B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Is Sandhill's stock good quality?

 

[ki4got]

Is Sandhill's stock good quality?

My understanding is that there is some variability in the colored and reds. I haven't received my chicks yet that i ordered, and all i have to gauge is some red and colored chicks from sandhill stock that are all under a week old. and 3 adult colored 'cull' hens that don't look a bit alike LOL

 

[heritagehabitatfarms]

if you go to there website he says they are a breed preservation farm not a breeder... i think as a general rule all of his birds are better than a normal hatchery but not as good as a breeder... the thing is he has a few breeds that are really hard to find and you can order chicks instead of eggs...

 

[ki4got]

if you go to there website he says they are a breed preservation farm not a breeder... i think as a general rule all of his birds are better than a normal hatchery but not as good as a breeder... the thing is he has a few breeds that are really hard to find and you can order chicks instead of eggs...

which is why i'm waiting on mine to get here. 8)

I'm acquiring chicks from multiple sources, and will compare what i get once they're grown, and go from there to determine which ones will continue with my breeding program.
but all things considered, the more i interact with my silver greys, the more i love them every day.

i let my big guy and his girls out today, for the first time since i added the colored girls, and the first thing he did was bring them over to me, to 'introduce' his girls. lol funny thing is, after big guy got his wattles scritched, the new girls each had to walk by me and rub my leg. i swear i could almost hear them purring like the cat. they're not chickens. they're feathered cats in disguise.

 

[neopolitancrazy]

Thank you for your kind words, they make perfect sense. I would love to see pics of your birds!!
Angela

 

[neopolitancrazy]

Haha, welcome to the forums and to interpreting the standard . To some extent the breast color on females is a matter of personal preference and what you think the standard is saying (some judges prefer the darker breasted females while others seem to prefer the lighter ones). also when using the standard always go by the text. the pictures are just one artists interpretation of the standard. I have both darker breasted birds and lighter breasted birds in my flock (two separate lines). i am actually crossing some this year to see what kind of color I get in the females. Personally I think that the really light females are not of standard color (I just dont think that the term reddish applys, but they are a light salmon color). the exact wording of the standard is reddish salmon , shading to ashy gray at the sides. Based on this I tend to favor the darker fronted females, although sometimes they do get too dark. I will try to get some pictures up on the forum tomorrow of my two different lines to show you the color difference in my flock. I would also love to hear what the other silver-gray breeders have to say about this and their experiences of what judges have told them.

Thank you for your kind words, they make perfect sense. I would love to see pics of your birds!!
Angela

 

[ki4got]

Quote:

Thank you for your kind words, they make perfect sense. I would love to see pics of your birds!!
Angela

LOL none of mine are picture worthy right now... the hens all have bald saddles and the roo is missing most of his tail. what's not missing is ratty as can be.

but here's a pic of my guy from last fall.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

Where did you get this lovely guy from? Is he the silver-grey?

Quote:

 

[ki4got]

Where did you get this lovely guy from? Is he the silver-grey?

yes, he's a silver grey, and came from murray mcmurray hatchery. probably the best resource for silver greys outside of an independent breeder. i love these guys because they can be sexed reliably at an early age.

here's a pic of the big guy's offspring that i kept for breeding. 7 pullets, 1 cockerel, all just about 4 months old (hatched at weekly intervals from thanksgiving to christmas), plus 3 of my cochins hatched same time (pair of silver laced and a black pullet). you can see the range of shades of the hens' breasts, the one on the cage to the left is probably my darkest girl.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Very nice, Kim!