Oregon

[Lorilyn Farms]

I got half my turkeys from Plum Run and the other half from Porters. Both breeders seem to have more than usual split wing. It must be a turkey thing, because I buy my d'uccles from hatcheries all the time and never get split wing in that breed.

okay, I just looked at Porter's website and all the toms seem to have extra feathers in their wings. The girls have nice tight wings, and the boys have a bit of extra drag. Maybe that's just their strut talkin'.

 

[Karenmyrrh]

Here's the white faverolle and slp together

That is such an awesome chicken. HA! Love it!!

 

[Lorilyn Farms]

Lost six of my Heritage poults today. they are just dying right and left after that terrible mailing ordeal. They came from plum Run. My Porters poults are doing fine.

 

[rlh1]

6!? I am so sorry. That's horrible.

 

[Sonja73]

Am I the only one that thinks that Lesslea317's chick looks more like a cream barbanter?

 

[LeslieDJoyce]

Nope. I never recommend people buy from hatcheries. They breed for quantity, not quality. It costs exactly the same to feed a quality bird that is a good representation of the breed you want, as it does to feed a hatchery bird that may not even resemble the breed it's supposed to be.

I can completely appreciate how a person isn't likely to get a pure-bred show-quality bird from a big hatchery. And as much as I'd love to eventually start breeding beautiful (and healthy!) heritage birds myself, I'm struggling to see a practical alternative to buying hatchery chicks with which to build "every-day" flocks given all the logistics and bio-security concerns. Especially for meat birds.

How does a naive noob find a quality local source for birds? How about a source for meat birds and production layers? How comparatively "safe" are day-old chicks from hatcheries (feed stores) vs. non-hatcheries? Are there certifications for small-scale breeders? If so, how can a person verify that the certifications are genuine and up-to-date?

I haven't had a lot of direct contact with the local poultry community, but from what I've seen it would be very easy to cross paths with someone who has no problems being unsafe or dishonest. And shipping birds introduces another level of concerns.

 

[lesslea317]

Am I the only one that thinks that Lesslea317's chick looks more like a cream barbanter? 

I had to look up a cream barbanter... do they have grey/black legs? I could be wrong about the slp since he was a freebie I didn't order and had to figure out his breed...I'm not a chicken expert...yet....lol

 

[Sonja73]

I can completely appreciate how a person isn't likely to get a pure-bred show-quality bird from a big hatchery. And as much as I'd love to eventually start breeding beautiful (and healthy!) heritage birds myself, I'm struggling to see a practical alternative to buying hatchery chicks with which to build "every-day" flocks given all the logistics and bio-security concerns. Especially for meat birds.

How does a naive noob find a quality local source for birds? How about a source for meat birds and production layers? How comparatively "safe" are day-old chicks from hatcheries (feed stores) vs. non-hatcheries? Are there certifications for small-scale breeders? If so, how can a person verify that the certifications are genuine and up-to-date?

I haven't had a lot of direct contact with the local poultry community, but from what I've seen it would be very easy to cross paths with someone who has no problems being unsafe or dishonest. And shipping birds introduces another level of concerns.

Chiming in! lol.
I am not a fan of hatchery birds myself...unless it is local and has excellent reviews from locals. With that said, I begin my mini opinion. heh.

Facebook is an great source to meet people within your area. "Oregon Summer Poultry Swap" and "Oregon Fall Poultry Swap" are two great pages. Also I would recommend "Oregon Homesteaders Classifieds" for local sources of any quality bird you are looking for.

As far as the safety of day olds (hatchery vs. farm raised) it is in my opinion (<-----disclaimer) that farm raised is a better way to go for many reasons.

First, you can see the environment of the birds. Is it clean? Sanitary? Are the birds cramped? Anything else that might concern you, you can see for yourself. If someone is reluctant to show you their birds, beware.

Second, the quality of the stock. This is for any bird. There are a ton of people that take great pride in the quality of their birds. Most hatcheries care more about quantity output that quality. The birds are treated differently, and quality/standards are second.

Third reason, the less trauma the better and healthier the chick. No cramped hatchery, brooder, shipment to worry about with farm raised. I could go on, but I think that you get it.

As far as certifications are concerned, NPIP is the most common. The records are with the breeder, you can contact the State of Oregon as well.

http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/AHID/pages/animal_health/main.aspx#NPIP_in_Oregon

So there it is, I threw myself and my opinions out there. Now for a trip to the feed store. For feeders, not chicks.

 

[Sonja73]

I had to look up a cream barbanter... do they have grey/black legs? I could be wrong about the slp since he was a freebie I didn't order and had to figure out his breed...I'm not a chicken expert...yet....lol

Yay! Picture time!
This is "Punk". Punk was born via E-section on Day 19 due to a step-kid sneaking down in the middle of the night to candle eggs and forgot to put the lid back on the incubator mishap. He was tube fed for 2 days. One of Punks favorite pastimes is poking everything in the eye. Other chicks, the dog, me, really anything with a big shiny eye. Punk is a Crested Cream Barbanter.


And these little guys/gals were singing; "In the jungle, the mighty jungle..."

Okay, hehe. I am by no means a chicken expert myself. I just happen to look at your picture and think of Punky.

 

[BGMatt]

I can completely appreciate how a person isn't likely to get a pure-bred show-quality bird from a big hatchery. And as much as I'd love to eventually start breeding beautiful (and healthy!) heritage birds myself, I'm struggling to see a practical alternative to buying hatchery chicks with which to build "every-day" flocks given all the logistics and bio-security concerns. Especially for meat birds.

How does a naive noob find a quality local source for birds? How about a source for meat birds and production layers? How comparatively "safe" are day-old chicks from hatcheries (feed stores) vs. non-hatcheries? Are there certifications for small-scale breeders? If so, how can a person verify that the certifications are genuine and up-to-date? I haven't had a lot of direct contact with the local poultry community, but from what I've seen it would be very easy to cross paths with someone who has no problems being unsafe or dishonest. And shipping birds introduces another level of concerns.

Health concerns are drastically over blown by newcomers and uneducated backyard folks. You're likely to get far healthier stock from a breeder because a lot of them (especially the ones with decades of experience) subscribe to the survival of the fittest theory. Ever hear the old adage "a poultryman's medicine kit is a sharp hatchet"? NPIP is good but really only guaranteed to not have pullorum thyphoid and avian influenza in WA and OR (I think? Would have to double check) Basically do your research, inspect the birds carefully or have someone experienced do it and you should be ok. There are risks and dangers. I suggest people join either Washington Feather Fanciers or Pacific Northwest Poultry Association or attend te shows (or stop by their booth at the swap meets when present) and they can also point you towards reputable people. I share your distrust of Internet folk and have been burned even by folks on this site. Shipping birds isn't a bad thing at all if you are absolutely sure of the persons reputation. If you know what breed you're interested in one of the best things you can do is contact the breed club and they can point you in the right direction as well.