Lots of hatcheries out there - anyone know about the quality of the genetics of the chicks they sell. I have been financing my chicken hobby by putting the eggs in the incubator (found a Humidaire 200 on Craigslist for $500 - the best chicken related purchase I ever made) - and selling the chicks locally at 75 cents each. My current plan is to buy about 50 barred rock chicks and cross them with Rhode Island Red roosters - and sell sex linked pullets next spring. I would really like to buy the best production genetics I can find - and have heard horror stories of people buying birds from hatcheries that end up looking somewhat like they are supposed to but not performing very well. Any opinions as to where you would buy Barred Rock hens if you wanted the very best health and egg laying ability?
The breeders of good quality sexlinks will cross for instance a delaware with a barred rock then breed that offspring to a red rooster. You can get a sexlink any number of ways but remember to breed good egg laying qualities in to one of the parents. Talk to the big farms and find thier source it is usally from a hatchery that does wholesale the retail ones are a gamble as I have gotten nice looking birds from McMurray that lay crappy.
