My first birds were from Ideal Poultry, bought from the feed store the day they arrived by mail from the hatchery. I've bought a handful the same way, direct from the hatchery delivery to the feed store, but all others were either hatched here from eggs bought from reputable breeders whose cull policies I know well, or from my own birds, with the exception of two birds. One was my rooster, Hawkeye, bought as an adult rooster from an FFA kid. He was in quarantine for 5 weeks, had lice and favus, but thankfully, no respiratory contagion. The other was a gift from a friend with a clean flock--she hatched eggs from a breeder, kept the chicks to pick the ones she was going to keep then gifted me with an 8 week old pullet. I still kept that pullet in quarantine for almost 8 weeks. Those were the only two started birds to come here in the almost six years of owning chickens other than the chicks straight from Ideal. I will never buy Craigslist birds, flea market birds, etc. It's too stressful and too risky for me.
I don't want anymore hatchery stock now, not after losing almost all my hatchery girls to internal laying. I prefer good quality breeder stock-they seem made of better genetic material, in addition to being better looking per the Standard of Perfection.
