SandHill Preservation review

[dheltzel]

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.

Some of his new breeds that year were ones I donated to Sand Hill to preserve them. They list a lot of breeds that are very hard to impossible to find anywhere else. I know because I am the only other source of some of his bloodlines and my operation is too small to handle shipping. I really feel for them, running a preservation center in their spare time is a lot of work without much reward (he has a full time job as a high school science teacher).
If you want ordinary breeds, like buff orpingtons or barred rocks, you can get them anywhere, but if you want to make black sexlinked Ameraucanas (as an example), I think you will have a tough time finding cuckoo Ameraucanas anywhere else. Patience and flexibility are necessary to have a good experience with Sand Hill, but for the really rare stuff, it is worth the wait.

 

[h2oratt]

Some of his new breeds that year were ones I donated to Sand Hill to preserve them. They list a lot of breeds that are very hard to impossible to find anywhere else. I know because I am the only other source of some of his bloodlines and my operation is too small to handle shipping. I really feel for them, running a preservation center in their spare time is a lot of work without much reward (he has a full time job as a high school science teacher).
If you want ordinary breeds, like buff orpingtons or barred rocks, you can get them anywhere, but if you want to make black sexlinked Ameraucanas (as an example), I think you will have a tough time finding cuckoo Ameraucanas anywhere else. Patience and flexibility are necessary to have a good experience with Sand Hill, but for the really rare stuff, it is worth the wait.

I agree with you. I commend them for what they are trying to do. I don’t see anyone else trying to help preserve the breeds.

 

[h2oratt]

I got birds from sandhill. I was very pleased with them. I am just a random chicken owner that likes different breeds.

 

[BlueBaby]

I agree with you. I commend them for what they are trying to do. I don’t see anyone else trying to help preserve the breeds.

I know what you mean. It seems that most people that I know that got them from there are adding them to mixed flock's that they have. To me, that does nothing to help preserve the breed.

 

[h2oratt]

I know what you mean. It seems that most people that I know that got them from there are adding them to mixed flock's that they have. To me, that does nothing to help preserve the breed.

Well that is true but I breed dogs and that takes up my time. No time to fuss with chickens.

 

[BlueBaby]

Well that is true but I breed dogs and that takes up my time. No time to fuss with chickens.

I looked at the Sandhill site a bit ago and seen that they have Bielefelder's listed. I could probably get some of those if I got some from them to add to the flock of Bielefelder's that I already have when I need new blood. I'm not mixing any breed's over here anymore, and I'm sticking to just these now.

 

[h2oratt]

I looked at the Sandhill site a bit ago and seen that they have Bielefelder's listed. I could probably get some of those if I got some from them to add to the flock of Bielefelder's that I already have when I need new blood. I'm not mixing any breed's over here anymore, and I'm sticking to just these now.

They are nice birds.

 

[BlueBaby]

They are nice birds.

I really like this breed and for more then one reason.

 

[dheltzel]

I know what you mean. It seems that most people that I know that got them from there are adding them to mixed flock's that they have. To me, that does nothing to help preserve the breed.

The Livestock Conservancy makes a big deal about the need have consumers demand heritage animal meat (and eggs, fleece, etc). Their argument is that these were working livestock and treating them as food producers creates demand from breeders and puts genetic pressure on the stock to be productive animals, not ceramic trinkets that we collect because they are pretty.
Someone who buys a box of assorted chicks from Sand Hill is indeed providing a service to preserving rare breeds. First, they are contributing financially (though the price of assorted chicks is so low one must wonder if there is any profit margin at all). But the bigger reason is that Sand Hill does not kill their extras and the breeds seldom hatch in the exact quantities that customers order (sure wish they would!). Shipping assortments allows them to "dispose" of the extras in a way that is as humane and beneficial as possible. If you get their "super" assortments, you might get waterfowl, bantams, etc. It is like opening a present on Christmas morning as a kid, whatever you imagine could be in there. Of course some birds you might not want or have the ability to care for, but a little advertising on Craigslist can easily dispose of those birds, probably at a nice profit for you.
It would be an interesting endeavor to accept assorted shipments from Sand Hill whenever they have them, prepaying for a bunch of chicks and letting them give you credit to carry over to the next year. Then, with each shipment, sell off most or all the birds locally. You would be the popular with locals, providing rare breeds at discounted prices, and provide a great service to Sand Hill at the same time. And you might even get some breeds you never heard of or that are not available even on their website. I'm not sure you could get rich from that scheme, especially if you count your time, but a young person that loved poultry and had an entrepreneurial bent, might make a tidy profit each year.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Honestly, I'd be up for trying their birds in the future, the only downsides are how they accept payment and that they don't have concrete dates for shipping. I can't just take off time all of a sudden to accept chicks, I have to plan it ahead by a few months.

Maybe it's changed since I last looked, but that's what stopped me the first time.