Famous Hatchery 'Pure Bred' Appearances

[Brahma Chicken5000]

This thread has seemed to only touch on the visible differences. The behavioral differences between hatchery stock and purebreds can be quite profound.

Could you please elaborate on the differences? I’m quite intrigued.

 

[MROO]

This thread has seemed to only touch on the visible differences. The behavioral differences between hatchery stock and purebreds can be quite profound.

I've been pretty lucky with mine. All of my breeder-Nankins are docile and friendly, as is the hatchery pseudo-Silkie that needed so much medical attention as a chick that he doesn't know he's a chicken. The others (Sebrights, OEGB's and D'Uccles) are pretty much all docile and friendly, but flighty. I can't really blame that on their being hatchery babies, though, as those breeds are all more flighty than the Nankins, by nature. The two OEGB cockerels are actually very sweet. The D'Uccles are very, very timid ... and the Sebrights are just a mess!

 

[BreanneRN]

I saw some birds being shown in production class (not American class phew!) at a fair and they were slim, tall tailed, and rose combed.
I realized they were supposed to be silver laced Wyandottes.
The only things that told me that were the yellow legs, rose combs, and stuff that resembled lacing. Not Wyandottes at all. Just "Wyandotte Hatchery Birds."

I think a lot of hatchery birds are pure bred, but not purebred. Pure bred within themselves, but not purebred birds from the Standard of Perfection. Does that make sense?

First, let me remind you that all domestic chickens share a common ancestry and descend from Jungle Fowl. All the breeds of chickens have happened because a human somewhere liked a specific trait or traits and bred birds until they consistently had those traits and type. Eventually, people, in order to maintain their breeds of birds, began to write down these SOP's so others would know what traits should be chosen for and what stock should be used to continue the birds to maintain consistent type and performance. As time went on, more and more breeds of chickens happened, because more and more people sought to make various improvements on those breeds that were already there. They used specimens from pre-existing breeds to create new breeds, new colors, more winter hardiness, heat tolerance, etc. etc. This is still going on today, in every country on earth, just about. Today, there are so many different breeds of chickens you would think there just would not be room for any more, but there are still new humans that still want different things! I think it has been stated before that the focus of most hatcheries catering to the public is different from the average show breeder. They have different goals. The show breeder seeks to breed a line that will produce show winning specimens. The hatchery seeks to mass produce a bird of recognizable type and performance that will survive the rigors of mass production and the US mail and survive your possibly novice care once it arrives at its destination. They are less concerned with the intricacies of conformation and feathering but do want to send a bird that looks and acts like the breed it is supposed to be. There are a lot of hatcheries out there and they compete with each other in various ways. Most need to make the majority of their customers happy in order to stay in business. The show breeder needs to make judges at shows happy (judges who hopefully have studied the SOP for that breed of bird and knows what to look for). Sometimes I think the whole "purebred" terminology should just be thrown out since breeding "pure" will not over time, necessarily produce a typey specimen unless a certain amount of care is taken to ensure that breeding stock used is capable of passing on the traits that the breed is known for. I think this is what you are probably meaning. Do breeders do a better job of breeding to the SOP? I sure hope they do since that is their goal and they are needed to do that to maintain important breed characteristics. Do hatcheries totally ignore the SOP? I don't think so, because then they would be sending you an unrecognizable bird that you would not be happy with and would be out of business. But they are unlikely to focus on it in the way that a show breeder will. You have to remember that they will never even see most of the birds they produce as grown adults. Anyway, if humanity were swept from the earth and chickens survived, it is quite possible that they would eventually revert to being various kinds of jungle fowl again, since mother nature would be in charge of their SOP and selection for traits based on survival would again be the rule.

 

[The Moonshiner]

With all the hatchery stock talk I'm curious if anyone knows for certain if the hatcheries have their own flocks or if they source eggs.
Back in the early 80s I was heavy into showing and raising several bantam breeds. I was approached about supplying eggs to a hatchery.
Unfortunately long story short I was scammed by the third party and worked out of the equation.
I know for a fact that that hatchery sourced all their eggs from different breeders and it was a large mainstream hatchery.

 

[Trish1974]

Could you please elaborate on the differences? I’m quite intrigued.

For me, I have found all my hatchery birds have nasty attitudes, and the breeder bought birds are the complete opposite.

 

[jolenesdad]

@BreanneRN what a post.

I think something you said that really registered with me is that hatcheries never even see most of their birds as adults. They have no way of knowing what birds and lines would be culled in an intensive breeding program.

 

[nessa.morg]

For me, I have found all my hatchery birds have nasty attitudes, and the breeder bought birds are the complete opposite.

I would disagree bc my hatchery bought are the sweetest things. I wouldn't say buying them from a hatchery makes them have nasty attitudes

 

[Birds of a Feather]

I would disagree bc my hatchery bought are the sweetest things. I wouldn't say buying them from a hatchery makes them have nasty attitudes

I agree. Hatchery birds can have great temperaments.

 

[Mimi13]

Anyway, if humanity were swept from the earth and chickens survived, it is quite possible that they would eventually revert to being various kinds of jungle fowl again, since mother nature would be in charge of their SOP and selection for traits based on survival would again be the rule.

This is so true!

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

For me, I have found all my hatchery birds have nasty attitudes, and the breeder bought birds are the complete opposite.

I’ve found that my hatchery bought birds have sweet attitudes. I haven’t bought hatchery Rhode Island Reds, Sex Links, or Barred Plymouth Rocks which I hear have some bad attitudes.