Should I buy chicks from breeders or hatcheries? As a homesteader, you may find yourself asking this question. Even if you haven’t asked yourself this question, it is a good question to consider when deciding where to source your homestead flock from. While both sources have their advantages, there are also disadvantages to consider. You should weigh both the advantages and disadvantages when making a decision of where to source your homestead chicks from. Learning about the services offered by hatcheries and the practices employed by breeders can help you make an educated decision when it comes to choosing whether you should buy from a breeder or a hatchery!
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Hatcheries & Farm Stores
Hatcheries and farm stores are grouped together because most hatcheries supply the chicks sold by farm stores. Since hatcheries are usually nation wide suppliers, they have a wide distribution service. They may also have a higher demand for the quantity of chicks they supply. With hatcheries, chicks are usually prioritized as quantity over quality.
Hatcheries get their chicks from partnering breeders who supply the hatcheries with eggs from breeding stock. These breeders are usually not like the breeders we will be discussing later. They are also focused on quantity over quality since hatcheries need high volumes of hatching eggs to supply the number of chicks they sell.
Most hatcheries are online-based. Meaning you go to their webiste to purchase the chicks or hatching eggs that you want. You can also get hatchery chicks from farm stores. Farm stores will often buy large batches of chicks from hatcheries to sell in their stores during the spring.
When buying hatchery chicks, there are definitely some advantages and disadvantages. Here is a list of things to consider:
Wide Selection of Breeds
Since hatcheries partner out with many different breeders and don’t have to keep all the parent stock on their facilities, hatcheries can offer a wide selection of different breeds. The hatchery may have several different breeders supplying the same breed or multiple different breeds. Offering a wide selection of breeds all in one spot makes it very convenient for customers to order several different chicken breeds all at once.
The wide selection of breeds often includes heritage chicken breeds, rare chicken breeds, specialty chicken breeds, and hybrid chicken breeds. Despite the fact that many hatcheries offer heritage and rare chicken breeds, the birds you get from a hatchery usually won’t meet breed standards or even be from purebred stock. You don’t know the source or parent stock of chicks from a hatchery.
Hybrid Source
Hatcheries and farm stores are a good source for finding hybrid chicken breeds, or breeds used by the commercial industry. Hybrid chicken breeds have often been developed for superior egg laying, meat production, or both. Since hybrid chickens are a mix of several different breeds or a cross between specific breeds, they do not have a breed standard.
Breeders tend to work on preserving and improving purebred chicken breeds. Thus hatcheries are usually the main source for commercial or hybrid chicken breeds. They can provide these birds in larger quantities which is more suitable for commercial production.
Shipping Options
Since most hatcheries are online, you can purchase chicks online and have the chicks shipped to you through the postal service. Having your chicks shipped to you and all you have to do is pickup them up is convenient.
Hatcheries have shipping chicks down to science, as much as they can anyways. Shipping chicks is risky no matter how you look at it. However, most hatcheries do use methods that minimize causalities. The shipping process is still stressful on the chicks. Amenities like heat pads and vitamin gel can make the process a little more comfortable.
Most hatcheries do have a shipping policy that will compensate you for any casualities that occur within a certain time frame of you recieving the chicks.
Small Minimum Orders
A lot of hatcheries and farm stores have a small minimum order bottom line. You can usually order or buy as few as 3-4 baby chicks. Of course, when buying chicks that will be shipped to you, it is always best to order extra chicks and make your order as big as possible! The more chicks that are in one box, the more body heat they can generate to stay warm.
Small minimum orders are nice if you just want to start with a small homestead flock or are looking to add just a few more birds to your current flock.
Cheaper
Hatcheries and farm stores often offer cheaper prices on chicks. It may go back to the reminder that… “you get what you pay for”. The quality of the chicks you buy from a hatchery or farm store will not be as good as chicks from a breeder.
Since the hatcheries don’t have to house breeding birds, pay for feed, or care for breeding flocks, they can offer prices that are cheaper. They also have a much larger market and make more sales than a small-farm business or individual breeder. While cheaper may be nice, it is not always the best.
Sexing Options
Another perk to ordering from hatcheries or buying from feed stores is that you sometimes have the option to buy sexed chicks. Many hatcheries give you the option to buy pullets, cockerels, or straight run chicks. Farm stores will often have certain tubs labeled as straight run or pullets.
