The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[SallyinIndiana]

Quote:
For my family going to McDonalds or Chickfila is the best place to eat out sometimes. I can't even begin to describe the mess, noise, or problems taking multiple toddlers to a fine dining place would cause. Like the hatcheries, fast food places with playlands have their place and usefulness. In a strange way there is a peace to taking the toddlers to play and sipping a nice hot chocolate amid the loudness and messy tables. The best part is the nap time at home after play time not the food. Sure I may not be eating a nice rare steak with a baked potato, or even saving money as the fast food prices add up fast, but the benefits outweigh that for this stage in my family.
The trick is all in how you look at the benefits and the negatives.

 

[immyjay54]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/835291/cackle-hatchery-reviews/10#post_12326526
How come I can learn so fast about hatchery vs breeder birds but others don't get it? I do have an issue with the Hatchery posted but really its not about that. Its about the misleading way most hatcheries sell. See wht happens when I try to explain how hatcheries work?

Here is what I've learned over the years, especially on this forum. Most of the folks on this thread know by now what the old time reds are and if they don't then they haven't read very much of it. The folks from other threads that don't have them will not know the difference until they do own a few. There are some that want to preserve the real ones and some that are wanting the eggs ( I was one of these until I saw the beauty of these ). It does not make either one wrong. It is just what we are wanting. Just like RedRidge said, the birds that lay more eggs can help pay for the feed. I keep probably 35 - 40 different breeds that are pure bred birds but not reds that lay much better and I sell these eggs to customers for eating. I don't have any of the production reds and at this time I have only 1 or 2 left of the black stars, the rest are Australian Light Susses, Delawares, Barred Rock, some Marans etc and these all lay very well.
The best thing to do is IF someone asks you the difference, go ahead and tell them BUT and this is a big BUT, unless they ask, just be quiet about it because some just love to argue over anything. We all have our opinions and ideas and some will never get it. It's very easy to grit teeth, smile and walk away. Some of us just can't see the forest for the trees. lol
Good luck to you with whatever you have, enjoy them, and don't worry about what anyone else thinks. You know what you have and if you like them that's great, if you want something different, GO FOR IT.
Have a great day y'all. Life is to short to be bickering.
Jim

 

[RedRidge]

I will say.... comparing hatchery birds to fast food restaurants is a stretch for me. We are a "if you don't raise it or grow it, then you don't eat it" family. While I believe hatchery birds have their place. .. I don't not feel the same way about fast food. Nuf said. :/

 

[Fentress]

Culled my first HRIR cockerel and compared it to a hatchery cockerel (New Hampshire, at least that is what they call it )that I hatched this year. A significant difference in the carcass quality, the RIR was better shaped and more appealling. The hatcherey cockerel had a larger skeleton, but the problem is how narrow they are. The body is oddly shaped, almost grotesque. Not something you would want on the Sunday dinner table. In fact all of my hatchery stock from last year has the same traits, narrow across the back, severly protruding breast bone and very lanky legs. I don't know what the Hatchery is doing to these chickens. Can it be just poor breeding. I know Bob has said that they cross layer breeds with them to increase production, maybe - they were excellent layers. It is important for me to eat my layer flock, not to do so would be a waste and unacceptable. For me that is where standard bred poultry has it's value. Not for show, because that is not my thing, but for its production qualities. Is that not worth preserving? From this perspective, its not just the chicken that needs to be preserved, but also, the manner in which the chicken is kept, the relationship between animal, land (resources) and keeper that assigns a value on everything that that breed has to offer. By the way, I think the HRIR is also very pretty.


Mark

 

[Aamanda]

The LF Game may have been very nice. That does not take away from someone that lives next to Cackle and has been there to see their operation.

What was posted was to go to the breeders that sell their eggs to Cackle and buy them directly. Duane Urch sells hatching egg through a Strombergs hatchery. I bet they hatch his eggs too. If I buy the eggs Directly from Urch, they are much cheaper than what Stormbergs sells them for.

Thank you for pointing that out. That was all my original statement was. Cheaper to buy eggs direct. Then got mauled for implying Hatcheries don't keep their own flocks. Many moons ago when Cackle was still youngish. They needed a more places to get eggs from. A relative of mine got in on it. The Hatchery gave him a load of day old chicks in the breeds he wanted to raise. They also gave him some money to start up. He had to raise the chicks and care for them until they started laying. The first year of eggs the hatchery bought from him at half price in order to "Pay back" the loan of the chicks and start up money. After that the egg prices went up. It was up to him to decided what roos to breed to what hens. The hatchery never checked in on him. If a roo somehow got in with hens of a different breed there was no way he was going to just throw away any eggs that might now be mixed breed. They got sent to the hatchery.

