The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[NikkiMiChickie]

  breeders can be as big a gamble as hatcheries. You really need to check out the breeder seriously before buying. Some breeders are great, don't get me wrong, but others are like the puppie mills, just churning out chicks. 

    Never discount hatchery birds. A few generations before I got my Sumatra's the person who bought them bought them from a hatchery. If I was at all interested in showing (which I'm not) some of my Sumatra's are show quality. I also have 2 hatchery RIR's, 2 Hatchery white leghorns, and 2 hatchery EE's. All of who I bred with Sumatra roo's this past spring. Let me tell you, those offspring are fantastic as are their mothers, the hatchery birds. They lay well, they forage, they have natural survival instincts and are just great all around chickens. So really it depends on what you want from your flock. Before meeting Bee (online only of course) I was already practicing much of what she preached. Including breeding hatchery hens to improve on their quality's. I should say breeding the BEST of the hatchery stock to produce more...and better or at least equal stock. 
    I've said this before and I don't mean it in any bad way at all. I'm not a chicken snob. I don't care if it is a pure bred from good lines hen (such as 5 of my RIR's and 1 Black Australorp are) or hatchery stock or my home grown mutts. If the extra roosters process out nicely, if the hens lay well, if they all forage well, remain healthy, have natural survival instincts, and are great at being chickens.... I'm happy. Probably puts me in the minority..... but I'm ok with that. 

The jury is still out for me on getting a few SOP birds from a breeder to add to my otherwise hatchery flock. I'm still new to chickens, this is my first winter with them, just had my first broody hatch in October, and I'm learning learning learning. Not sure I want the SOP stuff yet... And, I'm very happy to report that my three little mutt chicks are super healthy, happy, and kind of good looking too, if I do say so myself I'm still a bit nervous that all 3 may well be Roos, but time will tell. I'll either be eating them or their eggs come spring Until then, I'm carefully monitoring my hens to decide which eggs to set in the spring. I'm counting on my little broody mama to decide to go broody again, she she did such a great job this time. (She's still mothering 8&9 week old chicks that are almost bigger than her now! She's just a little Banty). I always look forward to your posts, Stony!

 

[stonykill]

The jury is still out for me on getting a few SOP birds from a breeder to add to my otherwise hatchery flock. I'm still new to chickens, this is my first winter with them, just had my first broody hatch in October, and I'm learning learning learning. Not sure I want the SOP stuff yet... And, I'm very happy to report that my three little mutt chicks are super healthy, happy, and kind of good looking too, if I do say so myself

I'm still a bit nervous that all 3 may well be Roos, but time will tell. I'll either be eating them or their eggs come spring

Until then, I'm carefully monitoring my hens to decide which eggs to set in the spring. I'm counting on my little broody mama to decide to go broody again, she she did such a great job this time. (She's still mothering 8&9 week old chicks that are almost bigger than her now! She's just a little Banty). I always look forward to your posts, Stony!

well thank you and you are doing the right thing by monitoring/observing. Absolutely the most important thing to do, watch/observe your flock.

In the end to add SOP breeder stock or stick with refining hatchery stock is all your decision. I'm quite happy having a mix of both, with the hatchery and mutts outnumbering the others big time. Truth be told at least in my flock, performance wise and instinct wise, one isn't any better than the other.

 

[delisha]

Nothing wrong with hatchery chicks, however, there soul existence is to churn out chicks as fast as they can.

With the popularity of chickens many are also jumping on the band wagon. Selling eggs as such and such. At least on here if someone is advertising they have eggs for sale you can get pictures of previous off spring and even talk to others who have purchased from them. Do your homework and be aware. Hatchery's cross breed for optimum egg production. You might purchase and pay for a chicken that is listed as a Plymouth Rock, when in fact it is a leghorn bread to a Rock/Plymouth Rock generations ago. Nothing wrong with it, as long as the buyer is aware. The hatchery birds are bred to produce eggs as fast as they can. Most hatchery birds need to be replaced every other year. There is always exception to the rule and you will have some beautiful birds. Most 4Hers purchase from hatchery's and choose the best of the bunch to show. Just keep in mind that hatchery's are not going to feed a bird for 8 to 12 months before it is sexually mature. They are not going to selectively breed for the best attributes and health resistance. They place many birds in a pen and collect eggs to hatch and ship out 21 days later. They keep hens for a short time and replace those hens to keep producing. They want you to keep purchasing from them. They have healthy chicks and invest huge amounts of money in incubators to make sure you recieve healthy chicks.