Keep in mind that the chicks are sexed using vent sexing. Vent sexing is tricky and may not always be done accurately. Even if you buy all pullets, be prepared to deal with a cockerel or two! Some hatcheries do have a sexing policy that will compensate you for wrongly sexed chicks. You usually have to report the mistake within a certain time frame.
If you do end up with a rooster, consider the many benefits of adding a rooster, or two, to the homestead flock!
Not Bred to Standard
The biggest downfall to buying from hatcheries and farm stores is the fact that the chicks are not the best quality. There is nothing wrong with the chicks themselves, but they are usually not accurate representations of their breed. The chickens that win in the big poultry shows do not come from hatchery lines.
When you buy chicks from a hatchery or farm store, expect some variety even amongst a single breed. If you buy Buff Orpingtons, some Buff Orpingtons may be a rich, buff color, others may have more white feathers. Hatchery chicks and farm store chicks almost never meet the breed standard if there is a standard for the breed.
Hatcheries and farm stores also sometimes get breeds mixed up. Even though you thought you were buying chicks of one breed, a random chick of a different breed may also be included or mistakenly added to the wrong bin.
The breeders supplying hatching eggs to the hatcheries are not usually concerned with making sure the parent stock meets the breed standard or is a quality representative of the breed. Genetics are often ignored in favor of supplying large quantities of hatching eggs to the hatcheries.
Disease Prone
Hatchery chicks and farm store chicks are also more disease prone. While it has not been scientifically proven, most breeders will say their chicks live longer, healthier lives than hatchery chicks. This has to do with breeding and upbringing. Good health and longevity can be passed down through genetics.
Chicks that come from a hatchery are more likely to have defects and abnormalities thanks to poor genetics. Problems such as cross-beaks and crooked toes can cause health issues and are related to breeding. Poor breeding and over breeding can lead to birds who have a weak immune system. They are also more prone to cancer and organ failure.
Most hatchery and farm store chicks have an average lifespan between 2-5 years.
Breeders & Farms
Poultry breeders and poultry farms can range in sizes from small, backyard operations to full scale poultry breeding farms. They can also range in practices, from being a show-bird supplier to almost being a hatchery operation. When comparing breeders and farms versus hatcheries, I want to focus on the breeder and farm operations that provide the most contrast to hatcheries. When referring to breeders and farms, I am talking about small farm businesses, specialized breeders, and poultry breeding farms that practice ethical and sustainable care for their birds.
Breeders and farms can often be grouped together because breeders often own small-farm operations for their poultry breeding practices. Small breeding operations are often run by a breeder who wants to specialize in one particular chicken breed. Larger farm operations are often run by a breeder or several breeders who specialize in multiple different breeds.
Usually breeders and farm operations focus on chick quality over chick quantity. They often specialize in a breed or several breeds in order to preserve that breed’s genes, improve the breed’s quality, and build up that breed’s reputation. Many breeders and farms choose heritage or rare chicken breeds to specialize in. Mainly because those breeds are not being preserved by the commercial industries for egg and meat production.
This list of advantages and disadvantages of breeders and farms can also be a guideline list for determining if the breeder or farm will truly be providing different quality chicks compared to hatchery chicks.
Limited Breed Options
Most breeders specialize in one breed and most small farm operations specialize in just a few breeds. That means you have limited breeds to choose from if you are getting chicks from just one source. Of course, you can always buy from multiple breeders to get several different breeds for your homestead flock. However, it will require a little more research to find different quality breeders.
No Shipping or Sexing
Since breeders and small-farm businesses are usually small operations, they may not offer the conveniences of shipping chicks or sexing chicks. Shipping chicks is stressful on the chicks and does require special boxes. Many breeders don’t like to ship their chicks and put them through that stress. Breeders may be willing to meet you somewhere or they may require a farm pickup only.
Vent sexing is tricky, but it is also one of the only reliable ways to sex baby chicks. Many breeders are not experienced with vent sexing and choose not to sex their chicks. Of course, if you are buying an auto-sexing breed you should have options to buy pullets or cockerels. Or you may just have rely on some of these different ways to sex chicks!
Raised Naturally & Sustainably
This is one factor that will help you determine if the breeder or farm you want to buy from is a good source to support and get birds for your homestead flock from. Almost anyone can call themselves a breeder if they breed chickens, and some farm businesses are border line hatchery status. Determing a quality breeder or farm source can be tricky.
