Help me pick some good farm breeds! :)

[BarredBuff]

I think there rose comb would be fine. Right?

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
Hatcheries are in it for the money.. If they are the least bit close there happy. Take for instance the Rhode Island Red look at the breed that the hatcheries are calling a Rhode Island Red and then take a look at a Rhode Island Red that are from a good Breeder that will take some pride in there birds and keep geneticists in mind when they are breeding.
You can see real R.I. Reds here https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=407294

Birds that come from a hatchery are OK if all you want is a bird to lay eggs but if you want the real deal you have to go to a breeder that breeds to the standard and dissent try to mass produce thousands of birds a week.. (like the top two hatcheries in the U.S. do)

Chris

 

[Cowgirl71]

Okay, I've been giving it a lot of thought... I tried browsing for hatching eggs for sale on BYC, and found these Delawares: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=408049

And then I tried looking on eBay, and found these Rhode Island Reds: http://cgi.ebay.com/12-Rhode-Island...205?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3f037994a5 (Am I understanding them right? Are they willing to hatch and ship me 12 chicks for the same price as 12 eggs?)

Also some Light Sussex: http://cgi.ebay.com/6-Light-Sussex-Chicken-Hatching-Eggs-NPIP-/180572924674?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a0afc2b02

I also found this breeder of many breeds: http://www.gabbardhatchingeggs.com/
Black Australorp: http://cgi.ebay.com/BLACK-AUSTRALORP-Chicken-Hatching-Eggs-GENTLE-10-/290484353014?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43a23777f6
Buff Orpington: http://cgi.ebay.com/BUFF-ORPINGTON-Chicken-Hatching-Eggs-RICH-GOLD-10-/290486004015?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43a250a92f
Barred Rock: http://cgi.ebay.com/BARRED-ROCK-Chicken-Hatching-Eggs-OUR-BEST-LAYER-10-/300477291145?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45f5d79a89
New Hampshire Red: http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-HAMPSHIRE-RED-Chicken-Hatching-Eggs-JUMBO-EGGS-/290484353036?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item43a237780c
I really like their descriptions!

Nobody on eBay or BYC had Dominique eggs.

So what do you all think of the quality of these birds? I won't be showing them, I just want a good dual-purpose chicken. I want to make sure that these aren't hatchery-quality birds that somebody's just breeding and selling as heritage birds.

I did some research on Buckeyes too. They look very interesting, except I'm wondering if the same qualities that make them do so well in winter will make them do poorly in the summer (we have awful hot summers here). I did look at Buckeye Dave's website: http://www.buckeyechickens.com/

If anybody has hatching eggs for next spring of the heritage breeds I'm interested in, at a reasonable price, please let me know.

I'm NOT interested in show quality, but a good dual-purpose breed.

Thanks for all of the replies!!! I'm still open to any more input! Gotta go gather eggs, lock up coops, and milk the cow...

 

[Illia]

The Delaware eggs auction looks trusting - The birds look nice and the person tells you where they got their stock from.

All the eBay auctions are just hatchery stuff. Real Buff Orpingtons look like golden basketballs, real Rhode Island Reds have a deep, shiny red sheen and a bigger body, and real New Hampshires don't have such lanky body and high set tail. Honestly I never go to eBay for hatching eggs.

Oh, and Gabbard Farns is one of those bigger cons. . . They have hatchery quality birds as well, all they're doing is convincing people they have good stuff by only offering hatching eggs. In fact, they used to even steal other breeder's images of their birds, then they were caught. . . Now they show what they have: hatchery production-quality birds.

I believe Buckeyes do pretty well in the summer, but don't quote me on it. They're also really good dual purpose birds, and very rare - So breeding them will help their conservation status.

 

[chopchop]

I've 3 buff pro, 2rir's 2EE's 2did.stars &1 rir & 1not sureis except she has blue feet all my girls are great layers no broodies yet all good personality's at least grandkids love them as much as I do got 11 hens & get 9 eggs everyday the 2 that aren't laying not quite old enough . Got 48 eggs in bater lockdown in 5 days my 2nd hatch can't wait for more loving girls

 

[sheila3935]

I can help you pick some right now

 

[chopchop]

I've 3 buff orps , 2rir's 2EE's 2sux.stars &1 riw & 1not sureis except she has blue feet all my girls are great layers no broodies yet all good personality's at least grandkids love them as much as I do got 11 hens & get 9 eggs everyday the 2 that aren't laying not quite old enough . Got 48 eggs in bater lockdown in 5 days my 2nd hatch can't wait for more loving girls

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
A word of advice if they are calling New Hampshires a "New Hampshire Reds" they aren't breeding to standard and most likely hatchery stock.

chris

 

[Cowgirl71]

Illia: Where should I look for some hatching eggs for very good production hens/plump cockerels? Do I post in the "WTB" section of BYC?

Sheila: Are those RIRs? Cute!!!

Chris: What do you think of the Light Sussex eggs on eBay? They say they're from "Greenfire Farm," and claim that they're the "best of the best."

Also, thanks for the tip about New Hampshires. I now know.

*LONG SIGH* Picking breeds is getting harder and harder!

Thanks again for all of the replies! Please keep 'em coming!