Barred Holland Hatchery question

[nfernaays]

I have searched and seen that Ideal Hatchery and Sandhill Hatchery both offer the Barred Holland. What experiences has anyone had with Barred Hollands from either of these?

 

[dheltzel]

I've never used either hatchery, but availability is sketchy from both. Have you looked at the BH threads on this site, I thought there was someone in NY, there are certainly several breeders in PA. Buying from a breeder has several advantages over a hatchery, starting with they may be able to custom hatch when you want the chicks, and the chicks will not endure the horrors of the Postal Service.

 

[Kelsie2290]

The Holland was a breed in the BYC focus project a couple of months back, there are links to the breed threads and reviews on the main post. A couple of other people who had birds from Ideal and SH talked a little about theirs. I've had a couple from SH, nice birds, by far the calmest white egg layers I've had.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1022794/chicken-breed-focus-holland/0_20

 

[nfernaays]

I have searched the forum not much in information from breeders. If I had my choice I would get Holland's from a breeder but due to the scarcity of the barred Holland I think a hatchery may be my only route.

 

[alang]

Order from breeder! Check American Livestock Breed Conservancy. I ordered from Todd in Ohio and he was wonderful and birds are beautiful and very friendly. And he can trace back his birds to 1940s and has some Gracie May line.

 

[nfernaays]

Thank you for the information

 

[donrae]

I had barred Hollands from Ideal and was less than thrilled. They were calm enough for white eggers, and small with a proportionally small feed intake, so those were the good qualities. how close they were to the breed standard I'm not sure as that was not my priority. However, they didn't seem to lay very well, like only 4-5 eggs a week at peak production. Maybe I'm spoiled, but I like the 6 or 7 egg a weekers when they're young birds.

There's a barred Holland thread where folks are working on reviving them back to the Standard. If that's what you want, I'd order hatching eggs from one of those folks. You might have to wait until spring and laying kicks up again.

 

[LazyG]

I ordered from Ideal and got my chicks in last April. I only had two die and was reimbursed by Ideal. I have 4 roosters and 18 hens and am getting a dozen nice white eggs daily. Since they are pullet eggs they are still a little on the small size but they are getting larger as the girls age. I haven't been able to compare my birds to the standard yet, but I am very happy with the look of my roosters (nice bright plumage and beautiful rose colored combs). The girls are a little muddier. I am hoping to be able to get some hen hatched chicks this coming spring. I'll try to get a pic of them and post.