Washingtonians

[TheReidHomestead]

Hatchery's breed for quantity, not for quality. They do not in any way breed and attempt to match the breed's trait as is outlined in the Standard of Perfection. They let the very things that help identify a breed go, cross breed different breeds to get higher fertility, label mutt breeds Ameraucana's instead of Easter Eggers. If you are interested in breeding, or if you are interested in showing, than Hatchery stock is not for you. For example, you may get what they call a Wyandotte and it will arrive with white legs. That goes against the standard so it really isn't a true Wyandotte. For breeding purposes and trying to better a breed, that is a huge road block! And that's only one example.

If you just want birds for fresh eggs and/or meat, and don't care what kind it truly is, than Hatchery birds can easily fulfill that purpose.

 

[cheryl98117]

Quote:
My Ameraucana lays very light tan almost white eggs. We bought her from a feed store.

I think what you have would be an Easter Egger. They are great birds! Both of my favorite hens were EEgers, gave eggs everyday, best personality, they just are not a pure Ameraucana. Ameraucanas lay blue eggs, and have "slate?" colored legs. But a great mix anyway!

Someone correct my if I am wrong please?

 

[RonB]

Cheryl98117
You just have to tell your Hubby what I tell my wife. I just say " Looks like somebody dropped off more chickens in our yard"

But I understand 100% what you and WA4-H mom are saying. BUT I DO show my feed store chickens TOO.

anytime somebody comes to visit, I make them come out to the Barn FIRST so I can SHOW them my flock

 

[cheryl98117]

Quote:
Well when you put it that way, I show my chickens ALL day long! lol Especially to my neighbors, and my mail carrier LOVES to throw them treets from the mail boxes. She says she carriers a bag of goodies specifically for them! lol She even stopped to ask if it was ok!

I thought that was very conciderate of her.

 

[ByN8ureHomstead]

Quote:
My Ameraucana lays very light tan almost white eggs. We bought her from a feed store.

I think what you have would be an Easter Egger. They are great birds! Both of my favorite hens were EEgers, gave eggs everyday, best personality, they just are not a pure Ameraucana. Ameraucanas lay blue eggs, and have "slate?" colored legs. But a great mix anyway!

Someone correct my if I am wrong please?

When the hens are laying she is my best layer.

I did buy some BBS Ameraucana eggs from McSpin in NY. They are 11 weeks old now and looking great.

 

[cheryl98117]

Quote:
I think what you have would be an Easter Egger. They are great birds! Both of my favorite hens were EEgers, gave eggs everyday, best personality, they just are not a pure Ameraucana. Ameraucanas lay blue eggs, and have "slate?" colored legs. But a great mix anyway!

Someone correct my if I am wrong please?

When the hens are laying she is my best layer.

I did buy some BBS Ameraucana eggs from McSpin in NY. They are 11 weeks old now and looking great.

I'm working on getting set up for some Marans, and Wheaton / Blue Wheaton Ameraucanas from Illia... I'm very excited, and have alot of work that needs to get done. Now if I could just get over whatever bug I have, then I can feel safe running a saw.

Until then though, everything is put on hold.

 

[Chickielady]

http://www.tuinvee.nl/pagina76aa.html
Magnificent oil paintings of chickens, alot from their view point~

 

[4cats3kids1hubby2many]

I have hatchery birdies...I have 12 BR ladies. But they are definitely do not look of the same "quality". They are starting to lay and are doing a good job. They are all really sweet. It is funny, there are some with little to no comb, and some that have combs almost as big as a rooster...can chickens be he/shes? I have shorter fatter squatty ones, and then ones that are more long and lanky. But most of them do have the big BR bottoms. I love my BR girls...although...we will never raise babies or hatch I mean....None of mine are show quality. But I love them.

 

[Chickielady]

Quote:
he must have a band sawmill... the lucas mill can mill any size no quartering .. http://www.lucasmill.com
how big are your logs and what kind of wood? if they are big enough someone will pay you to come take them unless they are rotten or something..

Here ya go, an assortment of photos...

That is us in the little aluminum boat on the Chehalis, so gorgeous, I will do alot of paintings from these photos...and now, our big boy 4 mo old DUKE:

he is herding his ladies away from me, they were all broody raised but I was still present....

He is the most awesome little guy!
Violet, Mohagany and turquoise...beautiful, and so very sensible.
and now the trees:

and I think this next one has a limber on the tree...see the tiny man...?

I asked DH to pose by the tree stump so as to get an idea of size, and this is the biggest of them all, and we have maybe 10 altogether...

**************************and as for my opinion on hatchery birds I think it is the hatchery we should look at, I for one LOVE Murray...I have bought beautiful birds from them for 20 years.
I have never had any issues with any chicks arriving sick or ill, in any weather, even in March in Okanogan...and we thought they were coming April but showed up our fault at the PO March first, well it was still snowing and cold in Tonasket...and I had no electricity, so I put the chicks in a rabbit cage, opened my gas ,magic chef RV oven, lit it, on pilot, and put tin foil all around the babies cage...think they'd die from fumes ???
They were the most awesome hens, all 50...laying double yolker JUMBO eggs...this is McMurray hatchery PBR's, still the best laying machine for the home p- ractitioner I have ever seen, and a beautiful black and white bird...AND they did well through the MINUS 10 degree winter....I just got 25 this spring, raised and sold them and 2 of the buyers have called wanting more, I will stand by McMurray in a heartbeat.
But as for other breeds, like Ameraucanas, I have yet to see a "hatchery" that has the grip on these birds and usualy is selling bastardized versions of EEs....and this is very upsetting to those that are working so hard to not only creat a breed, but keep it clean...and when it becomes the least bit popular...some hatchery mass produces this breed all wrong~~~~it is sad, and disheartening.
BUT, for the standard OLD breeds, and for nothing more than health and eggs...and beauty too, I recommend Murray McMurray.

No I am not getting paid to spam McMurray....some people just want a small flock of NICE healthy birds, and Murray does that...I have yet to see them offer "Araucanas" with tails or "Ameraucanas" with wierd colors we know are really bastardized Easter Eaggers...nor have I seen them ever offer any version of Olive Egger....I do not think they are on the designer Lavender everything-splash everything maran-everything lavender, splash, blue araucana and ameracauna everything train.....they just produce nice, purebred OLD varieties ...that said, I have seen ALOT of hatcheries that are trying to sell the most horrid birds off as "purebred" somethings....what can we do about that ???
And has anyone found redroosterfarms ad in CL ?????

 

[sctnkise]

Quote:
Greg ~ By August, after the summer heat the entire yard had turned brown. The grass has just started coming back in green in the past few weeks. The hens seem to prefer to do most of their dusting near the walls of the hen house and in the corners, so the yards do maintain some grass. Although, there are little trenches of dirt throughout the yard where they've dug holes to dust. Our yards seem to do fairly well maintaining some grass, the yard is also considerably larger (longer and wider) than the photo shows, running along the hen house and wrapping to the back of the house, with two additional door/ramp areas.

Best Regards,
Kiasa