I'm not picking a fight either, just trying to make sure people understand the history of the breed. The original stock in the US were from breeders, not the government or hatcheries. This is a breed that has been bred to a standard in Europe since the 1920's - here is a link where you can read about the history of the breed http://welsummerclub.org/Origins1932.htmso the european goverments sent those out or was it a hatchery in europe that sent them ..its still a hatchery if thats what they did ..they hatched them then sold them to someone here ....i would bet it was a hatchery in europe that they came from ..it doesnt matter i wasnt trying to pick a fight i am just saying every one has their own reasons for getting the birds and altho they may not make it in your flock my birds are just fine with me ..and i dout my granddaughter is going to care if she wins at a local fair and not a bird show as you mentioned ..its a 4-h project for her and i to do together ..a bonding type project if you will
the breed wasn't admitted to the US APA until the 1990's
to say that all chickens originate from hatcheries is the equivalent of saying all food comes from a grocery store.