An explaination on hard-to-come-by breeds/strains

[punky rooster]

Quote:
X2 and that's why I resent the error of his ways.....

It may be an error in your eyes, but he's got the right to do what he wants with his birds. Saladin is a respected breeder, and knows what he's doing.

Chris09 wrote:
For those of you that disagree with saladin's post, that is fine you are initialed to your opinion but let me add this,
Look at all the people that buy the big name bird from the big name breeders then they are turning around and breeding that stock willy-nilly and selling the offspring as the big name stock and not one of the offspring is half the bird the original breeder sold. Now over time that is going to give the original breeder a bad name and all his/her hard work go's right down the drain.

Chris

I agree 100%. Now can we stop beating this horse and move on?​

 

[saladin]

Certainly you have the right to disagree with the way I operate. It's only the charater attack I dislike.

 

[harleyjo]

Ok, help me here. I am sincere and I really want to learn. Now granted, I don't think what I want to start is as rare as the birds you are talking about but I am still trying to learn.

I have done a lot of research and have decided I really want to do Heritage Delawares for meat and eggs. I don't like Cornish X and this is what I want to do. I am going to have to start with hatchery birds but I am searching for good breeding stock. I really need to know the best way get this started. I think I have found a starting source for some hatching eggs that will be better than hatchery stock but I really don't understand real well how this all works.

BTW... I was advised on here to find breeder stock... that is why I am asking more questions.

 

[saladin]

Quote:
X2 and that's why I resent the error of his ways.....

It may be an error in your eyes, but he's got the right to do what he wants with his birds. Saladin is a respected breeder, and knows what he's doing.

Chris09 wrote:
For those of you that disagree with saladin's post, that is fine you are initialed to your opinion but let me add this,
Look at all the people that buy the big name bird from the big name breeders then they are turning around and breeding that stock willy-nilly and selling the offspring as the big name stock and not one of the offspring is half the bird the original breeder sold. Now over time that is going to give the original breeder a bad name and all his/her hard work go's right down the drain.

Chris

I agree 100%. Now can we stop beating this horse and move on?​

Punky,
I was really hoping other breeders would post on how they gift/sell their stock. You rec'd some very good stock yourself. I bet a dime to a dollar that when you talked to the breeder he/she got to know you didn't they. They probably discovered your love for the American Class too, didn't they?

 

[nickie]

harleyjo

Ok, help me here. I am sincere and I really want to learn. Now granted, I don't think what I want

Today 8:31 pm

to start is as rare as the birds you are talking about but I am still trying to learn.

I have done a lot of research and have decided I really want to do Heritage Delawares for meat and eggs. I don't like Cornish X and this is what I want to do. I am going to have to start with hatchery birds but I am searching for good breeding stock. I really need to know the best way get this started. I think I have found a starting source for some hatching eggs that will be better than hatchery stock but I really don't understand real well how this all works.

BTW... I was advised on here to find breeder stock... that is why I am asking more questions

Exactly how I feel about dominiques.​

 

[saladin]

Quote:
I believe you'll find that Sand Hills has some good Delawares. Hatching eggs are a real crap shoot as to hatch rate. I'd much rather get chicks or a good trio. If you can locate a good breeder here then I'd talk to them about acquiring a trio. You could also then get the hatchery birds; raise them up and then make a selection based on the trio from the breeder.

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
Yes. And that goes to the people that I got my good birds from. They've also helped me out by answering my questions, and I'd go to them to ask a question over many on this forum.

Mitch

 

[HaikuHeritageFarm]

This will stray a bit...I think there has been so much emphasis put on "saving the heritage breeds" that a lot of people that have no intention of "saving the breeds" are now interested in them. Case in point: casually breeding for meat and eggs isn't going to really do anything for the Delaware (or the Dominique) unless you learn the ropes of selective breeding, cull like a feind and make improvements with every generation.

Someone that wants to "preserve" a heritage breed by simply keeping a few hens for laying, or a casual personal use yard flock would do just as well getting hatchery stock instead of asking a good breeder with top quality stock to send their birds off to what amounts to a dead end. Hatchery stock varies from hatchery to hatchery and deserves some research, too. For Delawares, I have heard many people used to be very pleased with the Welp/Privett birds and some of the breeders now are even working with stock that came from there.

Just some food for thought.

 

[GableBabble]

If I may:


When I first started getting chickens, I was in love with (still am actually) the aforementioned breed Asil. I wanted them badly. I did research looked up breeders in my area (most all fight them in different states so I refused to buy from any) and found out something interesting. I was not sure I wanted a strong bird such as I had read about. What if I had gotten them and gotten great stock before doing all the research? I might not have kept them.

I can see OP's point as well as the other side too. I can see if a bird is a bit more rare you would want to inform someone before selling stock.

ps.
Also, like with Polish. I love them all. I would not breed them all, but think they are all pretty. I would gladly have a hen I thought had the neatest look to her for a pet. Someone else would see her as a cull, but I would be happy as a pig in the sunshine

 

[harleyjo]

Quote:
It gets really confusing though because all hatchery Delawares are not created equal in what I have read and been told here on BYC. When I have people who I know breed Heritage Delawares tell me to try to get breeder stock then why would I not think that is the direction I should go? The other problem I am having is many of the hatcheries are out of Delawares right now. Sandhill is out for the year. I have not found anyone close to me that has Dels so I have no option but to order them.