Best chick hatchery for roosters

[Schuey72]

I have about an acre of mowed fenced in range, with many trees and bushes (mostly fruit for the chickens and my family). There are quite a few areas for the birds to run to and hide but many of the trees and bushes have been planted within the last 5 years, so they have some growing to do.

I free feed my flock inside the coop, most birds spend the day outside foraging for what they can find in my compost, grass, and mulched areas. I'm in growing zone 5b, so there is only so much food for the birds much of the year. I want the birds to find as much food on their own as possible, I can't really say a percentage as it varies from season to season. For reference, my 40 birds (chickens and guinea) eat about 50 pounds of bagged pellets a week during the summer, and it doubles in the winter.

 

[Ridgerunner]

vigor,

Not sure how you would define the vigor you are looking for. Since you are bringing in new stock the offspring will have hybrid vigor, even if it is the same breeds. As far as whether a rooster is a strong flock-master or a bit of a wimp has more to do with the individual bird than breed.

disease resistance,

Hatcheries are not breeding for disease resistance. Extremely few breeders are either. They have other things to breed for that are more important to them. A decent hatchery or breeder will eliminate chickens from the breeding program that have genetic defects so that should not be a problem. Strengthening the immune system of your flock has much more to do with how you manage them than anything else. Breed itself is really irrelevant.

and balances dual purpose traits.

Not sure what this is supposed to mean. Eggs versus meat maybe? Most hatcheries are going to provide roosters more geared toward egg-laying genetically. Not because they are specifically selecting for that (though some are) but because the hens that lay the most eggs provide most of the hatched chicks so egg-laying is enhanced genetically. Sort of natural selection. While most hatcheries are going to use the SOP to select which chickens to keep as breeders the method they use for mating (pen breeding method) the results for meat qualities are more random.

2. Good flock leadership and alertness for stronger free ranging instincts

Breed is not really relevant for dual purpose for these traits. It could be for some of the decorative breeds. Whether hatchery birds or ones that I hatch myself I find it depends on the individual. Some of any breed are good at this, some are not.

Breed does have a lot to do with expected size, egg laying, comb type (for your cold winters), and some other things you might consider important. Maybe even color. My suggestion is to look at what is available and make a suggestion on those traits, not any of the others. Hatcheries generally do not select which chickens get to breed based on the traits you are looking for.

When I get a new cockerel to become my flock master I order 15 to 20 cockerels. I eat the ones that don't measure up and usually wind up with two or three that pretty much suit my goals. Either will usually be a good choice. The vast amount of the others aren't that suitable.

Good luck!

 

[ABQ chicken keeper]

I have about an acre of mowed fenced in range, with many trees and bushes (mostly fruit for the chickens and my family). There are quite a few areas for the birds to run to and hide but many of the trees and bushes have been planted within the last 5 years, so they have some growing to do.

I free feed my flock inside the coop, most birds spend the day outside foraging for what they can find in my compost, grass, and mulched areas. I'm in growing zone 5b, so there is only so much food for the birds much of the year. I want the birds to find as much food on their own as possible, I can't really say a percentage as it varies from season to season. For reference, my 40 birds (chickens and guinea) eat about 50 pounds of bagged pellets a week during the summer, and it doubles in the winter.

72,
Are you losing any guineas to hawks?
My concern is you have trained a family of hawks to feed on your free ranging flock.
So my suggestion is to reduce your flock size and if you are going to continue to free range, introduce Dark Cornish to your flock. Get rid of white as well as other light colored birds so they are not targets for flying hawks.
As @Ridgerunner said, hatcheries are not breeding chickens for the type hardiness you are looking for.
Dark Cornish are available from Murray McMurray according to their web page, not sure about others.
I had DC years ago, they're not lap birds, mediocre layers, some were broody, so we got rid of them because we want friendlier birds.
JMO

 

[Schuey72]

You insights are much appreciated Ridgerunner.

Since hatcheries seem to be more concerned with traits such as only egg laying only and other traits that I'm not necessarily looking for, I'm going to look for a local breeder of dual purpose (eggs and meat) heritage breeds.

I like the idea of buying many male chicks, then weed them out until I get the best remaining flock masters. My concern with having so many cockerels would be for my hens. All these young cockerels running around trying to mate with everyone and everything. How would you protect the hens?
Also, how do you chose which cockerels to get rid of and keep? And at what age do you make the decision to cull the poor flock masters?

 

[Ridgerunner]

How would you protect the hens?

I typically raise anywhere from 15 to 25 cockerels with my flock every year. Most I hatch, some occasionally from a hatchery. I let them grow up with the flock, along with any pullets that I hatch. I typically have a mature rooster and 6 to 9 mature hens in the flock.

My goal is that no one gets hurt. Most years I can leave the cockerels with the flock until I butcher them. Once every three of four years things get so rowdy down there that I put a dozen of so cockerels in a separate pen and coop to grow to butcher size. It is a judgment call depending on what I see happening.

Most years a very few of the cockerels will try to mate with the hens. The normal way they manage that is the hen runs to the mature rooster who scares off the cockerel. Nobody is hurt and no major fighting. A few of the cockerels will fight among themselves but it usually doesn't get to the point that one is hurt. That's where the judgment comes in on when to separate them.

Also, how do you chose which cockerels to get rid of and keep?

I know what I'm looking for ahead of time. I have the traits I'm looking for. Some of those are physical: size, color, or pattern, comb type, for example. At about 16 weeks I start putting the ones that do not measure up in the freezer. I try to finish that process by 23 weeks of age. If I see behaviors I do not like they have volunteered for the freezer.

 

[Schuey72]

I have not lost any guinea to the hawks. I believe the problem I have is with migrating hawks, as I only lose chickens in late summer to December. But I'm sure they remember where the easy meals are on their voyage!

Not free ranging is not an option for me and my flock. I'm not familiar with dark Cornish, are they not a meat bird? What makes this breed hawk proof?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

No bird is hawk proof, but look at your flock. Where does your eye naturally travel? Don't you see your white birds first? So do hawks and other predators, making them targets. Dark or multi-colored birds are more camouflaged, which gives them some protection.

Cornish of any color are a multi-purpose bird.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm not familiar with dark Cornish, are they not a meat bird?

Cornish is a breed of chicken like Orpington, Rocks, or Wyandotte are breeds. Dark Cornish are a certain color and pattern. In addituon to Dark, some other possible Cornish colors/patterns are White, White Laced, Red, or Buff.

Cornish Cross or Cornish Rock were developed from Cornish, Rock, and maybe other chickens by selective breeding. There are several different genetic lines of them, I'm not sure if some of those lines used other breeds as well. The Cornish Cross are the standard meat bird of the chicken meat industry.

It is a common mistake on this forum for people to confuse them but they are totally different birds.

 

[ABQ chicken keeper]

I have not lost any guinea to the hawks. I believe the problem I have is with migrating hawks, as I only lose chickens in late summer to December. But I'm sure they remember where the easy meals are on their voyage!

Not free ranging is not an option for me and my flock. I'm not familiar with dark Cornish, are they not a meat bird? What makes this breed hawk proof?

72,
As @BigBlueHen53 said, no chicken is hawk proof, the DC is a tightly feathered bird, heavy enough that they are not a grab and go catch.
They are more wary so they might be what you are looking for. Let us know what you decide.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

is a common mistake on this forum for people to confuse them but they are totally different birds

Thanks for the correction, RR.