Where did your stock come from?

I just had a nice post all written out with just a few sentences left to add and the site logged me out and I lost it all! I'll try again!

Lately there have been a few posts on this site and another one that has caught my attention and left me wondering which is the best way to acquire stock and how others went about acquiring their flocks. Hatching eggs? Hatchery Stock? From private breeders as chicks or as adults? From Sales?

I've been hearing about how some people basically think that hatching eggs isn't the way to go because you have to hatch so many to get one good bird and it's a waste of time and money. Hatchery stock doesn't seem to be looked well upon by some. You buy a bunch of chicks that may or may not represent the breed. SOP breeders are reluctant to part with their hard work to inexperienced breeders. And who knows what you could be bringing home with birds bought from sales (disease wise).

So what is one to do? How and what is the best way to acquire stock? Especially if one lives in a rather remote area?

I'm curious to hear the stories on how others got to where they are today?

Also would love to hear any discussions, pointers or tips to someone just starting out!

We started out with Hatchery stock, brought it up from a couple different hatcheries, figured out which suited our needs and started there. As we tried to build our flocks and improve them we attended auctions and purchased stock there.
As the years have gone on I have leaned that there is so much stuff you can bring home from auctions you were not expecting (like birds with crooked feet, angel wing goslings and so much more), I was very dissapointed and we no longer purchase, even rarely attend auctions.
A few years back Liz had a small sale in the back parking lot of her business, it went over very well and I was convinced that this was indeed the way to do sales. Where people can meet up, talk, sell, and buy. Of course there is always a chance of poor stock and such but the more you attend the more you learn and can pass on to others in purchasing stock.
We still aquire stock from the US (whether is be hatcheries or private breeders) and we still have to sort through and pick the best. But for me this is the more economical and safe way to get stock.
I have tried many hatching eggs, spent tonnes of money and not had great results. I have shipped hatching eggs with great and poor success. I have purchased from some great breeders and still been disspointed in the end.
To me it is going to have to be a mix of purchasing quality stock from good breeders with the same biosecurity ideas as me, purchasing hatchery stock, and definately reducing the amount of hatching eggs we purchase.

I don't think there is a right or a wrong way to go about things, people all have thier own personal experiences and learn as they go. What works for me might not work for others.

Ok, I'll bite.
When I decided to go into purebred heritage poultry I did my homework first, starting from a point of knowing nothing. First I researched which breeds would fit best on our farm, narrowed it down to the most practical, available, affordable, but most important was that they suited my taste(double meaning there). Next I sourced out where I could get them from, spent lots of time scrutinizing websites for info, had nobody to talk to about this either..at the time. I gleaned enough information after a while to make what I thought was about as good an educated guess as I could about where to purchase from. I then made a plan for my purchase, timing and preparation. My sources targeted, I contacted them and put the plan in motion. I chose to purchase my foundation from well known breeders. The Chantecler from Coyote Acres: 40 day old chicks, a purchase I am still very pleased with. The Buckeye from Chantecler_Eh, 2 dozen eggs: now to shed some light on how biz should be conducted instead of the bickering I read about I'll share here my experience getting a Buckeye flock together. The Eggs were a disaster, and frankly I was just trying to cheap out on the cost cause I wanted them bad and had little money. Only one hatched, dying 3 weeks later. I contacted Ethan and instead of wiggin (heh heh, sorry couldn't resist, for those who don't know wigging is slang for going berserk) about it I sucked up responsibility for my decisions and we made a deal for older point of lay- ish birds. Another purchase I am still very pleased with, so I did it again. Most of these were from hatchery stock but you know what..they produce way better than the flock I purchased from another private breeder, not that there is anything wrong with that flock they are very nice too.
I want to stress here that had I, or Ethan, not handled this situation in a cool businesslike manner we would all have lost good opportunity, as it stands I have a great deal of respect for Ethan and his family, I look forward to future transactions.
So this is how and where I started from Silkiebantam, still learning, still a nube. I just didn't
jump in and start buying willy nilly whatever caught my attention, well maybe a couple times I made that mistake. Whether you start from hatchery or breeder, carriers or clean, make your plan and carry through, but always take responsibility for your own actions and decisions.

