post birds of "show quality" hatchery birds

[roocrazy]

just to see how many people have had a surprise of a quality hatchery bird. i have never but i know some have!!


POST AWAY

 

[Oregon Blues]

I suppose someone might occasionally get very nice quality birds from a hatchery. Hatcheries buy eggs from lots of different breeders.

When you hear of hatchery birds winning at shows, it makes a lot of difference which show it was. Was it a recognized licensed APA show or was it the 4-H show at a small county fair with small entries and no quality birds present?

The hatchery birds I bought are healthy. They are a very long ways from standard and don't even look like poor quality purebreds. They look like mixed breeds. They are mismarked, undersized, wrong carriage, incorrect temperament for the breed. However, they would be nice healthy pets for anyone who didn't care for the SOP. I am not anti-hatchery.

I do know one fellow who won a best medium duck with a Blue Swedish that he got from a hatchery. I've seen her. She is badly mis-marked and I can't imagine why a judge would give her a prize. But she is a hatchery duck and she did win best medium duck at an APA show.

I have to wonder what else was entered that day if she was the best one there.

If you want a bird that you can show, you'll do better to buy from a serious show breeder. The odds of getting a show bird from a hatchery are slim.

 

[KDailey]

I'd be interested to know as well...

 

[EweSheep]

I agree with ORBlues, the hatchery stock are not as good as the SQ stock. If you going to try to bring the hatchery bird up to standard, you would be a couple more generations more in culling and more culling. Get yourself a SQ or BQ stock to work from, less hassle and not as much culling since the breeders before them have done alot of it for you.

As for me with my Spitzhaubens coming in from Ideal, I have to cull HARD and work with ones that are closest to "acceptable levels" and keep culling more and more until I see consisency for the next two generations without any "throwbacks". That is a very tall order to make a goal to get a very good Spitzhaubens out of hatchery lines.

Good luck!

 

[roocrazy]

thats why i used quotations around show quality.as it states in the OP i know that it is difficult for a hatchery bird to get close to standard but it DOES happen.

 

[Memphisjourney2seramas]

I can't wait to see what this thread shows up. I hope that there are some out there!!!

 

[Celtictrinity]

I'm almost afraid to post in this thread...=-) Although I'm hoping to have somewhat of a good story to tell you...

We ordered 15 pullets from Ideal in February this year and received them in good condition. Didn't lose one. However, we bought them for my daughter's 4-H project because she wanted to learn about chickens. After researching a bit more, looking and asking around, I got several recommendations for a small place in the heart of Portland, Or (about 45 mins away from where we live.) It's a little farm store that is big into organic and was said to get quality birds from multiple sources. We went in and walked away with an EE (just because I love them!), a Silver Grey Dorking and a Silver-Laced Wyandotte. I asked them where they get their birds and they said that while they do have multiple sources, most of them are contracted through Privet Hatchery in New Mexico.

Fast forward to this week. My daughter has 11 birds at the county fair. All eleven competed in the open class and six of those competed in the 4-H classes as well. Her Silver Laced Wyandotte received overall:

Open Class
1st in Silver Laced Wyandottes
Champion of Wyandottes (Overall)
Reserve Grand Champion Overall

4-H Class
1st in conformation
Grand Champion Overall (Pullets)
Best in Show (Overall)

The judging panels for both open and 4-H class were different and most if not all had APA experience. A few of the judges told me that they would recommend finding a good quality Silver Laced Wyandotte Rooster and breeding her.

So, I guess you would say that we -did- get a great bird out of a hatchery....but I'm not sure if it's the type of show quality you are looking for in regards to this thread. =-) Now I just need to figure out if I should heed the judges' advice...but that's a question for another thread!

 

[EweSheep]

Celtic, if you want an honest opinion from a qualified APA judge, you can take that pullet and show it in a APA sanctioned show OR to the APA judge himself. He would give you an honest answer in what your bird should look like.

I had a 4H judge saying my pullets I sold to a 4H kid that they are beautiful and correct. The roo (as shown for the trio package) was less desirable, because of his comb and wattles showed terrible after effects of severe frostbitten points that it didn't show much of anything and some white tips on his wing feathers which it was a no no and suggested to the kid NOT to breed him. Pullets, yes! That judge is a APA certified judge and his opinion was valued for me as a breeder.

So, I would advise you to find a APA judge and see what he thinks of your pullet.