The most important thing is that you are happy with your birds and they are healthy. It does not matter where they come from.
Know what your expectation are.
Where do you want your flock to be in 5 years? 10 years? 50 years?
What is the purpose of your flock?

also consider

If you purchased and invest in 3 good healthy POL stock today, you would invest around $150.00-300.00. You would have 500 eggs your first year, plenty of meat to butcher too.
If you purchase 25 chicks you spend $100.00 for the purchase and shipping and $200.00 to feed them to see if you even have anything to keep. And you still do not have many eggs at the end of the first year..
You do the math.

 

[stonykill]

Nothing wrong with hatchery chicks, however, there soul existence is to churn out chicks as fast as they can.

With the popularity of chickens many are also jumping on the band wagon. Selling eggs as such and such. At least on here if someone is advertising they have eggs for sale you can get pictures of previous off spring and even talk to others who have purchased from them. Do your homework and be aware. Hatchery's cross breed for optimum egg production. You might purchase and pay for a chicken that is listed as a Plymouth Rock, when in fact it is a leghorn bread to a Rock/Plymouth Rock generations ago. Nothing wrong with it, as long as the buyer is aware. The hatchery birds are bred to produce eggs as fast as they can. Most hatchery birds need to be replaced every other year. There is always exception to the rule and you will have some beautiful birds. Most 4Hers purchase from hatchery's and choose the best of the bunch to show. Just keep in mind that hatchery's are not going to feed a bird for 8 to 12 months before it is sexually mature. They are not going to selectively breed for the best attributes and health resistance. They place many birds in a pen and collect eggs to hatch and ship out 21 days later. They keep hens for a short time and replace those hens to keep producing. They want you to keep purchasing from them. They have healthy chicks and invest huge amounts of money in incubators to make sure you recieve healthy chicks.

The most important thing is that you are happy with your birds and they are healthy. It does not matter where they come from.
Know what your expectation are.
Where do you want your flock to be in 5 years? 10 years? 50 years?
What is the purpose of your flock?

also consider

If you purchased and invest in 3 good healthy POL stock today, you would invest around $150.00-300.00. You would have 500 eggs your first year, plenty of meat to butcher too.
If you purchase 25 chicks you spend $100.00 for the purchase and shipping and $200.00 to feed them to see if you even have anything to keep. And you still do not have many eggs at the end of the first year..
You do the math.

all good points. I'll say I've never had a hatchery bird quit at 1-1/2 years old. Perhaps do to the breeds I choose. The hatchery birds I buy are through a local feed store. Just place your order, no shipping charges and wait. Last time I just went in and bought 11 left overs/ overship. $3 each. So for $33 I had 11 new birds. But like I said above I don't do that anymore. BUT that is the 11 birds I started my hatching experiment with. At almost 6 months old they started laying and laid all winter long the 1st winter. Still laying strong even in these short days years later. As are their offspring.
I've never paid more than $3 for a chicken, full grown or a chick and the most I ever paid for birds at all was my 2 original Runners. I paid $20 for a breeding pair of Fawn and white runners. And trust me, my wife and I discussed in great detail if we really wanted to spend $10 each on birds. In the end we were thrilled as the female Penelope went broody a month after we got her and gave us 6 more (4 girls, 2 drakes). Having chickens and ducks does not have to be expensive.

 

[Crafty-Duck]

Nothing wrong with hatchery chicks, however, there soul existence is to churn out chicks as fast as they can.

With the popularity of chickens many are also jumping on the band wagon. Selling eggs as such and such. At least on here if someone is advertising they have eggs for sale you can get pictures of previous off spring and even talk to others who have purchased from them. Do your homework and be aware. Hatchery's cross breed for optimum egg production. You might purchase and pay for a chicken that is listed as a Plymouth Rock, when in fact it is a leghorn bread to a Rock/Plymouth Rock generations ago. Nothing wrong with it, as long as the buyer is aware. The hatchery birds are bred to produce eggs as fast as they can. Most hatchery birds need to be replaced every other year. There is always exception to the rule and you will have some beautiful birds. Most 4Hers purchase from hatchery's and choose the best of the bunch to show. Just keep in mind that hatchery's are not going to feed a bird for 8 to 12 months before it is sexually mature. They are not going to selectively breed for the best attributes and health resistance. They place many birds in a pen and collect eggs to hatch and ship out 21 days later. They keep hens for a short time and replace those hens to keep producing. They want you to keep purchasing from them. They have healthy chicks and invest huge amounts of money in incubators to make sure you recieve healthy chicks.

