I agree with Abbevilleoz and Wyorp Rock! Hatcheries, as long as they are reputable are wonderful because they allow us to choose specific breeds if we wish to. I got my hens as week old chicks from a hatchery an hour from me. I was able to get an assortment which worked because I knew nothing about chickens - I don't know much, but I am obsessed. I told everyone that I was fillingmy "empty nest" which was true because the last "little one" started college last year.
I posted my original question because I couldn't read all the pages between this one and the first one, so I didn't see the wonderful discussion about how people started to have crosses. Unless you are planning on selling purebred birds there is no need to demand purebred birds. If you are, then purchase your eggs from the most reputable hatchery that you can find.
I love my girls! They are the best
Cackle Hatchery gets my vote for best advertising. They post videos of all their breeding stock on YouTube not just the chicks like most hatcheries. Unless you are an expert on breed SOP you can't tell what a chick will grow up to be.
