Thanks for the wonderful information! Sounds fair and honest to me.
My basic goal is healthy dual purposes breeds for backyard enjoyment, eggs and meat... Possibly hatch a few if a hen goes broody. Nothing large scale. So it sounds like either hatchery or the same local breeder would be sufficient.
I am really enjoying all the amazing info here on BYC since I've joined! Thanks again!!
If you want a hen to go broody, you have the wrong breed. Rhode Island Reds, or the production reds, very rarely go broody. You should get a couple hens from breeds that go broody, such as Cochin, Brahma, Orpington, Java, etc. This way you can put your hens' eggs under a broody hen to hatch.
