I started off with hatchery birds and sold off all of them to foccus on breeer stock. I wanted my Rhode Island Reds to be Rhode Island Reds and not just in name, but according to the definition in The Standard of Perfection. The Standard exists to tell us what each recognized breed is supossed to be like.
If a hatchery sells a chicken as a Rhode Island Red, a red bird bird with some Rhode Island Red blood in it does that make it a Rhode Island Red?
What does the standard of perfection say about what a RIR should be? It defines the color, over all size and height, shape of the body, way the tail should be carried, way the wings should be carried, where any black or green markings should be, how much it should weigh, what color the legs should be and on and on. The standard also describes the birds purpose. Dual purpose (for both meat and eggs,) and "is capable of excellent egg production." Breeders will try to breed not just for the correct look, but for the correct purpose. (Purpose defined as eggs and meat.) Breeders want a bird that will lay well because they will be hatching all of their eggs for potential show winners. Does that mean that all breeder RIR's will have correct wing and tail carriage? No. Will all of the markings be the correct size and in the proper locations? No. But the breeder is working towards the standard to ensure that those traits don't get lost and the breed doesnt stray from what the standad says it should be. Breeders are trying not just to win shows with pretty birds, but trying to keep the best representatives of the breed alive to pass along the best traits to future generations and ensure the survival of the breed as the standard has defined the breed. Poultry shows do not just judge birds on how they look, they will weigh a bird to see if it is standard and measure them as well. If a bird is too small than it is not up to standard. How can it be a good meat bird for example if it is too small? There are also "things" to look for in breeder stock that will give you clues as to their health and production. Correct body size, and bone stucture will be a clue as to how well a female will lay. A narrow body, breast or pelvis may indicate a poor layer. Hatcheries dont have the time or space to cull birds with undesireable traits. They have to produce lots of eggs to hatch so that they have lots of chicks to sell. If they culled all of the undesireable birds, they would have less stock to produce chicks and less chicks to sell. Having said that, it stands to reason that hatchery birds that may have a few undesireable traits will in turn produce offspring with undesieable traits. In time this practice will produce birds that are far from what the standard calls for. If a breed is far from what the standard calls for, how did it go so wrong? Was it the result of crossing to bring out certain traits, such as massive egg production? Or a crossing to correct undesireable traits? We have no proof that hatcheries cross breeds for certain qualities, but there are folks out there that know chickens very well who can spot an imposter/cross breed when they see it. Thes folks who know chickens so well are the breeders that we should be buying stock from. They care how the breeds look and perform and work their hardest to produce the best quality birds. Hatcheries are just mass producing with less regard for quality.
