What Birds to Breed to Sell and Show in Indy

[Keian]

I am very interested in starting to breed chickens to sell for this spring. I do not know what breeds are in demand in my area (Indiana). I really would like to get a couple of Welsummers from http://www.whitmorefarm.com/ but I cannot get over the cost of shipping them to me. Any other suggested for birds to breed? I am a huge fan of the dark speckled eggs! This will be my first time ever breeding chickens, but I am excited for the challenge. I also would like to start showing birds in 4-H this year. What birds do you think would place best amongst the judges in Indiana?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Merely making chickens to sell is not breeding. This is merely propagation.

To be a breeder is a calling to work on living art forms. It requires submitting to a mentor for years of training. It involves attending top shows, such as the Central Indiana show in Lebanon, IN and seeing firsthand what this is all about. Last weekend was the Ohio National in Columbus, Ohio which show cases the work of the some of the best breeds and breeders in the land.

Study of the breed, memorizing the Standard of Perfection as it pertains to your chosen breeds is essential.

It takes years and years of work to be a true breeder of standard bred poultry. It requires infrastructure and funding and there is little to no chance of making money on this hobby and shouldn't be entered into with that as a motivation. Learning to be a quality breeder is as hard as learning how to be a painter or musician. Those would be good analogies.

I wish you success in your desired endeavor. I've been at this endeavor, off and on for more then 5 decades and still I feel as if what I do not know far outweighs what I may have mastered. It is truly that challenging.

 

[3riverschick]

well, choose a breed with a simple color like black or white. They are very popular at the shows. Pick a breed without fancy extremities like crests and muff, leg feathers, etc.. Bantams are nice and you can have 2 times as many birds in the same area. Take a look at the online show result and see which breeds the other Juniors are winning with. Then find a top breeder of those birds and buy a trio ( 1 male and 2 females) or quad ( 2 males and 2 females). Ask about started birds or older breeder birds. Both are a great way to redeem time and get stated with quality stock. Good birds to cost more. But your bird will be more competitive. Spend the extra money for top stock.
Best,
Karen in western PA, USA