So I am looking at getting into my first chickens all on my own. Helped dad with our leghorns over the years and now he has given me permission to raise my own flock. I am interested in breeds that were important to the USA during settling and up to the wagon trains heading west. I am looking for birds that will lay, forage well, and provide more meat than our leghorns. I have seen a lot of different breeds while in 4h. Most though do not look like what I have seen and read in my SOP book. I am very interested in DOrkings and Dominiques. I do not know of anyone in our area with some good ones, and have a lot of questions about each breed, and even more questions about other breeds. I hope I can get some info here, or be able to ask questions. Not sure if this is the right spot.
What an exciting time to be venturing out into your own flock! The reason that the birds you are seeing at 4-H are not necessarily matching with the SOP is that, from what I have experienced, many of those birds are hatchery sourced birds and hatchery birds are not bred with the SOP as a primary focus. If you want birds that conform more closely to the SOP your best bet is to network and identify a breeder who is working with their own lines of the breed to produce birds for exhibition as those birds are the ones that are being bred for SOP. One way to do that is to attend poultry shows that are not related to 4-H --- this gives you the opportunity to see the birds being produced by different breeders and find a breeder with the birds YOU want to have in your flock. If you share with us your general location (ie just the state) we can help you start finding possible sources for the stock to begin your new flock and/or potential shows that would be within reasonable distance for you to attend.