Silkie, when I started I sourced my first waterfowl from a longtime breeder and exhibitor which was a great expience. When I wanted to get poultry I sourced from what I thought was a breeder from the Central Alberta Poultry Assoc. directory, I purchased chicks that all turned out to be cross breds very disappointing. From there I went to auctions and with that I got ILT for my money and troubles, this all within 2 years.

I learned valuable lessons from this and my waterfowl mentor got me going with purebred stock from his breeding(bantam Plymouth Rocks, which I still have to this day) every since then I always purchased from trusted breeders and only adult stock, no chicks or eggs. To this day I don't sell hatching eggs or day old chicks(with exception for this year when I brought in some rare breeds for a couple people wanting to work with them)I perfer to sell young adultsand adults so that I can try to insure the buyer is getting a decent bird for their money

I do sell to novices as long as they show me they are somewhat committed to try and breed to the standard and they are not just interested in breeding to supply auctions. So Novices are welcomed here as we all were at sometime including me.

Heather

originally from the sale or local breeders, but the birds i have now all are from great experienced breeders. i find that it is quite easy to find quality birds in Canada, and if the breeder is willing to ship by air it is all a breeze! my ducks came from Manitoba, and all i had to to was drive to the airport and pick up 10 ducks.

Our Gold Laced Wyandottes came from McMurrays originally, but we have selected and culled over the last ten years plus added stock from other sources. Our Blue Laced Reds Wyandottes came from Pretty Feathers and the Black Cochins from a breeder. In three weeks we are getting some larger breeds from McMurrays for meat chickens because we are tried of the white monsters that have heart attacks the week before processing.

I moved to the country and started with Frankenchickens and they layers from Millers. Seeing the same color all the time was boring to me so I bought a variety of breeds from Performance to try them out. I loved them! From there I began looking for the specific breeds I wanted and from there I tried to get quality birds from reputable breeders.

Ducks and geese entered through the side door.

I did some research and found a couple of breeds that looked nice and suited my purposes (layers for now). Then I found local people who bred those breeds, and came home with more of an assortment than I had expected. However, it really helped me to see what I did and didn't want; clarified what to look for regarding cold Alberta winters. This year I have added the new breeds I wanted, plus some crosses just for fun. Some day down the road, if we ever get our own place, I might look into improving a breed, but for now I am in the learning stage, and enjoying every minute of it. Who knew you could spend so much time staring at chickens (besides you all!)

I have had birds from every source, mail order, commercial, auction, neighbours, small breeders, big breeders, hatching eggs etc etc.

I have enjoyed playing with the hatchery chicks, trying breeds and such, seeing what worked for me. Once I was serious I went to show breeders, but only because I was already showing and was able to source some great birds at the shows. Im still paying with a few things, but I think I have my breeds figured out.

I think it was a smart move to start with inexpensive birds. I leared a lot from them about keeping and caring for and what I wanted. I was able to make better choices when I was ready to spend money on more expensive birds.


Every source has had its pros and cons and lessons to elarn. They were all valuable in at least some way.

Poultry for us literally walked onto our acreage one day when a rooster my neighbour could not catch before he moved was left behind. Clucky, as we called him, was lured into our barn and was very happy to stay there. That was our intro nearly 15 years ago.

For many years we just kept locally bought birds. Unfortunetly, many of the people who raised them got out of them due to their age, so we were left with nowhere to buy from. Where my husband works, they were doing catalogs for Rochester Hatchery in the early 2000s when they still offered various breeds. So we bought several breeder birds from them. That was a learning experience as many of those breeders were far from healthy.

It was only in 2009 that we decided to concentrate on raising Standard Polish and Houdans. I did research. I did join forums and groups. I knew zippo about the APA. Problem was houdans are not readily available in Canada so those who have them are in the same boat as myself in trying to get a flock going, let alone sell or swap. Polish also is not as easy as one may think to get here also. While the WC Black is, the WC Blue which is what I am breeding, is not so much. So my first WC Blues were from US hatcheries.

I do not, will not EVER! buy birds from an auction. I went to one auction here in Alberta and was so disgusted at the condition the birds were in and that the auction allowed to sell, I left. The only auction I have ever bought from is POPWA because they respect their birds and have good quality.

As of 2011, I am just started to make contact with breeders. Still trying to find one who has or can get an exhibition quality houdan. I know I will eventually be successful. Everything good just takes time.