I thought about getting a heritage chickens instead of standard hatchery chickens. This probably won't happen, it's just a question. What is the advantage to getting chickens that meet the standard of perfection? If I got different breeds of pure breed chickens, could I still let them mix and mingle? Would they have to be seperated if I decided to start selling them?
If you ever want to enter birds into fairs, 4-H, and shows, they would need to be pure-breeds - breeders are the place for this. Also, if you want to sell hatching eggs or some chicks, many folks are seeking pure heritage breeds rather than the diluted lines from hatcheries.
A whole lot of this depends on your personal goals. What do you want out of your chickens?
Not all breeders breed for the same goals. Some are breeding only to win the grand champion prize at chicken shows. They may be breeding for only the things the judge sees. The judge does not see the egg size, frequency of laying, or even shell color. The judge does not see how fast they put on weight. The judge does not see their behavior in a flock. I’m not trying to disrespect anyone. Breeding for show is not easy to do.
Some breeders may breed for the show qualities as above but also breed for production qualities related to eggs and meat. Some breed for the personality the breed is supposed to have. To me, these qualities have as much with a chicken being “heritage” as breeding for the show qualities. There are extremely few people breeding for all this.
To me, the advantages of buying from a breeder are there only if you find a breeder that knows what they are doing and are breeding toward your goals. If you can find someone doing that at a price you can afford, you are way ahead.
To me, there are also some ethics involved in selling chicks or hatching eggs. If you buy a breeding pair or trio from a reputable breeder, those are to his/her standards. Many of the really great ones will only sell breeding pairs or trios they select for you because it is their name and reputation at stake. They want to control which chickens get paired up. But the minute you select one of the breeding chickens, they are now your chickens. It only takes a couple of generations of selecting bad pairings to lose a whole lot of the show qualities.
You can get more money for “purebred” chicks, whether from a hatchery or a breeder. How much more for chicks from a “breeder” I don’t know. It should depend on the quality of the chicks, but I don’t know how you quantify that unless you learn how to select the best breeders and show them. Then you gain your own reputation. That’s not a bad goal.
A whole lot of this depends on your personal goals. What do you want out of your chickens?
Not all breeders breed for the same goals. Some are breeding only to win the grand champion prize at chicken shows. They may be breeding for only the things the judge sees. The judge does not see the egg size, frequency of laying, or even shell color. The judge does not see how fast they put on weight. The judge does not see their behavior in a flock. I’m not trying to disrespect anyone. Breeding for show is not easy to do.
Some breeders may breed for the show qualities as above but also breed for production qualities related to eggs and meat. Some breed for the personality the breed is supposed to have. To me, these qualities have as much with a chicken being “heritage” as breeding for the show qualities. There are extremely few people breeding for all this.
To me, the advantages of buying from a breeder are there only if you find a breeder that knows what they are doing and are breeding toward your goals. If you can find someone doing that at a price you can afford, you are way ahead.
To me, there are also some ethics involved in selling chicks or hatching eggs. If you buy a breeding pair or trio from a reputable breeder, those are to his/her standards. Many of the really great ones will only sell breeding pairs or trios they select for you because it is their name and reputation at stake. They want to control which chickens get paired up. But the minute you select one of the breeding chickens, they are now your chickens. It only takes a couple of generations of selecting bad pairings to lose a whole lot of the show qualities.
You can get more money for “purebred” chicks, whether from a hatchery or a breeder. How much more for chicks from a “breeder” I don’t know. It should depend on the quality of the chicks, but I don’t know how you quantify that unless you learn how to select the best breeders and show them. Then you gain your own reputation. That’s not a bad goal.
Breeders really should breed for what is in the SOP, and that includes egg size, hardiness, growth, etc.
To breed just for looks is doing the breed a disservice in all reality.
No matter how good a bird looks, even if it fits the SOP to perfection, if it is not a thrifty bird, and does not lay well, is aggressive, etc.. I will not breed it.
You need to separate the wheat from the chaff. Many, dare I say most, of the people who "breed" are really just propagating. A true breeder earns his stripes by selecting among great birds, selecting those features that help improve the breed. They earn their reputation by producing great birds. How many great breeders are there for a common breed, such as the RIR or Barred Rocks? Not as many as you might imagine. How many super, top drawer, best in breed flocks exist? Not nearly as many as you might suspect. You really need to do your due diligence and vet your breeder.
I've received eggs/birds from some of the most recognized breeders of the breeds I enjoy. Their work is not that of a beginning or unknown "artist". I saw their flocks. I saw their results. They are artists that have nailed their craft. They had earned the approval of some of the very, very best of the old timer's and earned their respect. That is what is so key.
Answering an ad off Ebay or some other listing? What do you really know of their stock? Caveat Emptor. Buyer beware. Taking the time, perhaps a year or two or three to attend the National or other top meets, talk to the top people. You'll become an educated person and a good breeder can help you get started. They want you to succeed and the breed to succeed. If the so-called breeder is just about some quick sales? Probably better to just pass.
If you ever want to enter birds into fairs, 4-H, and shows, they would need to be pure-breeds - breeders are the place for this. Also, if you want to sell hatching eggs or some chicks, many folks are seeking pure heritage breeds rather than the diluted lines from hatcheries.
If quick meat is the goal, then it is tough to beat the hybrids, CX type, commercial broiler birds, that were developed especially for that purpose. Likewise, if eggs, eggs, eggs is the game, it is tough to beat the quick to lay, heavy laying hybrids designed and bred for that specific task. The hatcheries and feed store sell lots of these chicks for these express purposes.
However, there are an increasing number of folks who, after having had birds for awhile, come to appreciate the heritage of the older style, heirloom bird. Yes, there is some preservation aspect, some nostalgia aspect, but mostly is because these great, old breeds are becoming more rare. When people see a true bred, pure bred, bred from a 100 year old line of Barred Rocks for the first time? Their eye's pop out. These old line heritage birds look NOTHING like the hatchery versions. When people see a true bred, pure bred, bred to standard, heritage Rhode Island Red for the first time? They often gasp.
The truth is that unless people have actually seen these birds or gotten some of these rare birds from a preservationist minded breeder? They've never had really had those breeds before. What they got from the hatchery may have been sold under those names, but the birds have very little in common in appearance. Perhaps more importantly, they've little in common in terms of growth, size, and most importantly, temperament. Night and Day. Here are some Barred Rocks and Rhode Island Reds from lines we have. These birds simply cannot be gotten from a mass production hatchery or feed store.
Folks sometimes say, "Well, that's just eye candy for shows, and I've no interest in showing". OK. I can assure you, the differences between them in temperament, size and other differences are profound. It isn't JUST about eye candy. Although, they sure are pleasing to the eye.
