The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Leahs Mom]

Quote:
How could we figure out what lines we're getting through our hatcheries I wonder? Most folks pick them up in the spring that come from the local hatchery suppliers at a TSC or RK.....

 

[Molpet]

How could we figure out what lines we're getting through our hatcheries I wonder? Most folks pick them up in the spring that come from the local hatchery suppliers at a TSC or RK.....

not sure where my 2 yr came from ...I bought her at POL.. nearest to the seller is RK and big R .. the 2 that will be 1 came from Big R and they use Townline hatchery..
The BR that went broody came from big R..

 

[lazy gardener]

I had friends who had hatchery BO. They stopped raising them b/c they were so broody, their egg production was very poor. (They then got a flock of Leghorns!)

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

How could we figure out what lines we're getting through our hatcheries I wonder?  Most folks pick them up in the spring that come from the local hatchery suppliers at a TSC or RK..... 

I guess you will have to ask about the source or hatchery they come from. Mine are from My Pet Chicken, and Meyers I believe are the same birds, so maybe those with broody ones will let you know where they got theirs from.

I would think the English strains would go broody because it seems when breeders breed for type broody comes with it, when bred for production broody is bred out more often because it decreases production.

 

[CherMoz]

My BOs came from Sand Hill Preservation out of Iowa. Some were broody, some were not. None of them went broody until their third spring (counting the spring they hatched).

 

[Leahs Mom]

Thanks for all the input everyone.


Up in my area - and I think also where @Jntnrmn is, our farm stores are supplied by Townline. I haven't purchased anything from Townline since 2012, but the first 6 chicks I ever got were from there. I had one very broody "hatchery red" girl that brooded 2 clutches beginning at 8 mos old. Then has never gone broody again.

And, of course, the hatchery red girls aren't supposed to be broody. Go figure.

 

[JanetMarie]

@Leahs Mom Southern Farm Hatchery is where I got the hatching eggs for the more English type buff. It was my first time hatching and only the rooster was the one who hatched (I actually had to open his egg) out of the buff Orpington eggs.

My buff Orpington hens I picked up at Townline as chicks for the lone male. If I were to get buff Orpingtons again I would get hatching eggs from Southern Farm Hatchery, or look for a breeder of English Orpingtons.

 

[JanetMarie]

Here's a male buff Orpington from Townline that was supposed to be a female. His body style resembles just a buff chicken and not the English lineage of the Orpingtons.

 

[NysiaAnera]

@NysiaAnera
So your hatchery girls are broody as well as the one not from hatchery...  @oldhenlikesdogs
hatchery girls are not broody.  

So it sounds like it IS possible for hatchery lines to be broody but possible not too! 

Yes, the ones we got from the hatchery as well as Buffy do go broody and are excellent mommas.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I was hoping that kittydoc may have some Engilish Buffs but I think she has everything else but buffs! Only problem there is that she vaccinates and I don't allow vaccinated birds on my property. I could ask her not to vac any chicks I get, but the parents would still be from vaccinated stock. I guess I'll have to think that one through.

I did try to look at the hatchery that @JanetMarie mentions above but must not have found the right one. Last posts they had were from 2012....

I think that the other Janet is going to pick some up from the farm store so they'll likely be Townline.