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LOL, yeah, I know. (Of course, I guess it's nothing to laugh-out-loud about.)
Almost all hatcheries in the USA are concerned primarily about one thing: quantity. Forget quality. The more birds they sell, the more money they make. It doesn't matter to them whether or not their Orloffs are actually just Ameracauna crosses, or whether or not their Ameracaunas are Easter Eggers, or whether or not their Rhode Island Reds are commercial hybrids. The almighty dollar is their idol, and quality is a threat to their graven image.
Hatcheries usually do not exist to preserve chickens, or even to necessarily promote chickens. They exist to make money.
There is at least one exception I know of. Sandhill Preservation Center is a small hatchery that works hard with what facilities it has to preserve purebred, rare poultry. Their birds are not perfect (no hatchery bird is), but they are usually purebred and thereby serve as fair representations of the breeds they sell.
However, that's the only exception I know of
Absolutely right Gresh. We are called to be stewards of all creation. That would include livestock, etc., right? So we as breeders should try to preserve the best, most honest stock possible. But it's not just the hatcheries. The odd breeder has no repeat business. I can think of at least two. One sold us 13 'Araucana' chicks. 'All hens'. 4 EE hens; 6 EE roos; 1 White Leghorn roo, 1 d'Anver/EE cross, and 1 Faverolle/EE cross. I like what's happening to the Araucana breed. No really.
Very true: mankind has been commissioned by the Creator to be stewards of all the earth. I believe this commission is manifested most crucially in the propagation of agriculture and livestock. These two things are by far the most essential elements to the sub-dominion of man under the dominion of God. If man does not master plant and animal, he has mastered nothing.
When man propagates livestock, it is his duty to preserve those creatures that have been most useful to man, either as a means of supplying food or a means of increasing education. What a shame it is, then, that many hatcheries are passing on inferior livestock to the next generation with the excuse that these inferior animals produce more food more quickly! True, humankind needs food fast for a fast-increasing population, but patience is key, and taking a little more time and a little more money to preserve superior livestock for the good of future people is worth every second and every cent.
Sorry for the philosophical tone: I just love to lecture on how man's relationship to God affects how he relates to creation
Anyway, I'm sorry to hear about your "Aracauna" experience. I'm sure that was aggravating. I know how it feels, to some extent, though my experience lies mostly with a hatchery. I'm glad that there are breeding clubs like the SPPA and such that are filled with reliable breeders who are working hard to pass on superior birds to the next generation
LOL, yeah, I know. (Of course, I guess it's nothing to laugh-out-loud about.)
Hatcheries usually do not exist to preserve chickens, or even to necessarily promote chickens. They exist to make money.
There is at least one exception I know of. Sandhill Preservation Center is a small hatchery that works hard with what facilities it has to preserve purebred, rare poultry. Their birds are not perfect (no hatchery bird is), but they are usually purebred and thereby serve as fair representations of the breeds they sell.
However, that's the only exception I know of
Absolutely right Gresh. We are called to be stewards of all creation. That would include livestock, etc., right? So we as breeders should try to preserve the best, most honest stock possible. But it's not just the hatcheries. The odd breeder has no repeat business. I can think of at least two. One sold us 13 'Araucana' chicks. 'All hens'. 4 EE hens; 6 EE roos; 1 White Leghorn roo, 1 d'Anver/EE cross, and 1 Faverolle/EE cross. I like what's happening to the Araucana breed. No really.
Very true: mankind has been commissioned by the Creator to be stewards of all the earth. I believe this commission is manifested most crucially in the propagation of agriculture and livestock. These two things are by far the most essential elements to the sub-dominion of man under the dominion of God. If man does not master plant and animal, he has mastered nothing.
When man propagates livestock, it is his duty to preserve those creatures that have been most useful to man, either as a means of supplying food or a means of increasing education. What a shame it is, then, that many hatcheries are passing on inferior livestock to the next generation with the excuse that these inferior animals produce more food more quickly! True, humankind needs food fast for a fast-increasing population, but patience is key, and taking a little more time and a little more money to preserve superior livestock for the good of future people is worth every second and every cent.
Sorry for the philosophical tone: I just love to lecture on how man's relationship to God affects how he relates to creation
Anyway, I'm sorry to hear about your "Aracauna" experience. I'm sure that was aggravating. I know how it feels, to some extent, though my experience lies mostly with a hatchery. I'm glad that there are breeding clubs like the SPPA and such that are filled with reliable breeders who are working hard to pass on superior birds to the next generation
