Hatcery vs. breeder

[CUDA]

Yeah, so true PC, maybe you could get some nice curled toes to splint up too!

 

[fowlafoot]

A few things to keep in mind when looking for a breeder... in order to produce the best birds the brood stock should be single bred otherwise the breeder cannot tell which traits come from which hens. Two show quality birds don't always produce show quality offspring so ask about older offspring from the pair. Ask about temperment it's an important part of a breed even if it isn't in the SoP and ask about production... in fact ask lots of questions, a good breeder knows their birds and will be able to answer them.

 

[halo]

Quote:
Am I the only one that read this part...sure sign me up for some birds out of the diseased flocks, don't worry, these are out of the ones that survived.....

Hatcheries breed for quantity of birds that resemble the ideal standard, most only come close, (for example RIRs that are actually production reds and no where near the deep mahogany that they should be.) Quality takes a back seat to quantity that equals sales/$$$.

A breeder on the other hand raises very few birds, striving for excellence, culling any perceived flaws and if done properly, ends up with a line that is very close to show standard.

So it all depends on what you are after. Do you just want some barnyard cluckers to provide eggs, or are you after a line that you can use to compete at shows.

Actually, Ive seen some small breeders who breed a LOT of birds, because it takes breeding a lot of birds to find the few birds that will improve the flock. At least you can eat all the culls....its not like puppies which overpopulate and end up in shelters.

 

[prariechiken]

Quote:
Small time breeders breed nowhere near the birds that hatcheries breed. And as you've pointed out, they are breeding with a purpose and a set standard in mind. Hatcheries are breeding for a bird to sell, thats it. As long as it looks somewhat like what they are advertising then thats what gets boxed and shipped. It is highly possible that buying the small time breeders culls may give you better to standard birds than what a hatchery would provide. And who says you can't eat the puppies.......

 

[kstaven]

I agree with most of what has been said here. If you are looking for quality birds the breeder culls are closer to standard than what you will find from many hatcheries.

There are some hatcheries out there that do breed some pretty decent birds also.


So in the end you have to do your homework on who has what available.

 

[newfmadible]

AAGGH! This is frustrating for me as a beginner. I want to start my first flock in the spring with day old chicks. I have ZERO experience with poultry. I have no plans to show my birds, or breed for that matter, but I also don't want to say, "look at my nice flock of Buckeyes, Marans, and Delawares" etc. only to find out my birds are some sort of barely discernible variant of what I thought I had. Where do hatcheries get their eggs from? I am assuming they don't breed on site. I was thinking of using a hatchery for my first chicks because I have one close by that I can drive to for pick up. Now I don't know what to do. I have been spending hours looking into the different breeds and their temperaments to find the best for my situation. I would hate to get birds that are NOTHING like I wanted.

I would not be opposed to looking for a breeder and paying more, but I don't want straight run chicks and I am not set up to hatch eggs. Also, I would like to try a variety of breeds and it sounds like most quality breeders would focus on only one or two breeds. Are hatchery chicks really that bad?


Edited to add: Are hatcheries like the puppy mills of poultry?

 

[andehens]

My two cents worth. The earlier analogy to a puppy was a good one, you spend weeks pouring over books, magazines and talking to people, you decide on a breed that is perfect for your lifestyle and the temperment is just right for your 2 year old. For the sake of convenience you go to the pet shop in the mall and get a puppy that came from a puppy mill! It doesn't grow to the size you envisioned, its sick and it bit your 2 year old! Or you go to a back yard breeder with lots of puppies, it does grow, has severe skin problems and bites the neighbors! Or you go to a show breeder and it grows, its healthy and loves your two year old and the breeder can answer ALL of your questions and encourages you to get involved in the hobby.

 

[mikarod]

Edited to add: Are hatcheries like the puppy mills of poultry?

In my opinion....YES.​

 

[newfmadible]

So, if I decide to go with a breeder over a hatchery, would it be safe healthwise to get little chicks from a number of different sources in order to get the variety I want to try? How on earth would I time it so I have all my chicks at about the same age and time? Yikes! Do most breeders ship their chicks and if so, am I looking at the same issue of a minimum number of 25 again? I am guessing most would NOT want to ship.

 

[Black Feather]

newfmadible there is absolutely nothing wrong with getting chicks from a hatchery. If I just wanted a bunch of birds that would lay well or produce meat well then hatchery stock will get the job done and you will have a lovely little flock that will give you hours of enjoyment and entertainment. The only thing is you will get birds that probably will only loosely conform to a breed standard and probably should not even be described as such at all.

I think the issue arises when people who have hatchery flocks start billing themselves as breeders or heritage breeders when their birds are not good representations of any particular breed. Heck, I personally love mutt chickens...they are colorful tend to be tough and have great personalities and produce relatively well.

I also find many people seem to have a 'need' to describe their birds as a particular breed. It's more than likely a mutt, but because it slightly resembles a certain breed people start calling it that. All you have to do it look at how many people post pics of their chickens and chicks asking 'what breed is this?" If they were mine I would call them mutts, but that's just my opinion.

Heck I have a 'mutt' Rhode Island Red. He's a cross between a show line RIR and production line RIR. I plan to match him up with a show line RIR hens and raise chicks for show (they will be 3/4 show lines). Hopefully he will contribute strong production lines to a show line and I will have to best of both worlds, show birds that produce well.

Just something to think about.

Cheers,
Urban Coyote