Breeder vs. hatchery....

[susanah]

Am I more likely to pick up disease through a breeder's flock? I'm guessing they
are more exposed to the environment than a hatchery and more likely to pick something up.
I am concerned because my sister brought Coccidiosis into her flock by bringing one of her friends
chickens in. They both ordered their chicks together, but her friend's must have been exposed in
her yard while on medicated feed and my sisters weren't. She lost quite a few chickens.
If a breeder is just as safe, what do you look for as far as certifications, etc. Or are there any you
consider very safe that you can list. We are looking to add some more bantams to our existing flock.
Ours all came from hatcheries and I thought it might be nice to have more choices. Thanks for any help. I'm very new to this.

 

[SlowMoneyFarm]

If some were on medicated feed chances are they could handle it better than those not treated. Coccidiosis isn't large/small operation - more info http://www.ars.usda.gov/Main/docs.htm?docid=11018 - no matter the size of operation and breeder or hatchery they can be healthy or not. Coccidiosis and some other things (salmonella etc) is everywhere in the environment - an overload of it becomes an issue. A large clean operation would be better than a small dirty one...and vice versa. I've purchased from hatcheries and small places and been happy with both although I've had better luck with hatchery chicks.