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

[punky rooster]

Quote:
I don't think posts = knowledge

 

[PepsNick]

Quote:
I don't think posts = knowledge

Me neither. Many people only posts in games or random and have thousands of posts from that.

 

[colby318]

I know, I agree.
But this is a question I immediately asked myself after I received gold laced wyandottes from a hatchery the first time I ordered birds. I was fortunate enough to have a wonderful breeder within driving distance who taught me (gently) the difference. Having a mentor cultivated my love for the breed. The true breed; not rock or RIR crossed birds.

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
It is always great to have some one to teach you especially when you are just starting out.

 

[lildinkem]

I did not read this whole thread. But wanted to mention about a friend who bought 10 hatchery stock Ameraucanas 3 years ago. 5 outta 10 died due to being egg bound. That equates to being toooo narrow down near the rear end. A pinched tail is a dead give away to steer clear or cull out for you to not loose many to this problem.
This pic is some of my layers who should not have the problem. At least the two on the right look good to me.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
Well, I will ask a question I already know the answer to, just so I can get answers from others. it allows newbies to learn!

 

[jsmonasmith]

I'm learning that I don't know as much as I thought I did, but somewhere on another post someone said that saying the hatcheries breed for egg production is giving them too much credit. They pointed out that because the hatcheries continue inbreeding their own birds the offspring of those that produce the most chicks(eggs) eventually just dominate due to time and quantity of chicks produced. It's more or less the survival of the fittest for the environment they are meant to fill. I have also read on other posts where some breeders are quite irritated by some other breeders not also selecting for egg production but rather only focusing on the cosmetics of the breed. A marans breeder I have been speaking with has pointed out that the marans are valued for there eggs so optimally they should also be selected for quantity for the obvious purpose of more dark brown eggs.

 

[pizzameister]

Most hatcheries don't have their own flock of any birds. They contract with many people, when you get eggs or chicks you have no idea who produced the eggs or chicks and if you by chicks the hatchery couldn't tell you which farm the eggs came from to provide the chicks. There may be several farms supplying eggs for a given hatch.

 

[HallFamilyFarm]

Quote:
Ideal Poultry Farms has stated they OWN all of their breeders except their Turkey breeders.

 

[syble]

Quote:
I know i pointed that out on the tread multiple times, but i also attributed it to natural selection. Saying that then hens that lay better would have a better chance of having multiple chicks make it into the next flock where as maybe the truer type who doesn't lay as well only got 1 or 2. So then the next generation that happens again and exponentially, till the truer type, but slower layer is bred out and the better layer inherits the flock.

So what i said had more to do with lack of selective management (making sure the better typed, slower layer was collected from for future flocks). Instead in an area like that with those conditions, survival of the fittest and natural selection is to reign free

Sib