Hi, From upstate Ny and new (last spring ) to chickens.I was so naive,I had no idea there was such a thing as "hatchery quality".I was disappointed to find my RIR's are actually "production reds",that my wellie has "feather stubs on her feet,etc.What happens to make them different?And where can you get a list of breeders if you want a specific breed to actually look like what you thought? Don't get me wrong,I LOVE my birds regardless but was disappointed that none were what they should be.I LOVE the true RIR coloring and when you look at my birds versus a true bred RIR there's a LOT of difference! Anyone know why this happens? Is it overbreeding?Or is it just lack of breeding the best of the best?Do they breed any two reds and call them RIR's? Thanks for any insight you can give.I'd like to learn as much as possible about chicken keeping.
It's exactly the same thing as getting a "puppymill" puppy... chicken style! I started with Murry McMurry stuff, and to be honest, got some fine birds at times. Hell, one of the sebrights won the whole show at PUyallup one year after I gave it to a neighbor kid to show! But generally speaking, these hatcheries take no more care than the kind of people who breed dogs for profit, the kind that sell to petshops or advertise on Craig's LIst. Both know they are selling to newbies, and know they can get away with low quality. Dogs or birds, your best bet is to seek out the serious breeder who specializes in just a couple strains. Best of luck in your hobby!