Can You Get A "Mutt" From A Hatchery?

[Mervin]

Quote:
I guess I really don't see it that way. I think of it more like the hatcheries are selling you a hamburger that has a lot of filler and by-product, but not so extreme as selling you a hot dog. What I've bought from hatcheries, I've considered to be "reasonable" facsimiles of the breeds order. That is to say I've never ordered a Plymouth Rock and received a Leghorn.

I too prefer to buy "local". Unfortunately, most of what I find locally appears to have originated with hatchery "mutts" and little or no selection has been applied to it's breeding.

 

[Chickndaddy]

hippiehen wrote:

I'm pretty sure most people are missing the point.

It's not pure breed vs. not - which is better, which is prettier, which is "perfect" to standard.

The point is that if I paid $2.20 for a specific chick, or perhaps a larger investment like $9.00 for a specific poult, I would like to receive what I asked and paid for.

It's like going to an eatery and ordering an advertised special on a hamburger, but instead they serve you a hot dog. It's not what you asked for! I knew what I wanted - beef patty, 2 sourdough buns, lettuce, tomato, cheese. These are the specific requirements I was wanting to be satisfied with my meal. I can be satisfied with my hot dog, but it's not what they advertised or what I paid for.

I don't think anyone is snubbing anyone else on here. Most people are just trying to educate, not offend. I thought my hatchery chicks were great until I truly started listening and researching then I realized that while they serve a purpose, perhaps there are better ways of getting the healthy, long lived birds that I desire. Hatcheries are great and run some of the nicest people (at least the one's I've talked to) but it's just like all the other big businesses out there - it's about volume. Bless them for making money! I'm glad someone is. But I think it's ok to sit back and reflect on the benefits of buying "local" from small farms and businesses.

I guess I really don't see it that way. I think of it more like the hatcheries are selling you a hamburger that has a lot of filler and by-product, but not so extreme as selling you a hot dog. What I've bought from hatcheries, I've considered to be "reasonable" facsimiles of the breeds order. That is to say I've never ordered a Plymouth Rock and received a Leghorn.

I too prefer to buy "local". Unfortunately, most of what I find locally appears to have originated with hatchery "mutts" and little or no selection has been applied to it's breeding.

I generally wouldn't say I ordered a burger and got a hot dog but more like I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and got one that was breaded instead. Although (and I had completely forgotten this) I ordered Dominiques twice once from a hatchery and once from a hatchery through a feed store (special order) and both times received Barred Rocks.​

 

[Barrdwing]

I suppose one could look at hatchery chicks as an opportunity to learn. They're relatively inexpensive, and for folks just starting out in the hobby, whyever not? Of course people who wanted good breeding stock aren't going to be satisfied with chicks that don't match type, but then again, they may already have observed that hatchery birds aren't perfect as to type, and look elsewhere for their parent stock.

I started out with hatchery birds, and still run mostly hatchery birds, although many of our merry mutts are home-grown, the result of mixing breeds in one flock. We keep them for eggs and for pets. When I started out, you couldn't have told me that there was anything "non-code" about our birds--I would have been very upset to hear that I hadn't gotten what I thought I was buying. But once I got my hands on some more reference material, and started reading up on genetics and breeding for type, I figured out pretty darned quick that our beloved hatchery birds had some . . . rather interesting . . . hiccups in the assembly line. Not a single one was an ideal specimen; some had egregious show flaws, some were just so-so, a few were passable. Once my blushes cleared, I realized that hatchery stock could best be looked at as a "starter kit," not a polished end product.

You can do a lot with a starter kit, though. I've learned one heck of a lot about genetics from these birds. I've learned which husbandry techniques work well and which ones don't. And I've learned that yes, a lot of these hatchery birds don't live as long as the ones I grew up with . . . which were mutts from a local hatchery, go figure. That last trait is the one I find the hardest to stomach. I agree 100% that having hens keel over at 4 or 5 years old because of egg yolk peritonitis is not OK, and there really needs to be some selection towards birds that live long, productive lives rather than fizzling out so young. But heck, seems to me that that last task is best given to poultry fanciers like us, because we've got the most reason to want that in our birds. And we know our birds as individuals, which is something most large-scale operations can't say, so we're also the best people for the job.

Anyway. It's gone midnight and I'm a little ramblish. Good night, all.

 

[kstaven]

Yes you can get a mutt from a hatchery, and you can also get Mutts from some who claim to be breeders.

But all reality, why would anyone expect to get a new Mercedes for the price of a used Lada? That is unrealistic to say the least. Quantity breeding vs. aggressive culling and select pairings are breeding for two totally different markets and considering the time and cost inputs involved per chick raised the end price needs to reflect that difference.

Spend some time around show circles and you would be amazed how many people picked up their addiction because of that Mutt chicken.