I have an opinion question regarding getting new birds

[1muttsfan]

I enjoy the incubation and hatching roller coaster. Up here where I live there are no breeders of the kind of quality chickens I like to raise, so am happy to have the opportunity to get top quality genetics, even though there are no guarentees with shipped eggs. Plus I love having the chicks from the beginning.

Oooh lemon cuckoo orps

 

[Beekissed]

It really depends on what you mean by improving the quality of your flock. Do you mean "show" quality, laying quality, meat quality, hardiness?

If I just wanted to improve the overall quality, I'd start with hatchery chicks in the breeds I wanted, cull for laying efficacy, health, mothering, etc. as time goes by and then reproduce within my own flock and only keep the best of the offspring.

Improving quality of livestock takes time and commitment but, if done in this manner, is the only way to insure that you get the quality you are looking for without paying exorbitant breeder prices with spotty delivery, performance or guarantees from that breeder. Unless, of course, you happen onto an exceptional, long established breeder in your area.

 

[SteveBaz]

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[cmom]

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[RedBugPoultry]

Poultry shows are a very good way to get new birds. All birds are NPIP tested for the show and quite often people do not want to take birds home that do not place well and sell for good prices. And these are some of their best birds. Plus you meet a lot of sources for birds that way if you are in an area that has shows and fairs.

Just a thought if you are worried about bringing something into your flock...

 

[jamesnoldsr]

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What I guess I'm looking for is to raise desirable birds that I won't have trouble finding homes for. You mention "culling". I guess that can also mean selling off the less than perfects- but to who? If I'm raising say, Buff Orps, that you can find everywhere, who is going to want to buy my culls? Whereas if I'm raising Buff Laced Brahmas, for instance, those culls will find homes. I really hate producing animals that no one wants other than myself.

I also see the benefits of building on someone else's work. Why cover the same ground over and over when you can jump start your breeding program with the products of a master breeders efforts. I guess by quality for me anyway, show quality or at least breeder quality is what I'm hoping for. I don't know if you can get show quality from hatchery birds- ever. Maybe you can get good layers or good meat birds or hardiness- which if chickens are anything like dogs, the mutts are usually the hardiest, smartest and most economical to purchase- but there are millions of them around and selling them for a dollar a piece won't help pay the feed bill. JMO

 

[jamesnoldsr]

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You know we did go to the State Fair of Texas for the bird show specifically. I did learn a few good things, one is that as cute as Call ducks are, they are incredibly noisy and that I better wait to get some till we don't have close neighbors! We also had a long and interesting conversation with a man that raises Marans. It made the whole thing worth doing. We also saw a young man of about 14 kicking some major butt with his birds! I would definitely love to go to a show where there were nice birds to be had with the opportunity to compare them side by side with others and see what I like and don't like. SQ can be a moving target and is often in the eye of the beholder, but good quality will be obvious to most people with any knowledge of the breed.

 

[NC ChickenKate]

I was involved for over a quarter century with breeding, birthing, raising, training, showing and selling llamas and alpacas. I studied all the available bloodlines in North America, met the breeders and looked at/ inspected all the animals they had for sale but paid special attention to those animals they wouldn't sell for any price. Some things I learned...

1. Decide why exactly you are choosing and feeding these specific chickens...perfection of the breed standard? excellent layers? broodies? For the back yard chicken movement in your area? Meat? pets? egg size or color? some other use of chickens that hasn't yet become popular or well publicized?
(after several years your direction may change, for any number of reasons...leave your options open!)

2. If you want to make a name for yourself as a breeder of "top quality animals" you should probably keep the top 1/3 of the year's babies for your own, sell the bottom third (your "culls") babies that do not fit into or move you toward your ultimate flock of the future; give that middle third a bit of time to mature to see if you might have some late developers and be willing to move any from one groupto another up or down.

3. If you have more chickens than you can use or want to take care of and decide to sell some please remember folks will want chickens for different purposes too...offering different breeds/ages/quality for different prices, knowing the local zoning laws, where the best feed can be obtained, what kind of coop works in your area, appropriate chickens for the customer's needs, value added items or services... can position you as the go-to guy locally...and after several years some folks will pay anything for your top-of-the-line birds...go figure!

4. You can adore your chickens and shower them with love and affection and still carve out a successful piece of the local/regional chicken business for yourself , these two attributes are not mutually exclusive.

The animals in your life will on occasion break your heart by dying for no obvious reason. But they will never lie or deceive you. When they tell you something you can take it to the bank!

Much success in your chicken future...may all your fuzzy-butts make you smile!

 

[Faerytalefarm]

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Well thought out wonderful advice!

Oh and we live in the Ft worth area as well. I have shipped in quite a few birds in the last couple of months with no issues. I've had 8 or 9 shipments of eggs from all over and had some success. Best of luck in your endeavor!

 

[peterlund]

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I think this the sweetest comment I have heard.. You made my night ChickenKate!