Hatchery~Show Quality?

[Cheep a'lil Talk a'lil]

The head of the 4-H here said that she would give us some white silkies that she has so that the kids will be in possession of chickens before June 1st that way they would be able to show this fall. These silkies have been shown before and are 2nd placers she said. They would be a good starting bird to get the kids feet wet in the whole process.

The nearest Fair will be 1 hour 20 mins away and it will be the one we would attend this fall. We are so far from everything! I will definately be talking with other parents at the fair. See what they did.

I think we will need an incubator and go the hatching route.

Now I need to find reputable breeders and a decent incubator for a cheap price....any more suggestions?

I sure appreciate everyones input, it helps out a lot to hear it for different angles, thanks so much!!

 

[pascopol]

M@M@2four :

Well, to be honest with you, I don't mess with hatchery quality as they are rarely, "show quality." Do some research, pick a few breeds you are interested in and maybe consider contacting a private breeder...atleast that's what I do!

There is no absolute rules here, I got few Bantam breeds from Cackle Hatchery, since no breeder would ship birds in February, they are better than on the pictures, and many of them definitely have show potential.

Then I got a shipment of birds from one of the top breeders in the country, I did not receive exactly what I ordered, few of the birds had crossed beaks, and crocked toes.

So buying birds from a breeder will not necessary guarantee you highest quality birds, just like buying eggs only from BYC members will not guarantee successful hatch.​

 

[lildinkem]

I bought my small ( used) incubators on EBAY for near $50 each. I have 6 now and use two for the last 3 day cycle. That is nice if you go the incubating route. The auto turner is also a great buy to get too. Those can go used for $30 EBAY

 

[Msbear]

"Im sure that there are top quality breeds that you can buy for showing but if you want backyard chickens then i think the hatcherys are just fine to go with"

Im not knocking hatchery stock for backyard flocks. That's a great place to get average birds that lay good eggs. This person said they were interested in showing. Hatchery birds may resemble the pics but show breeders would be able to point out all the flaws that you may not notice. Maybe you can get lucky but in my experience, with reading all the complaints I've seen on this forum, it would save a lot of time buying from a private breeder or spend years hatching and culling to get anything decent.

Hatchery cochins are some of the worst to buy from large hatcheries. They come with hardly any feathers on their feet. Many are mixed varieties. They look more like orpingtons than cochins. Im sure most people think their hatchery cochins are pretty and lay good eggs but they wouldn't place in a show.

 

[lildinkem]

I totally agree with MSBEAR. This lady wants to take her children to have an experience for a lifetime. And being a novice she might think, like we all think, that her birds are gorgeous. But, breed judges go by the standard. And having a competitive bird will be a better thrill then getting blown away. And hatchery birds are more breed to lay and not be beautiful and to the standard.
There are great breeders who sell here. I own a cockerel, and bought and traded with SEABRIGHTMOM and her Black and Blue Ameraucana's. Their gorgeous. And she is very reasonable $15 a dozen plus shipping. The BAMACHICKEN has jaw dropping Orpingtons. She is known to be very open and friendly to our younger Poultry enthusiasts. Plus a slew of others with varying prices to fit into a budget. Have fun!!

 

[Ravenna]

Bottom line is there is no such thing as "show quality eggs" but there is potential for a show quality bird from SQ parents. You could get a batch of "SQ eggs" and get nothing worth while. Or a few good ones. You just never know. It's the luck of the draw you'll get that one golden bird from many years of breeding or just one lucky egg that blows the judges away.

The only guarantee for show quality is an older bird, not a very young chick. I've heard breeders use hatchery stock sometimes for new blood as to sometimes fertility is an issue, or they are not having satisfactory results with their current stock.

As far as getting show potential from hatchery stock, I think it depends. I read that some hatcheries buy out breeder stock and introduce them to their flock and I've read people getting SQ birds. I got 17 healthy silkie chicks from Cackle and I'm very pleased with them. They all came alive and well (and you may lose a few to unknown reasons in the brooder, I've lost one already). But I got blues, splash and some nice looking whites with huge vaults. I might have SQ, I might not. I'm not a breeder so this is merely my opinion and what I've experienced thus far. But I have heard some of Cackle's stock has won a few shows...so there again you might get something nice or none at all.

Same with hatching eggs. If everyone got SQ birds from "SQ eggs" then everyone would have a grand champion AKC dog in comparison from all their eggs. Again, just my opinion from raising and showing rabbits for 12 years.

I learned genetics could be cruel or kind.

 

[lildinkem]

Too many use the term Show Quality or SQ. Most reputable breeders prefer the term Exhibition quality.
And your right Ravenna, I did get some darn nice birds that came from Hatchery's. But, I had to get 20 to get one. I THINK I did much better with the numbers when I got my birds from Exhibition breeders. Closer to 1 outta 5. Or with some lines of my Orps more like half are competitive birds. Prolly not show winners, but competitive. That is why I buy from EXHIBITION breeders. And I pay maybe 2 or 3 times more for Exhibition breeder birds, like $25 for a young adult, or even better to roll the dice and buy chicks or eggs. Then you have a real chance of getting a very nice bird.

 

[Cheep a'lil Talk a'lil]

This is ALL great information and I really appreciate it! When I try to talk to DH about this he just nods and smiles, gotta love him!

Its really nice to have others that are interested in chickens to "talk it out with".

 

[NYREDS]

I once complained to the owner of EGGBID about some birds advertized there as "Show Quality". They were so far from SQ that they didn't even appear to be the breed they were advertized as. His response was that if it has 2 feet and feathers you could take it to a show if you wanted to hense as far as he was concerned it was "Show Quality". Obviously his integrity is worth less than the commissions he collects.

 

[BayCityBabe]

As a parent myself, I would say - do what is most convenient for you. The kids are not going to be judged on the quality of the bird, just their abilities in "showmanshi."