Ideal help!

[cukooformarans]

Congratulations!!

 

[Orange Ribbon]

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Respectfully diagree's.

You don't disagree with me, because I don't disagree with YOU!

I was just telling a story. I said I knew there was differences. Some are bred for certain characteristics and some are not. But they ARE all chickens!

And to reply to the OP, I have quite a few Ideal chickens, and I've never had one die on their trip from Texas to Virginia. They lay chicken eggs just like an SQ chicken does. They cackle and crow just like an SQ chicken does. They even look like a chicken, just like an SQ chicken does. But where they are mostly different is some people will have them and some people won't.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
Respectfully diagree's.

You don't disagree with me, because I don't disagree with YOU!

I was just telling a story. I said I knew there was differences. Some are bred for certain characteristics and some are not. But they ARE all chickens!

And to reply to the OP, I have quite a few Ideal chickens, and I've never had one die on their trip from Texas to Virginia. They lay chicken eggs just like an SQ chicken does. They cackle and crow just like an SQ chicken does. They even look like a chicken, just like an SQ chicken does. But where they are mostly different is some people will have them and some people won't.

I'll Have to give that one LOL.

 

[WooingWyandotte]

I have read each and every post, contemplated it and have decided this is a very informative thread from all different views. Simply amazing. Every reply was helpful.
Now, I just wanted to let ya'll know that I didn't end up getting any birds from Ideal.

1) I have heard that fall chicks aren't alltogether that healthy and that if I get my future laying flock, I should get it in spring.
2) I wanted my OEGB broody to hatch some eggs.
3) An egg hatched this morning!

This is the first egg that I have ever hatched..very heartwarming...I cried for about ten minutes. Yes, yes, I'm a softie.

(The chick hatched was a Buff Brahma! I think it's a little roo! Either way I'll keep it, we have the room! Thank God.)

 

[spiritdance]

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I have to disagree here. Not everyone who orders hatchery birds is ignorant of quality birds or doesn't care what they look like "as long as it has 2 leg's" etc. I can say I am happy with my Ideal birds because I knew exactly what I would get - healthy, decent birds that aren't show or breeder quality but are at least the type of bird I want for my egg laying flock. I know perfectly well what SOPs apply to the breeds I have, and I breed for that quality in some breeds, but for an egg flock, Ideal has good birds, good customer service, and good prices. I see no reason to pay an inflated price for a bird I don't intend to breed toward SOP with, and that will likely end up in my stew pot at some point in time. I'll save that extra money and spend it on the birds I want for my breeder programs. To claim that everyone who says he or she is happy with these birds out of ignorance is wrong.

Now to the OPs question: The Ideal folks run one of the better hatcheries. In fact, for some of their breeds they started out with SQ birds. However, the reality of the hatchery business is that they do not cull heavily, as one must do rigorously to achieve or maintain SQ. As a result, what you will get from them in most breeds are birds that look like the breed they are supposed to be, but have conformational flaws that make them less that "Ideal" (pun intended) for breeding if you are looking to build your line up. That said, if what you want is the pleasure of raising your own chicks, with the intentions of replenishing your own egg laying flock, stocking your freezer, or rehoming with others who simply want back yard egg layers themselves, you will likely be quite happy with Ideal's birds. If on the other hand you want to eventually breed toward a better quality flock and you're willing to invest a bit more up front, you will get where you want to be sooner and with less frustration if you start with breeder birds, even if they are some of the better culls from good breeders. Even the culls of most breeders are closer genetically to SOP and one can often breed out the flaws with judicious selection of mates and some self-education regarding genetics. So my advice is to think ahead to where you want to be as a chicken owner a few years from now. Are you just in it for the "fluffy butts and fresh eggs," or can you see yourself developing this into a serious hobby or more? Or do you need a "trial run" to decide? If you're in it for the eggs or aren't sure, save yourself a few dollars and order from Ideal. If you think you want to go further with this, spend a few more bucks now and save yourself time and effort later.

 

[spiritdance]

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And thank you for that! That's the attitude and love of chickens that got me into this addiction to start with! NONE of us went into this knowing SOPs, and even once we learned them, we had to develop "the eye" to really tell the difference between that "barely a cull" because the breeder already has better, and the show winning bird that sets that breeder's standards. It's a learning curve, and following that curve is a huge part of the joy of chickens. I would never purposely discourage a newbie by misleading him/her. I would hate to interpret honest ignorance from inexperience for arrogance, and myself fall victim to my own arrogance.

 

[al6517]

Well said.............

 

[Oregon Blues]

I would like to point something out.

You can send $100 to a hatchery and get an enormous box stuffed full of chicks.

You can give $100 to a show breeder and buy a nice trio. Those show hens should be laying some 300 eggs a year. By the end of the first year, if you fire up your incubators, you can have hundreds of chicks with show potential and excellent genetics.

Same amount of money, just a few extra months to have your huge flock of much better quality birds.

Now, if you really want nice birds, you go through your show potential chicks and pick out the very best of them for your future breeding stock. Several of your hatchlings in that first year should be serious contenders for some nice poultry show wins.

If you buy the large box of chicks from the hatchery, you can hatch out hundreds of eggs from those birds, too. What you will get is 100's of hatchery quality baby chicks and if you are interested in showing, it might take you 10 generations to get something that has a chance of winning. It might take you 20 generations. You might never get anything worth showing unless you add better genetic material from a different source.

Where you obtain your birds depends upon what you expect from your birds and what you want to do with them. Hatchery birds eat treats and lay eggs just fine. If that is your criteria for chickens, then you will be happy. If you have your heart set on birds that look like the nice photos on the internet, you might be disappointed in th appearance of your hatchery birds.

 

[ChickieBooBoo]

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Just something to keep in mind though, when you spend $100 on hatchery birds you can get many different breeds and colors. When spending $100 on breeder birds, you only get one breed.

 

[Blue]

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There are also instances where pretty much all of the available stock for a specific breed is or is descended from hatchery stock, for example Brabanters. As far as I'm aware, all US Brabanters originated from Ideal stock.