Hatchery vs. Local Feed Store

[kkowa]

it does not mater where you get them eaither way they still come from a hatchery.

 

[808inVA]

I get mine from bomgaars as well, they are hit and miss on breeds, I've gotten wyandottes in the barred rocks, speckled Sussex in the RIR bin, etc. (not that it is a bad thing). I'm ordering Jersey Giants this year from a hatchery because I want to get Jersey Giants, not a mix bag.

 

[TeaChick]

I'm no expert, I'll have my first anniversary of keeping chickens in about a month, but I'm going to put my two cents in anyway, just to share what little experience I have had.
I got less than a week old chicks from a local feed store. I've gotten major compliments on the white Leghorn hens I have (I don't imagine that they're SOP or SQ, but they've gotten compliments from those who know). My gold Comets lay me eggs and are relatively intelligent (and I enjoy the variety of browns I get in their eggs, nice large delicious eggs). I ended up with a Bantam Cochin Frizzle and she's a dear pet now (even though I only got into chickens for the eggs and maybe the meat eventually; I was not going to have a pet). That's my feed store experience.
There is a negative connotation on BYC about hatchery quality chickens. The idea seems to be that it would take several generations and introduction of SQ stock to get them to SQ, but if all you're interested in is living lawn ornaments, getting x number of eggs a week, or dinners, then they're alright. The general attitude seems to be you can do better than hatchery quality, b/c the hatcheries are not interested in genetics, they're just interested in turning a profit. On the other hand, there are some very knowledgeable breeders with some very large operations, and they have very good reputations.
I have read a lot about how vast the differences of pathogens can be from one area to another, about chicks being shipped and ending up dying b/c the postal system or delivery company was late or somehow negligent, etc. My own experience with infections has been this: I got chickens from a breeder with a relatively small operation, who lives just down the street from me (I could easily walk to her house), and I lost two hens I got from her b/c they got sick on my property. Her chickens are in perfect health, there is the occasional cold, etc, but she pays close attention to her birds and takes very good care of them. Between her and I, we nursed one of the hens back to health; she had contracted some digestive illness that my chickens are immune to already b/c they've been on my property since they were chicks.
>>>>>>>>Chicks have a three-week immunity from the yolk; that is the best time for them to be exposed to your soil wherever you're going to keep them!!!<<<<<<<<<<

Those are my meager qualifications for the advice I'm about to give you.

1. Get your chicks young; they will be better able to build an immunity to whatever is on your property as long as they're less than three weeks old. Put some dirt from where their coop and run are going to be into the brooder (box, etc.) with them to give their bodies an opportunity to begin building the immunity to the pathogens in that soil that they're going to need to be able to live on it.
2. Buy from the closest place that has the breed(s) that you feel like are going to work best for you (your setup, your purposes, your resources, and your goals). I, personally, would suggest being able to drive to wherever the chicks are and being able to bring them home in a box(es).
3. Get at least their brooder ready before you go and get them. Start working on the coop and run before they're ready for them, so that those are ready when the chicks are ready to use them.
4. See if you can find someone local to you, even if you only keep in touch on BYC, that you can trust and keep in very close contact with them. There's no substitute for experience!!!
5. Have fun with your chicks and chickens. They're a joy to have around and they're more than just pets with benefits. =)

I hope you get what you want and that you enjoy what you get. =)

 

[BGMatt]

No difference. Almost every feed store gets hatchery chicks anyway. So either way you're getting the same low quality birds. Really the question should be hatchery vs local breeders. There's bad breeders too but at least there's some out there with good stock.

 

[TeaChick]

See? I told you about the negative connotation (or out spoken) idea that hatchery birds are not good quality.
I neither agree nor disagree.
I happened to get healthy, hearty birds from one of my local feed stores, but a friend of mine was in another one and saw eight dead chicks in the huge wooden box they were all in.
I wouldn't rule out feed store or hatchery birds again, but I would rather get hatching eggs from a breeder, personally. Just me. (Hatching is a-whole-nother set of requirements to add to chicken keeping). and it's addictive, so be ye forewarned!!!

 

[ShelbyCoral]

Yeah cancel! I have gotten such bad results from meyers hatchery! I live in medina, so im not to far from them. My new flock is from them and I have had mereks chickens from them. I have a scissor beak rooster, Hens with no toe nails, its just bad... I love them very much though, my new chickens, but im not happy with how they look! ITS UNHEALTHY! I got my best chickens at a local feed store.

 

[ShelbyCoral]

I will go into breeding some healthy ones, not like factory breeding. Like, once a month maybe? I think meyers over breeds theyre hens...

 

[ChickenCanoe]

it does not mater where you get them either way they still come from a hatchery.

X2

The only advantage to the feed store chicks is that you get to look at them and don't have to pay for shipping.

 

[fireflyhatchery]

usually feed stores get them from hatcheries. I have ordered from both ideal poultry and Meyer hatchery and did not have any problems even being a couple states away from each.

 

[ShelbyCoral]

My first 8 girls came from a feed store that told us where they came from. A good farm. if you find that kind of feed store. your good!