Are you a breeder or trader?????

[robnms]

I'm just wondering what your opinion is between a chicken trader and a real breeder? I've met a few people that just buy every chicken they can from CL and sell them to make a buck or two per chick/chicken and they consider themselves a breeder because they do have some stock that they breed to standards to sell. I've seen some people with over crowded pens and chickens in small cages with the intent of being there for a short time untill they get sold at local weekend feed store sales or flea market. Is this normal or am I just spoiled by the way I raise my birds? I know we all need to sell some stock due to too many Roos, culls and to help pay for some feed but at what extent do you go to just to make a buck?

 

[thunder123]

A chicken trader has no ethics ..they a greedy folk .. Just like a Horse trader . You know the story. Buy from a snake oil salesman ...get a snake! btw sticking my nose again that does not belong!

 

[Illia]

Honestly I think 90% of all chicken sales on Craigslist are from what you may call traders. True breeders are rare. Most people just gather up hatchery stock or stock from a dedicated breeder, breed it, and sell it as is.

 

[Dixiedoodle]

If someone breeds chickens (or any animal) w/out regard to their health/welfare for profit only --they are a trader.

IF someone breeds to better the breed using stock that is to standards, they cull for the best birds they can possibly get, that educates themselves about the breed and they are honest to their customers--no matter what that customer 'wants' to hear!--that is a breeder..

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I think if they are breeding and trading, they are both.

 

[shchinchillas]

I come from a small mammal background, so my terms may be slightly different.

IMO a breeder is someone who intentionally produces chicks. This can be hatchery stock, mixed breeds, or breeding stock. It then divides into "reputable" (Doing things the right way, breeding for shows, etc) and "back yard breeders" who are throwing anything and everything together to make a quick buck. Similar to dog breeders. You have your reputable breeders that show, health test, and temperament test their dogs. You then have your back yard breeder (byb) who throws anything together to make more puppies.

I have hatchery stock, and several different breeds. However my intentions are NOT to breed. I want eggs, not chicks. We did have one clutch hatch, but it was a case of a hen going missing and thinking she was dead, and then finding her and a bunch of chicks. I didn't intend to produce those chicks, and had i found the eggs they'd have been taken.

We don't use the term "trader" in the small mammal background. I would guess IMO a trader is someone who just buys and then resells or trades animals. They do not breed their own, as that would make them a breeder.

 

[hallerlake]

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If you're going with the dog analogy, don't forget puppy mills, which would give us breeders, backyard breeders, and chick mills. The big hatcheries would be chick mills.

 

[Arielle]

I thinks its a little unfair to categorize hatcheries as bad as puppy mills. Big poultry facilities are actually fastidious about bio security and health of the birds. ANd they are inspected regularly. I feel absolutely confident these birds are as disease free as any other source and probably even more disease free than most. Regarding quality of the birds, that's another matter; when breeding for high production numbers it is harder to breed for the highest in quality. THe best breeders focus on quality not quantity and have top notch SQ birds. I'm a little concerned about labels that limit catagorizing to 2 types when there really is a huge realm of possibilites here. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[hallerlake]

I think there is a huge range under backyard breeders. There are those that will hatch anything and everything. Then, there are those who do everything a breeder does except show. Labels have a limited use. Even hatcheries have a place. People have to start somewhere, and there is no point in spending a lot of many on SQ birds until one has some experience under one's belt.


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[Arielle]

2x

You said it better than I did!!