I have a question for breeders

[gumbii]

Quote:
that's cool, but i don't think it goes for every breeder or enthusiast out there...

lately, a couple of my friends have the serama bug... so we've been talking to several breeders and propagators... seems that a pair pet quality serama can still produce a good show quality specimen from them.... but, i guess seramas are different... seems that no one understands how they work genetically or actual names of color morphs... but, i think they are the easiest chicken to breed... even if it's pet quality, but with good posture/color, it's worth breeding for the prospect of getting a hot little type A show stopper as the end result...

 

[tgrlily]

Quote:
That doesn't work for everyone. "Your Mileage May Vary" and all that.

How does this flock "sustain itself"? They kill most of the chicks, sell a few at $50 each & that pays the housing, feed, water, heat, show entries, gas, hotel & travel expenses? Really??? For the entire year?? Because that doesn't add up if you think about it.

Also - sorry, but I don't identify as a "hatcher" and my birds DO win.

Does everyone have to do it your way to be right? I know I have a lot to learn. I've bought the best stock I could & am breeding up from that. But the bottom line is this is my hobby & it makes me happy to have chickens in my backyard. It's not my career. Don't pick on people that don't want to kill baby chicks because they're not perfect. (If there is something actually wrong with a chick, I do cull.) They're still a heck of a lot better than the garbage hatcheries are selling. Not everyone that wants a specific breed of chicken wants SQ. Not everyone can afford to pay a ton of money for a chick. By selling my culls, I help some people out. God forgive me for that! Some people want nice chickens in their backyard. Gee... wonder if that's why BYC is here?

I only keep & grow out the best prospects. The pet quality chicks are a byproduct, not by design. They happen. Exhibition quality stock does not ensure that you will only hatch perfect chicks. When I sell them, they help feed my flock. My LF pullets that don't grow out to be good enough are sold as layers & the males either go to auction or to be processed. I just can't bring myself to eat silkies. I'm selling off most of my Ameraucanas because I'm changing my focus to concentrate on breeding high quality Dorkings - talk about a challenge. By the looks of things, I'll be eating a lot of Dorking & Orpington this year.

Let's try to play nice.

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
That doesn't work for everyone. "Your Mileage May Vary" and all that.

How does this flock "sustain itself"? They kill most of the chicks, sell a few at $50 each & that pays the housing, feed, water, heat, show entries, gas, hotel & travel expenses? Really??? For the entire year?? Because that doesn't add up if you think about it.

Also - sorry, but I don't identify as a "hatcher" and my birds DO win.

Does everyone have to do it your way to be right? I know I have a lot to learn. I've bought the best stock I could & am breeding up from that. But the bottom line is this is my hobby & it makes me happy to have chickens in my backyard. It's not my career. Don't pick on people that don't want to kill baby chicks because they're not perfect. (If there is something actually wrong with a chick, I do cull.) They're still a heck of a lot better than the garbage hatcheries are selling. Not everyone that wants a specific breed of chicken wants SQ. Not everyone can afford to pay a ton of money for a chick. By selling my culls, I help some people out. God forgive me for that! Some people want nice chickens in their backyard. Gee... wonder if that's why BYC is here?

I only keep & grow out the best prospects. The pet quality chicks are a byproduct, not by design. They happen. Exhibition quality stock does not ensure that you will only hatch perfect chicks. When I sell them, they help feed my flock. My LF pullets that don't grow out to be good enough are sold as layers & the males either go to auction or to be processed. I just can't bring myself to eat silkies. I'm selling off most of my Ameraucanas because I'm changing my focus to concentrate on breeding high quality Dorkings - talk about a challenge. By the looks of things, I'll be eating a lot of Dorking & Orpington this year.

Let's try to play nice.

Um, did I miss something???? I don't think that was an aggressive post by Neil. What do you mean by "let's try to play nice"? Every one has there own way of raising poultry, that doesn't make it wrong, just their way.

How does this flock "sustain itself"? They kill most of the chicks, sell a few at $50 each & that pays the housing, feed, water, heat, show entries, gas, hotel & travel expenses? Really??? For the entire year?? Because that doesn't add up if you think about it.

First, they are bantams, that helps. If they sell 20 birds at $50 each, that adds up to $1000, a year. Thats pretty good. While that may not take care of everything, but it is really good.

I don't really understand the point of your post, though.​

 

[cmtigger]

Quote:
First, they are bantams, that helps. If they sell 20 birds at $50 each, that adds up to $1000, a year. Thats pretty good. While that may not take care of everything, but it is really good.

I don't really understand the point of your post, though.

I think that the point is that $1000 does not cover the costs of feed, water and show expenses- not even close if they've got those numbers. I don't know the cost of entering a show, but you've got gas and hotel expenses, which vary on the distance, but I've easily spent over $100 on those just for a cavy show. If you want to get $50 for an animal you need to be showing often and placing well. They're putting in a lot of their own money toward the animals, some people can afford to do that, some can't.

It's a personal choice about what you do with your animals.

 

[schellie69]

I have seen that some breeder offer the culls for laying hens. I know I want certain breeds not for show but just for the eggs. I know I can get them from a breeder, I don't think every breeder does things the same. I am not into showing birds so pet quality is fine with me. I want them for their egg color so I can have a pretty egg basket.

 

[Susan Mc]

Quote:
I wouldn't dream of expecting my hobby to sustain itself. It is a hobby, and an expensive one. Not many people actually make money in poultry at a hobby level, or not enough to write home about.
I'm well on my way to 200 chicks, mainly bantams, to improve my chances of getting nice birds to breed from next year. The more you breed, the more you cull, but you have a better chance of getting good birds, and any good ones left after I've chosen my breeding birds can be sold on to others. I wouldn't expect anyone to purchase inferior birds, unless it was expressly clear that they were not breeding stock and they wanted them for laying or pets. Otherwise they go into the pot for ourselves or the dog.