Few hatcheries keep birds of less well known or less popular breeds of their own, for eggs to hatch. They purchase hatching eggs, from whoever will sell them eggs. AND they have no idea what really is "in those eggs", or about the chicks that hatch, as they MUST be delivered the day they hatch. Those chicks not sold and delivered, are destroyed. They cannot afford to raise or sell a breed of bantam unless there is a great demand over the hatchery season. So, would hate to see Dutch Bantams on the list of any Hatchery. The mixed ones (usually with OEGB--and some of those mixes), are sold as Dutch OR OEGB, as they cannot be distinguished "at hatch" There are pet OEGB with partly white ear lobes, not a good thing for OEGB,either.. ----- Lovely bantams, but not DUTCH. Hatcheries are so important for the laying and meat birds, we must support them.--Perishable chicks of rare breeds are usually sold, assorted, to save killing what they can sell and deliver! The extra chicks included in shipments, saves the lives of those chicks, that are not ordered and must be sent with other chicks to survive. And the Dutch chicks are so small, that sexing is not only hard on the chicks, but still not guaranteed, that is why few ever offer them "sexed". Hate to lose a chick after the examination.......
