What to get & how many?

[ChristineR]

Quote:
So, just to make sure I'm understanding correctly, you're saying that none of the hatchery chicks are pure bred? I can understand that they aren't "show quality," but how can they advertise the different breeds if they aren't, in fact, those breeds? That doesn't make sense.

I would love to find a local breeder, but haven't had any luck so far. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places.

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
So, just to make sure I'm understanding correctly, you're saying that none of the hatchery chicks are pure bred? I can understand that they aren't "show quality," but how can they advertise the different breeds if they aren't, in fact, those breeds? That doesn't make sense.

I would love to find a local breeder, but haven't had any luck so far. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places.

Hi ChristineR,

Yes. In many, many cases birds from hatcheries are not in fact "pure-bred", but "knock offs" of the originals. Now some hatcheries, in some breeds are actually "pure bred." Some hatcheries drop-ship from places like Urch/Turnlund hatchery that specialises in Standard Bred poultry.

I would love to find a local breeder, but haven't had any luck so far. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places.

What breeds are you looking for? Check with your breed's club for breeders in your area.

Good luck,
Mitch​

 

[Havsom Morpork]

I would highly recommend Black Sex Links. They are an extremely docile breed and hearty. They thrive in cold or heat and lay nice large brown eggs. I have 16 of these ladies and they think they are part of the family. Whenever my kids are outside playing they are right there next to them. They love to be held and talked to. I have other breeds including Americaunas, which is an easter egger type, but the BSL are the friendliest, and easiest to care for which is great for a newbie.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Don't get hung up on "pure breed". All chicken breeds were created from selective breeding and crosses. Occasionally you might have a true mutation, but even chicks from these had to be crossed with something. To the best of my knowledge, there are no DNA tests to determine if a chicken is purebred. Even top breeders sometimes cross their chickens with a different breed to get or eliminate a specific trait. After a few generations, when they again breed true, they are considered purebreed.

Not all breeders are the same and not all hatcheries are the same. They all have different goals and different management techniques. If you can find a good breeder that knows what he/she is doing, and they have the same goals as you, you can get really nice chickens. But the goals have to be similar to what you want. If a breeder is trying to develop a six toed chicken and you want one that is a good egg layer, you might be disappointed in what you get.

If you breed to enhance certain traits, you can develop a chicken where most of the chicks hatched have that trait. But if you do not selectively breed for that trait every generation, you lose it. I read an article today where someone took a "purebreed" flock of chickens and divided them into two different flocks. One flock was bred for large size. The other flock was bred for small size. Several generations later, he has two distinct lines of chickens where a chicken from one flock is consistently 9 times the weight of a chicken from the other flock. Nine times bigger from the same original flock! And both flocks are purebreeds.

 

[Miyashi]

I don't know how many eggs my Brahma lays...but she is so friendly and so is the youngster Brahma. The talk back, love being fussed over.....they have huge fluffy butts and fluffy legs. Love those girls. My Black Sexlinks are great too, Lenore is boss hog in the coop...she always has something to say...but her voice is low so it isn't a bother. Her sister, Poe also has a low voice.
I think any chicken can be great...I love mine all....
I think it just depends on how much time you spend with them. I have friends who have chickens and all they do or have ever done is make sure there is feed and water. These birds and super antisocial.
Pick a breed that intrigues you! That's my best advice. Get a few different breeds!
Good luck!

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
So, just to make sure I'm understanding correctly, you're saying that none of the hatchery chicks are pure bred? I can understand that they aren't "show quality," but how can they advertise the different breeds if they aren't, in fact, those breeds? That doesn't make sense.

I would love to find a local breeder, but haven't had any luck so far. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places.

So, just to make sure I'm understanding correctly, you're saying that none of the hatchery chicks are pure bred?

Hatcheries don't breed to the American Standard of Perfection so they (the fowl from hatcheries) don't meet ALBC's outline definition of what a "Heritage Chicken" is.
As far as hatcheries selling fowl that are not "pure bred", most hatcheries sell very few pure bred fowl.

I would love to find a local breeder, but haven't had any luck so far. Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places

Try
Shady Lane Poultry http://www.shadylanepoultry.com/
or
Eagles Nest Poultry http://eaglenestpoultry.com/

Chris​