What are "Hylines" Chickens?

[Kennyog]

What are Hyline chickens? Thank you in advance for your replies!

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

http://www.hyline.com/aspx/profile/profile.aspx?navid=2

 

[blackdotte]

A commercial hybrid designed to have a short (18 months max) but highly productive life.
David

 

[catwalk]

Right. Commercial egg-layers with smallish bodies, red eyes, and really big floppy combs. I have access to them at the "end" of their usefullness, but they would not make a good rescue project in colder climates without accomodations.

 

[Chickanmanfromarkansas]

Jow can I get A hold of Hy-Line? They have some Silver Browns that look good and would like to try to get some.

 

[catwalk]

Quote:
You'd have to know someone. The breed was developed by a private company for their personal use, and I don't believe they sell them to the "competition", backyard chicken owners. Because of biosecurity reasons, you can't just fing a factory farm and introduce yourself. I can theorize that you could call a farm and express your interest in receiving a couple hens when they are "done" with them, but you run the risk of them suspecting you to be from an animal rights group. They take good care of their stock/livelihood, and they can't risk getting entwined in some crazy "sting" operation.

I've grown up around that very breed, and I know that they were not developed to be free-ranging. Their bodies/combs dissipate heat quickly, and the debeaking they have had done may require feeding accomodations. There are exceptions, of course.

 

[Chickanmanfromarkansas]

Has anyone found a place that I could get some of these chickens? I know it's been a while since I posted on this thread, but I really would like to have some, or even eggs to hatch.

 

[allcrackedup]

This is a link to a craigs list add in my town, for 150 2 year old red hy-lines for sale. maybe they can help you.. http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/grd/2058061540.html
anyway hope this helps..

 

[Chickanmanfromarkansas]

Actually I was looking for the Brown Silver or maybe it was Silver Browns. Can't remeber now which way it was. But thanks for the information anyway.

 

[Darth Egger]

There's been some speculation that the grocery store eggs some people have hatched are possibly of Hy-Line origin. I can tell you that they are not as incredibly impressive as you'd probably like to believe. On a weekly basis, they're no more productive than a Production Red or Barred Rock. It's on an annual basis that they excel, not taking much of a break in the Winter. In my experience, their yolk color is never impressive until well after their first year as compared to their peers of other breeds. This is regardless of feed.