Buy from multiple breeders? 90%vs10%?

[lilcrow]

Quote:
He's right! I had a pair of Speckled Sussex and the only reason that I re-homed them was because they were standards and I am in town and didn't have room for standards. I'm a bantam only person. (they were mixed in with some bantams I got) They are incredibly sweet and gently, the roo not so much with the hen at first, but with humans both of them are real sweethearts. The roo is non-aggressive with other birds, he's just really laid back, huge and gorgeous, a very striking fellow. People always comment about him and want to know what kind he is when they visit the farm where he lives now. They are also on the list of breeds to "watch" I believe, so having a new Sussex advocate would be a good thing.
I didn't want to write this to sound like pressure, but I guess it does.

Please don't misunderstand, I'm only trying to give you the good points of another breed that you may not know about.
The BO is a wonderful choice.

 

[lildinkem]

A great question to ask the breeder you are buying from is " What outside bloodlines do you prefer to add to your lines? " If you are in this for the long haul, you will want to start out with great quality. Usually breeders are open about what other breeders they like to put on their birds. And then go get a dozen from each different Buff Orp breeder and hatch and raise separately.
I love Red Speckled Sussex too! Great breed to have.

 

[poultryhaven]

Quote:
He's right! I had a pair of Speckled Sussex and the only reason that I re-homed them was because they were standards and I am in town and didn't have room for standards. I'm a bantam only person. (they were mixed in with some bantams I got) They are incredibly sweet and gently, the roo not so much with the hen at first, but with humans both of them are real sweethearts. The roo is non-aggressive with other birds, he's just really laid back, huge and gorgeous, a very striking fellow. People always comment about him and want to know what kind he is when they visit the farm where he lives now. They are also on the list of breeds to "watch" I believe, so having a new Sussex advocate would be a good thing.
I didn't want to write this to sound like pressure, but I guess it does.

Please don't misunderstand, I'm only trying to give you the good points of another breed that you may not know about.
The BO is a wonderful choice.

Hey they have bantam Speckled Sussex

We have a pair at my school for FFA and im getting them at the end of the year they are ABOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL

 

[lilcrow]

Ummm.........sounds wonderful. They can't be that easy to come by.

 

[Qi Chicken]

I'm wondering about mixing breeds and how to sychronize like the OP. Just want to comment so I can find the thread again. Merry Christmas all!

 

[AccentOnHakes]

Just get some more Orpingtons that aren't Buff! DUH.

 

[Intheswamp]

Thanks everybody for the replies! And I do mean each and every one of you.

Here is kind of how I'm looking at things and should let you know somewhat more of what I'm shooting for...

My flock will be for both meat, eggs, and enjoyment in tending to it. Since my initial interest in starting a flock, I've concentrated on the idea of having a good looking single-breed flock that is pretty close to standard. I figure the biggest expense is going to be the initial construction of the housing along with the continuing feed bill. The initial $ outlay on the livestock, whether it is eggs and incubators or day-old chicks, will be a small expense when compared to the previous mentioned expenses. Thus, I want to put my coop and feed $$$ into quality birds...just my personal desire.

I want quality birds and on-going healthy birds. Interested only in eggs, no hatched birds. To me this means purchasing eggs from a reputable breeder and adhering to an adequate level of biosecurity (just got through reading Speckled Hen's 10 Commandments so this is fresh on my mind...thanks Cynthia!). Incubating and dealing with the extra cockrels (freezer camp) and also in investing in a few dozen eggs to start with are something I'll just have to deal (have fun) with.

I doubt I will really be doing any serious breeding...basically just (hopefully) incubating my own eggs to increase/maintain my flock. But still, being able to maintain a good line of birds seems attractive to me.

Thanks for the reality check on the number of pullets to expect...yelp, if I (hopefully) get a 50% hatch rate then I'm only looking at about 1/2 dozen pullets out 2 dozen eggs. Well, if I can get six good hens and a nice rooster out of a couple of dozen eggs from some quality chickens then I think I'll have a very good base to start building from...might even be better for me with the fewer birds to start with.

After ya'll's feedback and mulling it over I've decided to purchase from a single breeder to begin with and see how good of a hatch rate I have. Later, when I'm ready to add some new blood to the flock I'll go with another breeder. Ridgerunner...your thoughts of ordering from different breeders for the reasons that you stated have not fallen on deaf ears....I will definitely be reviewing that if my first hatch is a disaster.

chickenwhisperer, I've considered the other colors of orps and have considered mixing up the colors. As I mentioned, it's not the coloration that attracts me to the BOs it's the body form and reported personality. I've questioned a few folks over the last several months and it seems that the buffs might have an edge on the others in regards to personality...but then the next person I talk with says their lavenders are so sweet they belong in a candy shoppe.

Maybe I just need to get a dozen buffs and a dozen blue/splash or whatever and see what I end up with. I'm more interested in physical form and health over the coloration....but some interesting colors would definitely be a bonus!

Speckled Sussex....they're on my list, just the BOs are beating them out right now.

greathorse and EweSheep...thanks for the thoughts. Yes, I'm opting for breeder stock and will be sticking to a single line provided hatch rates are good. For the time and money investment it seems to be the logical thing to do. I think I will hold back to 24 eggs to begin with...crawl a bit before I get to walking.

Thanks again everybody, ya'll are great!!!
Ed