One thing to look for is if the breeder or farm raises their chickens in a natural setting using sustainable practices. Look for these characteristics in a natural, sustainable breeding operation:
- the parent stock has access to the outdoors and may be able to free-range
- housing and enclosure space is adequate and spacious
- the birds have access to a high-quality food at all times
- their diet may be supplemented with forage, healthy table scraps, natural supplements, or garden scraps
- the breeder cares for the birds on a regular basis and keeps their living space clean
- no growth hormones, chemicals, or medication is added to the flock’s food or water
- ideally the flock should be NPIP certified (National Poultry Improvement Plan)
Customer Relationships
Another factor to consider when buying from a breeder or farm is if you can communicate directly with the breeder or farm owner. Being able to talk to the breeder and ask questions is especially helpful for inquiring about parent stock and the flock’s history. Often times you can build a relationship with the breeder prior to even buying chicks from them.
Having a knowledgeable source for the breed you want to buy is helpful for raising that breed right. It can also be helpful if you want to get into breeding your birds later on. Many breeders are more than happy to answer questions or offer information on the breed that they specialize in.
Know the Parent Birds
One benefit to building a working relationship with a breeder or farm owner is the ability to ask about parent stock and flock history. Since the breeder or farm will have the parent stock right on their property, they should know all about the quality and health of the parent birds whom you will be getting chicks from.
You can ask for pictures of the parent stock and inquire about the original source of the birds, their health history, and what their personality is like. You may even be able to go as far as asking how the breeder chooses what birds to breed, how they breed them, and how they are raised.
Gathering all that information can help you buy chicks from a reliable source that will be providing you with healthy, quality chicks!
Better Quality
When you are buying chicks from a breeder or farm you should know that you are getting quality chicks. Those chicks will mature into adults that come close to the standard set for the breed. For breeds without standards, they should at least be the ideal representation of the their breed. Asking good questions of the breeder can play a part in ensuring you are buying from a quality farm or breeder.
The reason why many breeders and farms choose to only specialize in one breed or a few breeds is because they want to focus on improving or preserving the genetics of that breed. Breeders pay careful attention to genetics, bloodlines, and breeding methods to keep their breed’s genes pure and diverse.
For breeds that have a breed standard, the breeder is usually trying to attain that standard in the parent birds. Breed standard chickens are show quality birds. Along with meeting the breed standard, many breeders breed for good reproduction, friendly temperaments, and overall good health in their birds.
Since breeders and farms have their breeding stock right on their facilities and specialize in just a few breeds, they can better control, monitor, and select good breeding stock.
Better Longevity
Good breeding not only leads to better looks, but it can also lead to longer longevity and better health. Genetics that are properly preserved and cultivated can produce chickens who are less disease prone. Good breeding also eliminates genetic defects like cross-beaks or other un-normal deformities. Breeders who take care to build their flock’s immune system up naturally and breed older birds also make it so that the chicks they sell will be healthier and live longer.
While environmental factors can play a role in disease proneness, good genetics can also help a bird have a strong immune system for fighting disease. Good breeding can also eliminate common internal problems such as reproductive cancer or organ failure.
When you buy chicks from a reputable breeder or farm, those chickens may have an average lifespan between 5-8 years. They will also have a longer productive lifespan than hatchery chickens.
Preserving a Breed
Lastly, when you buy from a breeder or farm, you are helping preserve a breed. The preservation of many rare and heritage chicken breeds can often be attributed to the dedicated work of a certain breeder or breeders. The genes of a chicken breed need to be kept pure and diverse to keep that breed from becoming extinct. With the industrialization of poultry products like meat and eggs, many hybrid chicken breeds are favored rather than heritage or purebred chicken breeds.
By buying from breeders who sell purebred, rare, or heritage chicken breeds you are showing that there is still an interest and a need for those breeds. Even if you don’t plan on breeding those birds, you are at least preserving good individuals who represent their breed well. Who knows, you may even want to explore breeding, hatching, and selling a certain breed on your homestead!
Hatcheries or Breeders?
Now you are armed with information about both hatcheries and breeders! You should then be able to make an educated decision about which source you want to buy chicks from for the homestead! While hatcheries and farm stores are often a convenient source for chicks, the chicks won’t be high quality and often don’t have good longevity. Breeders and farms may be a little pricer and harder to find locally, but the chicks you get from them will often be better quality, more true to the breed, and have better longevity.
I have bought chicks from my local farm store, ordered chicks online from two different hatcheries, and bought chicks from local breeders. From my personal experience, I much prefer buying from breeders or small-farm operations. As a homesteader, I like to know that I am supporting a sustainable and ethical practice as well as getting quality birds that will help preserve the breed.
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by Alexa
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