SandHill Preservation review

[Angiebubs]

They just don't have the manpower to do what they're attempting to do with all the species/breeds/varieties as well as the corn, potatoes and other vegetables.

I'm only one person and it is a challenge to do justice to a single breed. You need a huge staff to properly maintain quality in virtually every breed of chicken, turkey, duck, goose, guinea and quail in the country.
It makes me wonder what their breeding pens look like. I can't imagine keeping hundreds of breeds separate with enough stock of each to maintain, let alone improve quality.
I was tempted to buy some Black Penedesencas from him but a couple friends got some and they were of poor quality and worse yet, some had 5 toes. I still can't imagine how that happened.

A friend was experimenting with different breeds for a farm to table test. I bought a few extra from her: 1 penedesenca, 2 holland, and 1 mahogany Russian orloff. Pendesenca has 5th toe on both feet, 2 " hollands" are not laying WHITE eggs, aand mahogany Russian orliff is solid mahogany, no speckle.

 

[The Moonshiner]

So much for being in the business of preserving breeds huh?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

A friend was experimenting with different breeds for a farm to table test. I bought a few extra from her: 1 penedesenca, 2 holland, and 1 mahogany Russian orloff. Pendesenca has 5th toe on both feet, 2 " hollands" are not laying WHITE eggs, aand mahogany Russian orliff is solid mahogany, no speckle.

Thanks for posting that. I wasn't positive because I didn't see it myself but my friend, who lived in Wisconsin at the time, is very reliable so I trust what she says.
I imagine your penedesenca is black. I believe that is the only variety he sells.
The only possibility I can come up with is that his Penes got crossed up with black or dunn dorkings.
Does your penedesenca have white earlobes? It is supposed to, as well as slate legs, horn of ox beak and a carnation comb. Is it a pullet/hen and has it started laying eggs?
Now that I think about this more, I noticed that Sandhill does have black Dorkings. Dorkings lay white eggs and therefor do have white earlobes but a single or rose comb. That cross is the only way I can imagine penedesencas acquiring a 5th toe.

 

[Angiebubs]

Thanks for posting that. I wasn't positive because I didn't see it myself but my friend, who lived in Wisconsin at the time, is very reliable so I trust what she says.
I imagine your penedesenca is black. I believe that is the only variety he sells.
The only possibility I can come up with is that his Penes got crossed up with black or dunn dorkings.
Does your penedesenca have white earlobes? It is supposed to, as well as slate legs, horn of ox beak and a carnation comb. Is it a pullet/hen and has it started laying eggs?
Now that I think about this more, I noticed that Sandhill does have black Dorkings. Dorkings lay white eggs and therefor do have white earlobes but a single or rose comb. That cross is the only way I can imagine penedesencas acquiring a 5th toe.

Yes my pendesenca is black with white earlobes. Ive had these sandhills 4 hens for 2 yrs now, so yes leading but I have a flock of 20 birds , 10+ breeds so hard to tell whos laying what but no white eggs.
To clarify, after reading sandhills descriptions: his hollands can lay white or light cream eggs, and the mahogany Russian orloffs should have very min spangling... none is preferred. So I guess the only mystery is the 5 toes on pendensenca!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yes my pendesenca is black with white earlobes. Ive had these sandhills 4 hens for 2 yrs now, so yes leading but I have a flock of 20 birds , 10+ breeds so hard to tell whos laying what but no white eggs.
To clarify, after reading sandhills descriptions: his hollands can lay white or light cream eggs, and the mahogany Russian orloffs should have very min spangling... none is preferred. So I guess the only mystery is the 5 toes on pendensenca!

Well none of those others have 5 toes. Are any of them laying very dark eggs?

 

[Poultry by the Numbers]

We ordered all our poultry from them this spring. First we ordered chickens in March (got them April). Barred holland, light Sussex, and Black Australorp. We were fine with any substitutes they found comparable or an order that had mostly any 2 of the 3 breeds selected. They substituted the Black Australorp with Black Java (they are beautiful). They sent a couple extra (27 total) 2 were DOA (they travelled 1,500 miles!). We lost one more a couple weeks later. The rest have done well. No eggs yet so I can’t speak to the color. As far as personality goes I’ve found them to be true (the light Sussex are very curious). They are all pretty friendly (the Holland’s are the least), but all tolerate small children well.

