Hatchery vs Breeder Thread, Post your pictures and comparisons!

[blackclownfish16]

So this is another common question and I wasn't able to find a thread on here about it with some good pictures. Well today I was letting the silkie get some free ranging done and I decided to showcase the difference between my Ideal lavender silkie hen and my breeder cock.

These are just common traits thrown around whenever I talk chickens with others. None of these are facts or applicable in all situations. Let's here all yours

Pros and Con's of Hatchery Birds
Pros: Better egg production, Larger numbers of available sources, Better disease resistance, Possible to choose Pullets or Cockerels, Available nearly year around
Cons: Not bred to Standard, Mismarked colors, bought as day olds so quality is random chance

Breeder Birds
Pros: Show or Breeder quality, Bred to Standard which means breed characteristics are always evident, Available as pairs or young birds so quality can be better evaluated
Cons: Limited availability, May be weaker stock because inbred birds produce more show quality chicks, Birds bred for looks will often lay very poorly and/or have poor fertility

Let me know any other Pros/Cons you guys can think of and if you have comparisons shots of any breed, please please post

So here's my birds. My Cock is just a pig and he almost never comes up for air haha. The hen was the best out of 25 chicks I got. She lays an egg a day and goes broody way less than my other silkies (she's the only hatchery bird I have). I use her as a "prostitute" hen (excuse my language) meaning I put her in with my laid back silkie cocks that tend to have fertility issues because she will kneel for anyone. IME the cocks then get more confidence and become more aggressive breeders. I plan on hatching some of their eggs this year just to compare to the splits.
Fluffy butt difference

Body Type

And of course crest size

 

[lildinkem]

I find that the hatchery birds I bought were less resistant. Most high quality breeders don't like their birds dying. And routinely carry 3 or 4 different lines to keep resistance and vigor up. Here in Indy we've been in the 90's for the entire week, my 12 pure Black/Blue Orps have laid 29 eggs since Monday. That's 2.5 eggs per hen in 4 days. Not too many production Orps will do much better in this weather. I choose the breeder.

Forgot to add pics. These are the young Blacks and a Blue produced by my breeder line Orps

Their daddy Feran

 

[Katy]

The reason I made the switch from hatchery birds to breeder birds several years ago was basically looks. I was tired of the birds I ordered not, in most cases looking like the breed is supposed to. I have not found my birds to be poor layers. They often times are slower to mature, but once they start laying they lay well for the most part. I don't really have any pictures of hatchery birds to do comparison shots. Here are some pictures of my birds that I've got now. I took a bunch of new pictures earlier this week of young birds in my grow-out pens, but haven't down-loaded and water marked them yet.

SL & BLR Wyandottes

Orpingtons

Wheaten Marans

 

[lildinkem]

Quote:
Nice birds Katy, you need to show them off more often. Keep it goin!

 

[blackclownfish16]

Katy WOW! Those are awesome looking.

I really like Feran lildinkem!

Also just to clarify the Pros/Cons are in general. In general a flock that is expected to produce 3000 eggs per hatching season vs one that is expected to produce 8 show quality birds will lay better. Also I would argue that the sheer numbers of hatchery flocks guarantee resistance. I do know that Brain Reeder found hatchery birds to have more resistant genes. And a good breeder will try and keep different lines but when your birds continue to win and sell well there is often a thought of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" which can lead to inbreeding vs a hatchery flock which numbers hundreds of birds.

Of course every hatchery/breeder is different and this thread will hopefully showcase a variety of experiences

 

[greathorse]

I believe that one of the down side of the current breeder flocks is that we are now breeding only for exhibition color and type. Egglaying is hardly a consideration if the bird will show well. It makes sense to me that when the APA was written and the standards were set that egglaying was at least in the mix as it was simply not practical to keep birds that could not pay the way. My good breeder birds especially the Rhode Island Reds do not lay very well that is for sure. I dont imagine that a poultry man at the turn of the century would have tolerated this level of laying.

I hope to improve that a bit with my group but we shall see.

I sure do like looking at them and consider it important to keep some of the old strains alive.

I will post a few pics of the Reds when my camera battery gets recharged and if I can figure out how to do it.

 

[kathyinmo]

You are unlikely to get a Delaware rooster looking like this from a hatchery. He is quite friendly, as well, which most hatchery (Delaware) stock is not. Let me assure you, my Delawares are excellent layers, as well.

 

[lildinkem]

Quote:
Alot of hatchery's don't bring in new blood any more regularly then breeders. And they have less of a quality control of who should be bred to whom. When I talked to the Mt Healthy owner, he says the will bring in new blood about every 5 years. Many breeders are closer to 4 years. But, even if 5 years, the resistance will not be any better just cause they raise thousands and not hundreds. Or even dozens. The only thing killin my birds this year is Racoons a fox and my own dogs. All seem to know to pick the best quality. Maybe I should run by my entries into the state fair and see if they approve. lololol

 

[Chris09]

One of my Reds out of breeder stock.

Chris

 

[wilds of pa]

This is my favorite of them all... these are true hatchery birds..NO DOUBT ABOUT IT..

http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/araucanas_americanas.html

VS

http://www.hinkjcpoultry.com/araucana.htm

http://www.hinkjcpoultry.com/lavenderlfaraucana.htm