The most important thing is that you are happy with your birds and they are healthy. It does not matter where they come from.
Know what your expectation are.
Where do you want your flock to be in 5 years? 10 years? 50 years?
What is the purpose of your flock?

also consider

If you purchased and invest in 3 good healthy POL stock today, you would invest around $150.00-300.00. You would have 500 eggs your first year, plenty of meat to butcher too.
If you purchase 25 chicks you spend $100.00 for the purchase and shipping and $200.00 to feed them to see if you even have anything to keep. And you still do not have many eggs at the end of the first year..
You do the math.

I wish I knew this when I first got my chickens!!!! back then I thought chickens are chickens!

 

[Miss Lydia]

fried, over easy, scrambled, hard boiled, poached, soft boiled...... pretty much anything but raw

....lol. We treat them just like chicken eggs and I have egg customers who buy both duck and chicken eggs from me and do the same.

They are also wonderful for use in baking.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I love all my birds, some are hatchery birds, some are local breeders who focus on the "true" breed and some are my mutts, I love my mutts. I think unless you are breeding for the "true" standards as long as your birds are healthy and you are happy with them then they are amazing birds. I am breeding nex year for different colors, I have several people waiting for them lol. Plus my dog treat business, maybe I will ne anle to make money for feed next year.lol

 

[NikkiMiChickie]

One major perk of a hatchery/feed store purchase, for me, was that I didn't have to order X number of birds from breeders all over the country and have them shipped to me. I didn't know much (anything really) about the different breeds of chickens, although I did know there were breeds for meat, eggs, and both. By purchasing from two different feed stores, I was able to choose one or two of each breed I was interested in, including a few straight run assorted bantams and some egg laying machines. NOW of course I know that my hatchery RIR and BR are not even close to what a true RIR or BR would be had I purchased from a breeder. My hatchery birds have provided me ample opportunity to observe and learn about the specific traits I want/need in a flock. My first broody hatch this fall was completely experimental, as I wasn't sure whether she would stay with the eggs, and then whether she would mother them. I let her sit on any eggs she wanted, and did not select by breed or traits. I had two roosters at the time, so had no idea which roo had bred the hens. Completely an experiment, and I learned a TON. first off, that little 3-4lb Banty took on more than she could handle with 11 eggs... I didn't think it would work, but let her try anyways. I also didn't mark eggs, so other hens continued to lay in her nest for a week after she began to sit. I didn't know which eggs to toss when there were new ones added, so I just left them. I learned how to candle - boy, that was exciting!! Most importantly, I learned that I have an excellent broody and mother in that tiny little package.
So, next time, I will be selecting the eggs very carefully.
What do you use, if anything, to mark eggs in a broody hatch? I've read about people using sharpies - that doesn't do any damage to the chick?

 

[maidenwolfx80]

One major perk of a hatchery/feed store purchase, for me, was that I didn't have to order X number of birds from breeders all over the country and have them shipped to me. I didn't know much (anything really) about the different breeds of chickens, although I did know there were breeds for meat, eggs, and both. By purchasing from two different feed stores, I was able to choose one or two of each breed I was interested in, including a few straight run assorted bantams and some egg laying machines. NOW of course I know that my hatchery RIR and BR are not even close to what a true RIR or BR would be had I purchased from a breeder. My hatchery birds have provided me ample opportunity to observe and learn about the specific traits I want/need in a flock. My first broody hatch this fall was completely experimental, as I wasn't sure whether she would stay with the eggs, and then whether she would mother them. I let her sit on any eggs she wanted, and did not select by breed or traits. I had two roosters at the time, so had no idea which roo had bred the hens. Completely an experiment, and I learned a TON. first off, that little 3-4lb Banty took on more than she could handle with 11 eggs... I didn't think it would work, but let her try anyways. I also didn't mark eggs, so other hens continued to lay in her nest for a week after she began to sit. I didn't know which eggs to toss when there were new ones added, so I just left them. I learned how to candle - boy, that was exciting!! Most importantly, I learned that I have an excellent broody and mother in that tiny little package.
So, next time, I will be selecting the eggs very carefully.
What do you use, if anything, to mark eggs in a broody hatch? I've read about people using sharpies - that doesn't do any damage to the chick?

When I ordered mine, I wanted a small order. Ideal hatchery is what I went with. Minimum order was dollars not numbers. So $25 was min. you could purchase things other than birds too. So I went with that, loved loved the customer care and details they give you. You can buy insurance for $1 so they dont add roos for warmth. all my birds arrived alive, healthy and I have had no problems with them. They are 10 weeks old and thriving

 

[delisha]

What do you use, if anything, to mark eggs in a broody hatch? I've read about people using sharpies - that doesn't do any damage to the chick?

Pencil, and I have never used a sharpie.