Famous Hatchery 'Pure Bred' Appearances

Pics
Any bird that shows signs of illness is automatically disqualified from winning, but they have already infected other birds.
I know, it sucks. One of my older Andalusian roosters died a month after a show and he was completely healthy beforehand
 
Buckeyes normally have a lighter color than RIR's. But not too much lighter
Yup. Ours are almost as dark.
Someone is welcome to correct me if I am wrong about this but Buckeyes were originally darker than RIRs. It could be that Buckeyes have become a bit lighter over the years, but I suspect that heritage RIR breeders of recent times have just taken the color closer to the buckeyes... and of course it could be both of these things.
Buckeyes used to be darker.
Something happened to the RIRs (I can't remember what) that made people start to breed them with Buckeyes and eventually the color just got darker as people preferred that color.
 
May everyone please read this post!
I understand that the birds that don't meet the standard are still pure breds. However I would love to add that 80% of hatchery birds can by no means be pure bred

Everybody also needs to remember, also, that most hatcheries are, after all, big businesses, not breed proponents. They rarely have anyone going through the pens culling birds with "minor" - or even some major - SOP issues. They need healthy birds that lay eggs with high fertility and hatching rates. That's what pays the rent.

The smaller or specialty breeder can be - and usually is - more selective when breeding (and culling) their birds. We take the time to go over each chicken individually and select the pairing that's best for that particular bird. If a bird doesn't cut it, they either go into a mixed flock, pet or egg home ... or into the freezer.

While private breeders still have to be aware of costs, we generally have more leeway ... and incentive ... to maintain and better our breed. That's why we can stay afloat in the world of big hatcheries. It's also why the breeds can survive. And it's also, at least for me, why I'll never buy from a big hatchery again. Lesson learned ... the hard way!
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom