Hatchery vs. Good Blood Lines

[birdlady79]

Hi. I'm new to chickens.. I have 6 chicks I got from feed store which 4 came from Cackle, I'm sure the other 2 came from hatcheries as well... I wanted to buy from breeders but couldn't find the kinds I wanted in my area... I've been reading a lot of info on here about blood line, hatcheries, temperments, ec.... I'm not planning on having show chickens but in the future I would like a flock that are nicer quality than what I have now... HOW do you get nice quality birds without ordering from Hatcherys? How do you know if the bloodline they say it is, is really true? There is a breeder in my area that Supposivly has "rare" lines and the price is high!! How do you really know?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

You really won't know unless they have some kind of documentation. People can say anything.
Reputation is your best defense. People that aren't good breeders will have a bad reputation.

For a new person with chickens, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Hatchery chickens tend to be more productive than breeder birds. Unless the breeder is selecting for production - which, in general, is what the hatcheries do.

Many breeder birds do tend to be hardier than hatchery birds though since they tend to hatch a lot and cull hard with vigor usually being among the things they select for.

I don't consider the line of bird the breed comes from since once they're in the hands of a new breeder, quality can go downhill in a couple generations.

 

[NYREDS]

Hi. I'm new to chickens.. I have 6 chicks I got from feed store which 4 came from Cackle, I'm sure the other 2 came from hatcheries as well... I wanted to buy from breeders but couldn't find the kinds I wanted in my area... I've been reading a lot of info on here about blood line, hatcheries, temperments, ec.... I'm not planning on having show chickens but in the future I would like a flock that are nicer quality than what I have now... HOW do you get nice quality birds without ordering from Hatcherys? How do you know if the bloodline they say it is, is really true? There is a breeder in my area that Supposivly has "rare" lines and the price is high!! How do you really know?

If you are seriously interested in getting involved in breeding quality birds ther's a way to approach it that will save you some time, money & frustration.
First, before you buy a chicken buy a copy of the Standard Of Perfection. Read & study the first 40 pages then begin to review the breeds. Next decide what breed/variety interests you most. It may help to attend a couple of poultry shows to see the actual birds. Then it's back to the Standard. Really become familiar with your breed's description.
Not time to buy birds yet: go to some more shows with your Standard. Find your chosen breed & compare the winners with the description in the Standard. This helps you to learn to interpret the Standard. Talk to the people showing your breed-especially the winners. Most of us are happy to talk about our birds & to help new people get started. When the judging is over ask the judge if you can talk to him. Again, most of us are happy to spend a few minutes helping new people get a good start.
Now you're ready to buy some birds. Most shows have a Traders Row where people sell excess birds. There are usually some good birds available. Also, ask some of the exhibitors you talked with earlier about buying stock. If they don't have anything for sale with them many wil;l ship birds.
Follow these steps & you have a good shot at turning your poultry breeding interest into a positive experience. I see alot of people start out by ordering birds from a hatchery or from some guy down the road. They don't bother to learn anything about their birds first. They then come to a show with their birds & either don't place any birds or often have their birds disqualified. They then get discouragerd & quit. Instead of finding their way into a fascinating [my opinion] hobby they waste some of their time & money.

 

[birdlady79]

Thank you for the info.... I'm going to learn from the ones I have now and later on my plan is to upgrade... I will read the SOP... How do you find out about Poultry Shows in your area? I would be interested in going to one... I would l like to learn about breeding, traits, temperments, when to cull, those kinda of things...your info was very helpful in giving me a starting point when I get ready ... Thank you.

 

[NYREDS]

Thank you for the info.... I'm going to learn from the ones I have now and later on my plan is to upgrade... I will read the SOP... How do you find out about Poultry Shows in your area? I would be interested in going to one... I would l like to learn about breeding, traits, temperments, when to cull, those kinda of things...your info was very helpful in giving me a starting point when I get ready ... Thank you.

Here's one source for show info: poultryshowcentral.com The Poultry Press also lists virtually all the shows in the country but you have to buy a sunscription. [poultrypress.com]

 

[3riverschick]

Hi. I'm new to chickens.. I have 6 chicks I got from feed store which 4 came from Cackle, I'm sure the other 2 came from hatcheries as well... I wanted to buy from breeders but couldn't find the kinds I wanted in my area... I've been reading a lot of info on here about blood line, hatcheries, temperments, ec.... I'm not planning on having show chickens but in the future I would like a flock that are nicer quality than what I have now... HOW do you get nice quality birds without ordering from Hatcherys? How do you know if the bloodline they say it is, is really true? There is a breeder in my area that Supposivly has "rare" lines and the price is high!! How do you really know?

Hi,
Welcome to BYC!

Come on over to the BYC Heritage Large Fowl Thread - Phase II. That's one of the huge purposes of that thread.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/849075/heritage-large-fowl-phase-ii/4890#post_13020885
It's a continuation of the original thread founded by our late beloved teacher Bob Blosl. The folks on the thread will
be happy to help you find a breed you want. Help you find superior quality birds. Help you learn how to breed Heritage
Large Fowl. Top breeders and judges there, willing to share. Lots of experience to draw on. It's a nice little community.
Many of us have known each other for 15,000 posts, smile. Come on over and jump right in.
Best Regards,
Karen in western PA, USA