Would you buy backyard chicken mutts?

[TexasBlues]

I bought a dozen mixed BYM hatching eggs. I bought them for the wide range of egg colors though. Olive, pink, spearmint, dark brown, heavy blooms. It’s nice to get a mix.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Personally, I am not interested in mutts and wouldn't buy them but my goal is standard-bred and competitive show birds. Random mixes would sell for much less than average. In my area, perhaps $3 each. Mixes with a purpose - more than one generation toward a specific goal such as appearance, size, egg color, etc - may go for more if you describe what you're breeding toward and it appeals to customers.

Thank you for your reply! I also would not buy mutts so wondered if anybody would. Of course I love the mutts that come from my own flock!

 

[Farmgirl283420]

I bought a dozen mixed BYM hatching eggs. I bought them for the wide range of egg colors though. Olive, pink, spearmint, dark brown, heavy blooms. It’s nice to get a mix.

That’s good to know! Maybe I could sell eggs.

 

[Dominique King]

Where are you located @Farmgirl283420 ? I am in New Hampshire and I like the different colors like others. I might be interested in pullets if you have em.

 

[Dominique King]

If they are mixed breeds of dual purpose chickens then I would definitely take some! I would just need to talk to the rest of the family to see if that is what we want.

 

[Farmgirl283420]

Where are you located @Farmgirl283420 ? I am in New Hampshire and I like the different colors like others. I might be interested in pullets if you have em.

Unfortunately I don’t live near New Hampshire.

If they are mixed breeds of dual purpose chickens then I would definitely take some! I would just need to talk to the rest of the family to see if that is what we want.

But it is encouraging that if you might buy them some others might too!

 

[Dominique King]

Aww that stinks that you don’t live near me. Buuuut I hope you will find other takers!

 

[BDutch]

Thanks everyone for your responses! This is all very helpful! And no I’m not looking to sell the birds I posted pictures of. I was just wondering if people might buy chicks I hatched from my flock.

There are people who prefer chickens who have the genes to live a long and healthy life. Mixed breeds are in general healthier than purebreds or high production laying hybrids.

Another plus is the are all different and BY hobbyist often prefer to recognise each individual chicken, which is often
hard with purebred chickens.

If you put an add out for a modest price and ad say the chicks/pullets come it all kind if colours and are bred for a long and healthy life, I bet you can sell them easily.

A few years ago there was an inquiry (no real research) with output about the chickens that live the longest. The mutts and heritage breed with a very large gene pool did best.

I posted it a year or 2 ago. I try to find it again.

PS imho its better to start with a flock with strong and healthy chickens if you are a beginner.

 

[BDutch]

I translated the pdf (is in the Dutch language) about oldest chickens with AI:
https://www.levendehave.nl/sites/default/files/bestanden/Onderzoek Hoe oud wordt een kip.pdf

remarcable: The old chickens often don't get commercial feed other than grains.

Open this link and the green Spoiler for the translated article: Results Poll Levende have and old chickens

 

[No Coop No Problem]

A few years ago there was an inquiry (no real research) with output about the chickens that live the longest. The mutts and heritage breed with a very large gene pool did best.

I would bet that larger gene pools correlate strongly with health 99% of the time. All breeds are created through inbreeding, and universally the more inbred a breed is, the sicklier they are