What breeds do hatcheries do right?

[racuda]

Are there any breeds that the big hatcheries have that are OK quality?

For example, I wouldn't be happy with hatchery Silkies, but to me hatchery Barred Rocks pecking around in the barnyard are just fine.

 

[Falcon61]

I think production breeds are good but special breeds you might want to go a little smaller specialized breeder if you want a quatity blood line. What are you looking for?

 

[EweSheep]

Honestly NONE of them do have correct birds or even go by the standards. Some of them are so far off.

Estes Hatchery are OK for their Welsummers since they bought all the Welsummer stock from Harry Shaw of Calicowoods however it has been awhile and I hope they keep their standards high otherwise they will go down as any other hatchery.

 

[racuda]

Quote:
Maybe some EE's.

 

[Goose and Fig]

Supposedly Ideal has some nice EEs- but the are a hybrid just like the production birds. I had some nice Black Stars (hybrid) and Dark Cornish from McMurray. I've had hatchery Buff Orps that were pretty close to standard, if only for a little smut in the tail feathers.

 

[joe17]

They had one hatchery that had AWESOME cochins. I think somebody said they showed them and won at a pretty big show.

 

[TinyBirds]

Ideal has very nice standard-size cochins (I wouldn't get the red color though). Their buffs, blacks, and barred cochins are beautiful. I don't show them or anything, but they are gorgeous running around the yard. I have seen lots of photos of breeder-birds, and to me they look the same (hard to tell in photos though I know). Their heads are wide and big fluffy bottoms, wide body, etc. They have super super super fluffy legs. I don't like the bantams as much since the males can be too feisty (the female bantams are fine though).
Hmmm, what else? I also like the white-face-black-spanish (large size) from Ideal. And the speckled sussex are very beautiful too (pictures just don't do justice to that breed when you see those spots glittering in the sunshine).
I also agree that Easter Eggers are best to get from hatcheries like Ideal. I have gotten some eggs from ebay and they weren't nearly as pretty as the eggs from my hatchery girls. Maybe after hobby-folks breed them with each other, they might lose the blue/green-egg color since they are often heterozygous for the blue egg gene. The only place I've bought them from where they were still a good color is Gabbard Farms on ebay. I would buy most anything from them - Julie is great and has lots of breeds to choose from.