What are differences between buying from a hatchery versus a breeder?

[muddyhorse]

Go to an APA show. you will be shocked at the difference between a show bird and a hatchery bird, i know I was. The white rocks were massive our neighbor has hatchery white rocks and they were twice the size. talk to the breeders most are very friendly and willing to help a newbie. Most will have birds to sell that will not make it as a show bird ( comb with a thumbprint, wrong number of points, ect ) but for your goals would be great.

 

[chickenannie]

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This may be true, but the picture you paint of the "clueless Hatchery customer" is not exactly fair since those people a) would have no way of knowing otherwise unless the info and facts are put out there, and b) wouldn't know where to go to buy from breeders anyways. It's like my theory of fast food eaters.... While I consider fast food non-nutritious junk, if you grow up in a town that has no other restaurants, of course you like fast food since you don't have any other (visible) choices when dining out. Of course, there will always be a few people who love to eat fast food regardless of their choices, and, there will always be chicken-buyers who don't really care as long as it lays eggs. I would put it on the breeders to talk more to this point on the forum, and not to just put down hatcheries, which is what I hear a lot of, but to be specific about WHY you are putting down a hatchery, or WHY you think a breeder is doing a better job, and has better chickens for sale, or WHY a non-show person might not want a hatchery bird. I, for one, have found this thread to be informative, though I'd still like more details about finding a true and reputable breeder.

 

[punky rooster]

A new pic of my bird (he is preening)
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/63711_barred_rocks1_026.jpg
hatchery bird has its tail set to hi, my bird has a thicker appearance. and look at that comb on the hatchery bird he might have leghorn in him

 

[punky rooster]

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What breed are you looking for?????

 

[chickenannie]

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What breed are you looking for?????

I'd be curious to see some a reputable breeders' Bourbon Red turkeys in my area.

 

[sunnyvera]

I just wanted to throw my 2 cents in. I got some (what I thought) were pure marans from a hatchery (unnamed). Lo and behold, some had straight combs and some rose. Clearly they are all mixed up. I am sure this stuff happens all the time.

 

[Katy]

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There are actually many, many threads on this forum pertaining to the highlighted part of your post. I think some of us have been very specific time after time on why we don't care for hatchery birds. It is also up to the customer to do their research on hatchery vs. breeder quality birds and to determine what they want. I had nothing but a flock of varied laying hens from hatcheries for many, many years. They laid me lots of good eggs which is what most people care about, but I was tired of them never looking like the breed was supposed to. I personally will never go back to hatchery birds but that doesn't mean they aren't the right choice for someone else who doesn't want to invest the time and money on keeping their birds as close as they can get to the APA standard.

 

[rodriguezpoultry]

Good morning!

In most instances, whether breeder or hatchery, the purchaser needs to do their homework. It's like buying a car or a house. Know what you need to know before jumping into it.

I started out with hatchery birds and I absolutely loved them. There is nothing wrong with hatchery birds and they are excellent birds to start out learning your own breed about. But I learned the hard way that when you go to a show, your birds will be disqualified or "NSQ"ed (Not Show Quality) if the judge knows anything about birds. It's true there are some birds from hatcheries that could participate in a show and do very well but your chances of that happening are very slim. This is the reason most purchase through breeders for their specific breeds. These breeders breed their birds for conformation, color and egg/meat production. Instead of hatcheries which really are looking to "make a buck". Real breeders are not interested in making money off of their birds, they are interested in preserving a genetic line that deserves preservation. They are looking to continue the line for the next generations to enjoy.

Searching for breeders can take alot of time and can take no time. It depends on the breed. You are after Bourbon Red Turkeys? Here are some steps that I have used:
Google Bourbon Red Turkeys

More than likely show results will be somewhere within the results or you can search through the Image area until you find a photo of a bird that you like.

The contact information will likely be on the website or at the very least a name and a location. Once you look up the name and location in a people search you should be able to easily find an email or a phone number. If this person does not have what you are after, they will more than likely know of another person with what you are after.

 

[cashdl]

When I was looking for araucanas, the first thing I did was look for breed clubs on line. It was that easy. Then I started contacting breeders. No one had any available. So I went to the hatcheries who had them listed. Imagine my un happiness when they grew up to have tails and look nothing like what I wanted. That was my fault. I was impatient, but it taught me a lesson. The hatcheries don't always have what they say they have.

I think the RIRs are a good example. I have some from hatcheries cause I just wanted the eggs for my customers. My birds while supposedly being RIRs, I think are actually productions reds. Mine are light red with light areas. But for me it is not a big deal cause I am not showing them. I just want the eggs and they were cheap. I think I paid $ 2.00 each.

But I because of my issue with the araucana I knew the chances of getting a good or real RIR from a hatchery was not good.

Live and learn. You can't blame the breeders for hatchery customers not knowing any better. That is like buying a car and then being mad at the car manufacturer because they didn't tell you, you wouldn't like the color red on their car or that another manufacturer had a better red on their car. It is always the customers responsibility to check out what they are buying and look at all their options. Especially in this economy. Know what you are paying for. Don't blame others for your decisions unless you have been specifically mislead. Live and learn and move on.

Lanae

 

[Nostalchic]

Hi Chickenannie,
I just wanted to chime in here to say that I have ordered from McMurray hatchery quite a few times over the years, first time was in 1977 or so. I never was interested in showing, but wanted healthy and reasonably productive birds of various breeds, and that is what I've invariably rec'd. And contrary to what another poster said, I've had my hatchery hens continue to be productive for many many years - this is more a function of breed than of hatchery vs breeder. If you order production reds, you get a hen that will produce intensively for a shorter period of time, and clearly those birds have more problems with internal laying, etc. But I've always gotten, for the most part, old fashioned dual purpose breeds and they've been fine, AND they are beautiful - not to standard, ok - but still very pretty, perfectly acceptable and just as rewarding to the casual backyard chicken-keeper. It just depends what you want. Frankly, if just starting out, I would recommend a good old fashioned dual purpose breed from a hatchery, or a variety of chicks (something that is easier to do thru a hatchery), get some experience with them, see what you like and where you want to go with it, and then consider fancy breeder birds.