TSC rant

I'm not all that experienced with chickens, or buying them for that matter. I am however very versed in plant genetics, and always source from a solid breeder/source. Private preservationists if at all possible. With chickens though, I haven't figured out what a solid source really is. Threads like this do bolster my feeling that I'm better off going to local farms and specific breeders pending what I want.

Chickens though, I'm still learning. Here we have...

"Pet quality" Seramas sourced from a local farm that just loves them for pets. I knew that going in, and paid a fair price for what we got. Ultimately, these are my favorite chicken and are just full of life. Very social and just want to hang out with the family. A true pet as far as I'm concerned.

We also have a bantam barnyard hen w/ 10 babies. These where sourced from "some guy" who just wanted them to go to a good home, and where free. I did get a chance to go see his property, and it was well maintained, but in general I had no references to him to check against. I also really like these as they too are social, but for much shorter times than the Seramas. The hen however makes a great mom, and hatching eggs for me later is the hopes of the bantams.

Then our Silkies I sourced from a show breeder who has a great reputation here. Her place was by far the nicest farm I've ever seen. Not a smell to be had, nor an unhealthy animal to be seen. She was also the most informative being able to answer every question, and offer advice I didn't know to ask for. I feel like of all the purchases of chickens, I truly got my monies worth in quality genetics. (I got a hell of a discount, but even full price seemed fair) In all honesty though, and this could be my lack of experience, the silkies are boring. They seem to be content just "being" there. It does make holding a chick on your finger pretty easy though lol. Beautiful, and I do love them, but boring none the less.

I've never bought birds from a big box store personally, so I don't have much to offer in regards to it. However if I related my plant genetics to my bird genetics, I wouldn't buy from big box store. We do have 17 ducks from Cackle though, and I know that's a bit of a contradiction as some here have pointed out TSC/FFH use hatcheries, but buying from a hatchery is at least buying it from people who deal with the bird more than just an average employee of Big Box World. Obviously, it doesn't necessarily speak for their breeding practices.

Anywho, that's 2¢ from the lesser experienced.
 
One of my breeds are Rhode Island Reds.
This was one of my female champions.
IMG_3456.JPG

Here is a male. He was a champion. He is 6 years old now and not mating the females anymore.
2014-10-07 11.26.20.jpg

This was one of my Rose Comb Rhode Island Red males.
IMG_20180224_132919.jpg
 
Anywho, that's 2¢ from the lesser experienced.
That was actually a very enjoyable read and a very sensible point! Perhaps because I was married into a family owed generational greenhouse business for a while and that my mother was an heirloom gardener...from tomatoes to eglantines she accepted only the best and expected true pure lineage. A few still remain that my dad did not unknowingly mow down or dig up upon her passing.

At any rate, the purchasing is very much relevant to the chickens as well. I suppose with anything heritage and purity related really. The old "you get what you pay for" holds true doesn't it!

I was raised with a very deep appreciation for "true" breeds. Poultry, roses, tomatoes, horses. Do I shop Walmart's garden center? I must admit I do. Single mom of 4 for years...little option. TSC? Yup I do. Not proudly! But by necessity I cave because I still prefer my own sun-warmed fresh tomato to the store bought, picked green, shipped from 2000 miles away tasteless garbage. Nothing beats your own time raising and harvesting crops and meat for your freezer, making memories and eating food with flavor and withOUT drugs and bugs!

But if you want the best of things ypu must go to the best of places. It's just a fact lol. And your post was a nice reminder that poultry is NOT the only "product" with subpar sources!
 

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