Quote:
Gaaa!! Yes, that would the opposite direction I'm trying to go. Basically I'm not wanting to "breed" chickens, but I am looking to have the best "self-sustaining" flock I can. If I can avoid sickly chicks by finding a breeder's Roo every few years, I'm all over it.
By and by, here is a picture of "Big Daddy" to see what the best of the best of my Cackle Hatchery looks like:
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/Shifty_Joe_BYC/BigDaddy.gif
He doesn't look very good, sorry. I would try to find a breeder and see if you could get a nice rooster and put him over your hens and see what you hatch. Then when you have a little more money try and get a hen or 2 from the breeder as well. You have Big Daddy for now but he needs to be replaced if your are wanting to get to more show quality birds. I know you said you chose the rooster that feathered out the fastest but Show Quality BRs feather out really slowly to get the best barring. Speckled Hen may be able to point you in the direction of a good breeder. Also in my experience buy adult birds from breeders, that way you know exactly what you are getting. Hatching eggs are a gamble.
Good Luck
ETA: Here is a nice Barred rock Roo.
http://www.cacklehatchery.com/barred_rock_std_rooster.jpg
Wow! You can really see the difference in the barring, how crisp it is.
Is there a hatchery with better quality birds than others?
I have a cochin rooster that I got from a woman on the other side of the state--lost her email and ph # so I can't contact her. SO I have no idea of his origins. I recently purchased 6 more cochins from a private breeder whose cochins originated in Duane Urch's flock. Is there a hatchery out there to get decent quality cochins from or are they all just feather-legged Plymouth rocks? I notice a difference in the coloring of my rooster versus the pictures in the Meyer Hatchery catalog. The breeder's roosters look more like mine.
Are there any advantages that hatchery birds have over breeder birds? Which is generally healthier? Productive? Better looking?
Gaaa!! Yes, that would the opposite direction I'm trying to go. Basically I'm not wanting to "breed" chickens, but I am looking to have the best "self-sustaining" flock I can. If I can avoid sickly chicks by finding a breeder's Roo every few years, I'm all over it.
By and by, here is a picture of "Big Daddy" to see what the best of the best of my Cackle Hatchery looks like:
http://i774.photobucket.com/albums/yy30/Shifty_Joe_BYC/BigDaddy.gif
He doesn't look very good, sorry. I would try to find a breeder and see if you could get a nice rooster and put him over your hens and see what you hatch. Then when you have a little more money try and get a hen or 2 from the breeder as well. You have Big Daddy for now but he needs to be replaced if your are wanting to get to more show quality birds. I know you said you chose the rooster that feathered out the fastest but Show Quality BRs feather out really slowly to get the best barring. Speckled Hen may be able to point you in the direction of a good breeder. Also in my experience buy adult birds from breeders, that way you know exactly what you are getting. Hatching eggs are a gamble.
Good Luck
ETA: Here is a nice Barred rock Roo.
http://www.cacklehatchery.com/barred_rock_std_rooster.jpg
Wow! You can really see the difference in the barring, how crisp it is.
Is there a hatchery with better quality birds than others?
I have a cochin rooster that I got from a woman on the other side of the state--lost her email and ph # so I can't contact her. SO I have no idea of his origins. I recently purchased 6 more cochins from a private breeder whose cochins originated in Duane Urch's flock. Is there a hatchery out there to get decent quality cochins from or are they all just feather-legged Plymouth rocks? I notice a difference in the coloring of my rooster versus the pictures in the Meyer Hatchery catalog. The breeder's roosters look more like mine.
Are there any advantages that hatchery birds have over breeder birds? Which is generally healthier? Productive? Better looking?
