Confused about hatchery vs. breeder

[cnlanier]

I'm new to this and it seems like every day it gets a little more complex. I went from thinking places like McMurray hatchery were the only way to go to thinking they are the Monsanto of the chicken world.
I guess I need it explained to me like a 2 year old to fully understand.
Is it, if you get chickens from hatcheries you are focused on using the birds to make money and then get them out to make way for the new ones, to keep the money flow coming,
and if you get them from breeders you are more interested in preserving the breed and enjoying the chickens as pets, and also getting an egg here or there?
Is it as black and white as, people who buy from hatcheries don't care and people who buy from breeders do?
Can't figure it out. Just want to do the right thing.

Thanks

 

[silkydragon]

no its just personal preference only chickens i dont think i like from hatcherys are silkies compared to breeders i got both and my hatchery 1s are mostly i ugly i have 2 that are almost breeder but no cigar but rhode island reds i prefer hatchery becouse they are lighter color idk enough yet to claim hatchery qualitys lay better but i know my rir hen lays an egg a day

 

[cnlanier]

Dude, you need to use some punctuation

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Hatcherys usually have smaller more production oriented birds. Breeders usually have bigger more duel purpose birds. Or better looking birds.


Its hard to have mass hatching an keep quality up at the same time.

 

[NottinghamChicks]

Quote:
I find that the breeders will not sex their chicks or sometimes claim to. I found that whenever I ws told it was a girl almost 75% of the time it was a boy. I have better luck with hatcheries and the prices are less expensive. If you are looking for heritage breeds for nostalgia and perhaps showing you definately want a breeder. But if you are looking for pets and eggs, the hatcheries are a good choice. I did lots of research on the different hatcheries and found that the survival rate from Ideal is poor both in delivery and longevity as adults. I have ordered from Mcmurray before and have had great luck with them. Their prices are a bit higher, but, the old saying is true. You get what you pay for

 

[Cowgirl71]

This is the way I understand it...

If your #1 goal is high excellent production of large eggs, high feed efficiency, and being able to get sexed pullet chicks for a reasonable price, then hatchery birds are best for you.

If you want birds that are true to type, larger and more desirable for meat, good layers, and you are willing to pay extra for this, then you want breeder birds.

 

[33yardbirds]

I just got back into chickens and ordered from a hatchery. The health and vitality of the birds is very good. My only complaint is the size. I don't think they are pure in that they are not as big as previous Barred Rocks i've had and the eggs are of medium size. In the spring I have coming Heritage breed RIRs and Delewares. I really don't care about sexing 'cause a real breed is always in demand for various purposes. For me, no more hatchery chicks. I just like big clean legged chickens. With every thing going to production strains I want to keep old time birds.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Quote:
It's really not very kind to address people this way. The person is trying to help you and they could have (I'm not saying this person does) any number of learning disabilities or have not completed their education.

Birds purchased from a hatchery have higher egg production, but you sacrifice size and conformation. Birds purchased from a breeder, who breeds toward the American Standard of Perfection will have decreased laying abilities but are much larger and are truer to the standard that many people prefer.

It is all in your preference of birds. If you're looking for something that lays well and looks similar to a standardized breed, a hatchery is probably your best option. If you're after birds that come as close as possible to the SOP (standard of perfection) and want to help conserve a breed in it's "intended" form (I use that wording loosely) then a breeder is probably the area you need to look.

For example, a hatchery Brahma will (most likely) have feathered legs, have a specific color, a pea comb and lay creamy to brown eggs. A breeder who breeds towards the standard will have birds with fairly heavily feathered legs, have a highly refined color and be much larger than the hatchery bird. I cannot describe to you the difference between the sizes.

 

[Celtic Hill]

Hatcherys sell chicks in large numbers and they are sexed, most breeder's dont' sell sexed chicks. Hatcheries don't have birds that are SQ, *Most* Breeders have some type of quality. Hatcheries are Less expensive, but normally you would have to buy a large amount of chicks, Breeders tend to be a little more expensive but you don't have to buy as manny chicks.

So no Hatcheries are not like Monsanto, and they don't care who uses their genetics.

 

[michickenwrangler]

I got cochins from a breeder last spring. Out of 6, 1 turned out to be a cockerel (good odds!

) but DH didn't want another rooster as we had 5 at the time. So I decided it would be easier to get rid of him as a breeding pair. So I sold him and same color pullet as a pair. I asked $20 for the pair, got it and a few weeks after the new owner got him, she called to say how big the breeder cochins were compared to the hatchery cochin she has, almost twice the size. The partridge color is alot more distinctive in my breeder birds than in the hatchery pictures.