to Valencia, but I can see making the drive to Wachters once in a while to pick up supplies and, especially, information. read more

I've lived in Ojai most of my 56 years and try to do my business locally. Most of the store merchants here know me well. I'd even say most of them are glad to see me when I enter their shop. Always a smile and a "good to see you" or "how can I help you today". I'm not a hard person to please. I understand that people may have issues unknown to me. With all that said the customer service at Watcher Hay and Grain is deplorable! The times I HAVE to go there I get these exasperated looks when I ask a question and/or some immature snide remark. It appears to me after reading a few other reviewers bad experiences that if the females at the store feel their above you or think your inquiries are taking too much of their time, you will be treated to their icy moods! Only an employee "angry at the world" acts this way. Prices are astronomical even if they are tourist oriented. read more

This place has everything you need for your pets and more. The service is great... very friendly and helpful. I bought the cutest chicken coop with the healthiest chicks recently. Love the inside of the store..cute stuff for gifts and the home. read more

I got my chicks at this store and it was a great experience. The lady who helped me was very informative and friendly. It was fun looking at all of the different things this store has to offer. read more