Are all hatchery birds pet quality?

[WalkingWolf]

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As you can see the OP is not interested in breeding to standard but breeding pet quality birds that people will buy for various reasons excluding shows. She wants to know if hatchery birds are pet quality, but as there is no standard for pet quality any bird could be a pet.

I sell gamefowl which are not available from most hatcheries. They are all pure american game though some colors are mixed. I have Hatch's, Roundheads, and Pumpkins. My reputation depends on two things honesty and quality. As my feedback grows I get more and more requests for my birds. IMO it is more possible to get burned from a unknown source who can just make another account and move on opposed to a established hatchery that cannot do that. What I have seen take place sometimes is reprehensible, in the way the hatcheries have been talked about. I believe in the policy of do not do to others what you would not want done to you.

These hatcheries are respected honest businesses and for her purpose would be just fine. For show birds she should do tons and tons of research and ONLY buy from respectable honest breeders. And those that fall into that category have a waiting list and do not need to and do not make remarks concerning hatcheries.

Just saying that if you should become a breeder for profit you would not like being put in the same light as others have done to hatcheries. No offense intended.

 

[Pathfinders]

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I know of several. One of them monitors these forums regularly, looking for statements made about their company, so I will not use their name.

They know that they are selling Dutch that have been crossed to OEGs, (I and a number of other breeders have told them so directly.) They don't care.

Buyers who don't know any better buy them, and then become unhappy down the road when they find out that they are not Dutch at all. Whose fault is that? Those who breed purebred Dutch? Or the hatchery that sells such birds?

And any number of hatcheries sell EEs but call them Ameraucanas. That certainly falls under knowingly misrepresenting a breed in my book.

 

[Krys109uk]

My reputation depends on two things honesty and quality. As my feedback grows I get more and more requests for my birds. IMO it is more possible to get burned from a unknown source who can just make another account and move on opposed to a established hatchery that cannot do that.

To me it seems a shame more breeders are not like you. Personally I feel that in most instances the breeders who sell rubbish bird only do so because they do not know their birds are not good representations of their breed. I believe the number of deliberately dishonest people are far outweighed by people who just don't know any different.

Just saying that if you should become a breeder for profit you would not like being put in the same light as others have done to hatcheries. No offense intended.

I'm not remotely offended. I don't have a problem with people disagreeing with me. A good debate is interesting. I hope I'm not offending you either.

I did breed for profit in UK. I was director of a high end rare breed poultry farm. I know a lot depends upon reputation. People who take good care to have excellent birds have nothing to fear from examinantion. I sold to the high end market (there are enough selling to the lower end). If someone was not completely satisfied with one of our birds they had their money refunded or the bird replaced, though, for replacements, they did have to wait until we were next delivering in their area. We never sold eggs or chicks.​

 

[Katy]

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Couldn't disagree with that statement more!! Every hatchery that uses pictures that are not their own birds is misrepresenting the quality of their birds.....and most do exactly that or only have drawings to show what the breed is supposed to look like. If their birds were such a good example of the breed they should be happy to have their own photos in their websites and catalogues.

 

[goldielocks]

Thats not true at all. I just got the Meyers Hatchery Catalog out and its says...Commonly known as the Easter Egg Layer.

There are some people who just dislike the Easter Egger and get a big head when they get an ameraucan. Why, im not sure. The ameraucana can only lay a blue egg and the Easter Egger can lay a rainbow of colors.

 

[Pathfinders]

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Generally the people who dislike it when hatcheries misrepresent Easter Eggers as Ameraucanas are those who breed purebred Ameraucanas, or are people who purchased EEs thinking they were getting purebred birds. I think that's a reasonable reaction.

Don't get me wrong, I have had a number of EEs (I made myself some OEs by breeding my Marans cock bird to some of my purebred Ameraucana hens), and love them. But they are NOT Ameraucanas, and I would never sell them as such, which is what the hatcheries do (most anyway.) I will note that several hatcheries have taken to distinguishing between the two types over the last several years, due to breeders and dissatisfied customers complaining about the misrepresentation for so long (they finally listened!)

And again, I bring up the example of the first time 4-H kid whose parents buy them a box of chicks (including EEs) who later is gravely disappointed when his birds do poorly or DQ because they are not what the hatchery represented them as. I find that the most unfortunate part of the whole thing. Kids should not be collateral damage in the hatcheries' desire to make a buck. But they are...

 

[Krys109uk]

There are some people who just dislike the Easter Egger and get a big head when they get an ameraucan. Why, im not sure.

I'm not sure about the big head bit, but, I think, anyone who takes there breed seriously dislikes seeing them misrepresented.

I think it also needs to be stressed that there can be so absolutes. Nobody can say that all hatchery birds are pet quality; there are always going to be exceptions. Possibly certain hatcheries sell very nice birds, possibly some larger hatcheries have certain breeds which are nicer than pet quality. One can only generalise.​

 

[WalkingWolf]

Again I would like to post the OP's original post and there is nothing about showing or selling for show breeding or even anything about EE's. This is getting to be a regular bashing routine and it is not a thing to be proud of. We should be able to stand proud on our own merit without bashing others. I ask all to remember the golden rule please?

I am about to order some chicks from McMurrays and want to do some breeding. I was wandering if all their birds would be considered pet quality. Does this make a huge difference? I know that some people feel that you should only breed for a better looking bird but I just don't feel that it is a huge deal as long as I advertise them as pet quality. Am I wrong?​

 

[Krys109uk]

1. I was wandering if all their birds would be considered pet quality.

This question has been answered many times by a variety of people.

2. Does this make a huge difference?

Clearly, again there are huge variations of opinion.

I know that some people feel that you should only breed for a better looking bird but I just don't feel that it is a huge deal as long as I advertise them as pet quality. Am I wrong?

We can only give our opinions. Which quite a few of us have. There is no "right" & "wrong", they are only our opinions. Some of us disagree & that's fine. It would be very boring if everyone always agreed. At the end of the day the OP will make up their mind based upon other's varied opinions, & weighing up the various points raised.

 

[WalkingWolf]

But there is still nothing about show quality which is what this thread has turned into, clearly off topic. A new thread should be opened but there are many many many many many others on this topic and they usually get closed.

Basically there is no doubt or question that hatcheries are a good option for chickens for pets. Which is what this thread was started for. And then breeding them to sell to others for pets would not be a problem, as long as that person sold them honestly.