I think it all depends on what your purpose for having chickens is and what's important to you. Too many people in these forums put down hatcheries in general and will state it as fact that breeders are better, when it's just an opinion based on what they value. Getting a breed that looks nothing like what it should is a different story, though. I've incubated a lot of eggs from hatcheries and breeders, and I've found that the hatcheries (efowl and Murray McMurray) send a much better quality egg than breeders. I always get a way much better hatch rate from the hatchery eggs, too. I can tell a difference in the veining and activity level of the embryos, and once hatched they seem more vigorous than from breeders. Once they grow, my breeder birds are way more beautiful, though. And their personalities are sweeter and more docile. I haven't had a problem with the hatchery birds being too far off standard, but I would think that would depend, too, on which hatchery you get them from. My Barred Rocks, Leghorns, EE's, and Buff Orpingtons from efowl are absolutely stunning. I doubt they are show quality, but they are beautiful representations of their breed. To me, I don't want a chicken that doesn't even look like its breed, but at the same time I've learned how important vigor, rate of lay, and feed conversion is, which is something many breeders don't breed for. So, pretty much I would say it depends on what you want out of a chicken and which hatchery you got them from.