 

[Aamanda]

Love my Underwood RC RIR... that said, the hatchery birds do have their place.
I am a statistics freak. I sell a LOT of eating eggs.
A pair of quality production hens who are under 4 yrs of age support not only themselves but one trio of HRIR who provide the eggs and meat for our family. That is on feed costs alone... Not including any HRIR eggs, chicks, or breeding pairs I might sell.
I raise both and slaughter all my production/hatchery birds the year they turn 4.
My poultry, like all the other livestock I have, must be self supporting or they don't stay. Because farming is my business and my life, no dead weight is allowed. The hatchery birds provide the means for the heritage birds to stay. IF I showed a lot and advertised a lot could the heritage birds support themselves that way? I don't know. But what I am currently doing works for me.
I believe they each have their place. The hatchery roos are nasty and I hate dealing with them, but I keep one at any given year to perpetuate the hatchery birds. Given the choice, I would keep only my HRIR. I absolutely love them. But the hatchery birds serve a purpose.

Well said! I agree that hatchery birds serve a purpose. They are great layers and keep both my family and my customers happy in eggs. We live off our land as well and the only "Dead weight" around here is my 32 year old horse lol. But then again he is still great for a relaxing ride and takes good care of the kids. But he earned his retirement here.

 

[Aamanda]

Culled my first HRIR cockerel and compared it to a hatchery cockerel (New Hampshire, at least that is what they call it )that I hatched this year. A significant difference in the carcass quality, the RIR was better shaped and more appealling. The hatcherey cockerel had a larger skeleton, but the problem is how narrow they are. The body is oddly shaped, almost grotesque. Not something you would want on the Sunday dinner table. In fact all of my hatchery stock from last year has the same traits, narrow across the back, severly protruding breast bone and very lanky legs. I don't know what the Hatchery is doing to these chickens. Can it be just poor breeding. I know Bob has said that they cross layer breeds with them to increase production, maybe - they were excellent layers. It is important for me to eat my layer flock, not to do so would be a waste and unacceptable. For me that is where standard bred poultry has it's value. Not for show, because that is not my thing, but for its production qualities. Is that not worth preserving? From this perspective, its not just the chicken that needs to be preserved, but also, the manner in which the chicken is kept, the relationship between animal, land (resources) and keeper that assigns a value on everything that that breed has to offer. By the way, I think the HRIR is also very pretty.


Mark

Well said. We grow and eat our own food for the most part. I am not into showing either.

 

[Aamanda]

I will say.... comparing hatchery birds to fast food restaurants is a stretch for me. We are a "if you don't raise it or grow it, then you don't eat it" family. While I believe hatchery birds have their place. .. I don't not feel the same way about fast food. Nuf said.

LOL Well said

 

[BGMatt]

Culled my first HRIR cockerel and compared it to a hatchery cockerel (New Hampshire, at least that is what they call it )that I hatched this year. A significant difference in the carcass quality, the RIR was better shaped and more appealling. The hatcherey cockerel had a larger skeleton, but the problem is how narrow they are. The body is oddly shaped, almost grotesque. Not something you would want on the Sunday dinner table. In fact all of my hatchery stock from last year has the same traits, narrow across the back, severly protruding breast bone and very lanky legs. I don't know what the Hatchery is doing to these chickens. Can it be just poor breeding. I know Bob has said that they cross layer breeds with them to increase production, maybe - they were excellent layers. It is important for me to eat my layer flock, not to do so would be a waste and unacceptable. For me that is where standard bred poultry has it's value. Not for show, because that is not my thing, but for its production qualities. Is that not worth preserving? From this perspective, its not just the chicken that needs to be preserved, but also, the manner in which the chicken is kept, the relationship between animal, land (resources) and keeper that assigns a value on everything that that breed has to offer. By the way, I think the HRIR is also very pretty.


Mark

Very well said. Folks that don't think the real breeds can pull their weight production wise, and think you have to turn to hatchery garbage for that aspect are just flat wrong. If you select for the production qualities they will come. Standard bred birds SHOULD have the body structure to support it. Select your breeders well and you'll be rewarded with what you desire. Hatchery birds in Reds or any other breed are nothing more than a blight on the poultry world, totally superfluous.

 

[toodlesmom]

Very well said. Folks that don't think the real breeds can pull their weight production wise, and think you have to turn to hatchery garbage for that aspect are just flat wrong. If you select for the production qualities they will come. Standard bred birds SHOULD have the body structure to support it. Select your breeders well and you'll be rewarded with what you desire. Hatchery birds in Reds or any other breed are nothing more than a blight on the poultry world, totally superfluous.

Just don't forget when criticizing the choices of other backyard chicken farmers; it can be very difficult for them to find breeders of the heritage chicken breeds they desire, especially ones who are willing to sell to them. It is particularly difficult if they don't wish to become breeders themselves, or if they only want to breed for their own use.