Is there a rare breed hatchery/breeder somewhere?

[cariboujaguar]

If you want birds brought down to you just keep in touch and PM- we arn't charging a fee for transporting chickens because it would be too big a fee if we were to try to break even on gas- so I am asking for trades and bartering Basically whatever you have to offer- chickens, chicks, chicken items we need pretty much everything)

we will have cages in the explorer (all seats removed but the front two) so the birds will be in a climate controlled vehicle otherwise it seems to me they could die of heat stroke in CA in June...

I will PM you about splitting an order, we're about a month away from being ready for chickens but it wouldn't really take much work, we have a gigantic barn and tons of chicken wire, so it would be easy to make a coop real quick...

 

[cariboujaguar]

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Their prices are very reasonable too!!!

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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Awesome, thanks! I'm wanting a Sandhill order and most all of the birds I was interested in are sold out until July, anyway...

 

[cariboujaguar]

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that's what I'm finding too, almost al the ones I want are sold out until july

I don't think my hubby would like driving to Eastern WA for 10 or so chicks lol if we could get the order around June you could bring chikens for delivery along I-5 for other people (if you sell any) and bring mine then we could all chip in for your gas...

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

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that's what I'm finding too, almost al the ones I want are sold out until july

I don't think my hubby would like driving to Eastern WA for 10 or so chicks lol if we could get the order around June you could bring chikens for delivery along I-5 for other people (if you sell any) and bring mine then we could all chip in for your gas...

That's true...

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

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Do you know the specific breeds??

 

[Master S.M.C]

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Do you know the specific breeds??

Hey that's a good idea do, but I not sure I trust sellers without websites.

 

[Tailfeathers]

Hi CJ,

It looks like you've forgot about me. I have Ameraucanas and Welsummers. If you'll do a "Search" on here for me as the "Author" you will find a good description of the lineage on my birds. I also have pictures on my website that you can see.

Now having said that, I really wanted to address something about "rare breeds" and hatcheries and am surprised that no one else has mentioned this yet.

If you are truly interested in "rare breeds" then you NEED - not should but NEED - to stay away from hatcheries. There is simply no QC process with hatcheries and the mass production of popular breeds has caused a real decline in the quality of those breeds and been a real detriment to the breed as a whole.

For example, with regard to hatchery Welsummers, I was not able to get Welsummers from a breeder last year as we had discussed. She said she was having fertility problems so I got impatient and decided to try some Welsummers from three different hatcheries. I also couldn't get any from the breeder I got my original started birds from. So, I figured since Lowell Barber is credited for most of the Welsummers in the USA (which I have come to find out is not true and that the breeder I got my birds from was one of the original 5 breeders to get the Welsummer accepted by the APA), it shouldn't take much to get some good looking SQ birds.

I couldn't have been more wrong! Out of over three dozen chicks, I only 4 of them left. I have had to cull the rest. I got a bunch with stubs, a couple had a half gray in one foot or both, several got white tipped feathers as they grew older, crooked breastbones, and I don't remember what else right now. All I know is that I will NEVER buy from a hatchery again.

Of the four I have left from the hatcheries that aren't too bad looking, I'm gonna go ahead and sell them too because they are not giving me the egg I want. I am striving for all nice, dark Terra-Cotta brown with uniformity from top to bottom and no speckles. Some of the eggs are somewhat uniform but not enough for me to want to breed. A couple others are very splotchy and just not that nice looking at all. I've even had a couple of them come out looking like painted easter eggs almost. Two and three tone from top to bottom.

So I've got 10 more chicks coming from my breeder and I will be getting some more from another breeder that was also one of the original five folks and a good friend of Lowell's.

Anyways, I hope that helps you understand why you shouldn't get "rare breeds" from a hatchery.

If you decide you want some Ameraucanas or Welsummers, keep me in mind. I'll be at the Cascade Show on March 21st. Probably be some other rare breed breeders there too.

God Bless,

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

While I agree with Tailfeathers post about most hatcheries, I must say that Superior Farms seems to be the exception to that rule. Their stock has swept several APA/ABA sanctioned shows.

 

[cariboujaguar]

Tailfeathers: I did NOT forget about you! I am hoping and looking to buy local, I'm just an enthusiast when it comes to learning about animals and love to ask ask ask... I'e been waiting 3 yrs to get chickens and )no offense to you or anyone intended) it is my experience through much wasted money on goats, to never take anyones word at face value. I like to ask, get many answers and cross examine them to find the basic, most logical and most popular answers in an attempt to learn. I also have the green light from hubby to get about 30-40 to start, so I think I want to get about 10 hens of my fave breeds then roo's for each breed, so about 12 eggs or chicks of my fave breeds... Welsummers are deffinately on that list, I think they'll probably all be dark layers, although I like a few others as well...

So far I am interested in:

Blue/Black/Splash Orpingtons
faverolles
Norwegian Jaerhons
Blue/splash/wheton/Golden CuckooMarans
Barnevelders
and might want some Banties of some sort for daughter, thinking maybe Banty Barred rocks because I had one in my 24 standards and she was soooooo sweet!

so I have to weed this down to 3 breeds to start with and breed... tough huh? only 3 breeds?

but we have 27 acres so I'm allowed to get more once we build more pens

So everyone I'm talking to about buying, I want to buy from all of you and will buy from some of you, but I can't buy for a few months and I need to learn anyhow... so please don't get upset with me, I'm trying to learn and make an informed decision here... because I have bought quick and had to cull beloved pets once before and don't want to do it again if I can help it...

also, should we make a transportation thread for WA,OR and Ca people so we can all network and see what our options are?