Then we got Coturnix Quail (24) in May (ordered in April). They shipped 25 (one was dead on arrival). There was a great variety in color! They have all done well aside from a couple. I had one lady consistently laying gigantic eggs (with double yolks). I found her dead in the cage a few weeks ago (but not too surprised by it given the eggs). Another lady got an eye injury (we ended up having to put her down).

Then we ordered 15 ducklings (also May), Anconas, Buffs and Blue Swedish. Similar to the chickens we said we would accept comparable substitutes (up to their judgement). They didn’t have to make any. The post office did not deliver on time even though I paid for express. Although 17 shipped we only had 8 make it. I was devastated.

I followed the directions of Sandhill for requesting replacement birds. Given it was the post offices fault we didn’t expect them to do anything. I made sure to send a picture and send it in the time specified. Two weeks later we got the call replacement birds had shipped! And they shipped 21 of them (18 made it)! in addition to the 3 original breeds we requested they threw in some Pekins and Rouens (which we have really enjoyed).

Given the distance traveled and this is our first go around with poultry I have been very pleased!

Patience and flexibility is a requirement if this is the route you want to take. They are not a hatchery. I followed their directions and also sent a money order instead of a check (which I think helps with timing since you don’t have to wait for it to clear). I plan on ordering from them in the future (including their seeds)!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

We ordered all our poultry from them this spring. First we ordered chickens in March (got them April). Barred holland, light Sussex, and Black Australorp. We were fine with any substitutes they found comparable or an order that had mostly any 2 of the 3 breeds selected. They substituted the Black Australorp with Black Java (they are beautiful). They sent a couple extra (27 total) 2 were DOA (they travelled 1,500 miles!). We lost one more a couple weeks later. The rest have done well. No eggs yet so I can’t speak to the color. As far as personality goes I’ve found them to be true (the light Sussex are very curious). They are all pretty friendly (the Holland’s are the least), but all tolerate small children well.

Then we got Coturnix Quail (24) in May (ordered in April). They shipped 25 (one was dead on arrival). There was a great variety in color! They have all done well aside from a couple. I had one lady consistently laying gigantic eggs (with double yolks). I found her dead in the cage a few weeks ago (but not too surprised by it given the eggs). Another lady got an eye injury (we ended up having to put her down).

Then we ordered 15 ducklings (also May), Anconas, Buffs and Blue Swedish. Similar to the chickens we said we would accept comparable substitutes (up to their judgement). They didn’t have to make any. The post office did not deliver on time even though I paid for express. Although 17 shipped we only had 8 make it. I was devastated.

I followed the directions of Sandhill for requesting replacement birds. Given it was the post offices fault we didn’t expect them to do anything. I made sure to send a picture and send it in the time specified. Two weeks later we got the call replacement birds had shipped! And they shipped 21 of them (18 made it)! in addition to the 3 original breeds we requested they threw in some Pekins and Rouens (which we have really enjoyed).

Given the distance traveled and this is our first go around with poultry I have been very pleased!

Patience and flexibility is a requirement if this is the route you want to take. They are not a hatchery. I followed their directions and also sent a money order instead of a check (which I think helps with timing since you don’t have to wait for it to clear). I plan on ordering from them in the future (including their seeds)!

Patience and flexibility are definitely virtues that serves one well when dealing with Sandhill.
You make a good point about them not being a "hatchery". They have such vast variety of species and breeds that they only hatch a few of each.
Getting Java as a replacement for Australorp is a great swap for you.

 

[Phaedra Winters]

Idk about them tbh. Lot of this stuff is ridiculous sounding or made up and I only say that because first his wife was sick and then there was a mink and then raccoons and oppossums and I'm not saying all of this totally isn't plausible however even before all that there were issues with people's orders and in 2018, which is right when his wife got sick, he picked up new breeds?? I think this is a case of their eyes bigger than their stomachs for a noble cause. Maybe I'm wrong and I don't mean it offensively but like, it seems possible.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

@Pyxis Did you ever get pictures of that sumatra?

 

[Pyxis]

@Pyxis Did you ever get pictures of that sumatra?

Oh man, maybe. I'll have to dig back through all my photos to see if I did, and if I still have them.