Privett Hatchery

[bcmama]

Does anyone have hens from Privett Hatchery in New Mexico? I have a question.
Thanks

 

[azygous]

I get my chicks from them. What is your question?

 

[bcmama]

Thanks for responding. I was interested in knowing how long your hens layed? I picked up 6 chicks summer of 2012 and they started laying Dec. of 2012 and I currently only have one that is laying. I have 2 Barred Rock's, 1 EE (the other died earlier this month) and 2 Silkies. Both BR's just stopped, one day they were laying and the next nothing. I haven't gotten an egg from them in months. The only one that has layed with any regularity is my EE's and unfortunately one died suddenly earlier this month. I don't count the silkies as one is constantly broody and the other lays very soft eggs even with calcium supplements. I have to say I'm a little sad that I didn't even get two years of laying with most of my birds. Bummer

How long have yours typically layed? Any health problems?

Thanks for responding!!

 

[azygous]

The first chicks I got from Privett, by way of a feed store up in Denver, were Wyandottes. I got them five and a half years ago, and they're still laying.

Since then, I have EEs, that are still laying after four years, but soft shelled eggs are now a problem. One EE died not long ago of crop problems, but she hadn't laid in a year.

I have three-year old Sussex that are still laying, and no problems.

The most recent are Welsummers, a year old, and they have all been great layers so far. There was a problem with that batch of chicks, though. It had been in the news that Privett had been cited by the health department for salmonella contamination. This was after I had just gotten the chicks from them. I went so far as to collect flock stool samples and sent them off for testing. The tests were all negative for all pathogens.

I've heard Privett has had all sorts of problems, and I would rather not use them in the future, but all the feed stores around here use them. I've heard raves about My Pet Chicken and may give them a try.

For all your breeds to have such a short laying career seems odd. I would examine environmental causes since this has affected almost all of them. Something in your soil perhaps? Are you down wind of any commercial farming? Noise levels? Is your neighborhood adjacent to loud manufacturing operations, gravel and cement producers? High noise levels can affect laying.

But it's entirely possible Privett has let their breeding stock quality diminish and their chicks just aren't up to par. Like I say, I'd rather not continue using them.