Ameraucana Breeders Club

The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club => Ameraucana Marketplace => Topic started by: Guest on May 27, 2005, 11:36:10 PM

Title: Recommended Hatcheries?
Post by: Guest on May 27, 2005, 11:36:10 PM

We have decided to try some of these colored egg layers. Can anyone recommend a quality hatchery that offers quality birds? We have small children so would like a docile variety if there is one. Thanks

Title: Recommended Hatcheries?
Post by: philipu on May 28, 2005, 12:04:51 AM

Hi Jeff...there may be someone here that can help you with
chicks...some really great breeders in this group.
phil

Title: Recommended Hatcheries?
Post by: John on May 30, 2005, 08:07:50 PM

If you are after large fowl (LF) you may want to order that #7 special from McKinney Hatchery.  I\'ve checked their website and see that this is their last year in the chick business.  I don\'t know them, but they should have some nice Ameraucanas.  They claim to be breeders - not a commercial hatchery and that sounds positive to me, since I also am a breeder with a much smaller hobby hatchery.
In bantams the only two commercial hatcheries that have Ameraucanas, that are fairly close to the \"standard\", are Crow and Marti.  I haven\'t bought from them, but have heard from others that have.
Most Ameraucana chickens are very docile.  As mentioned in another topic the silvers are not as docile as the others and not as mean as some other breeds.
If you are looking for quality birds I would not suggest any commercial hatchery, but rather buying from ABC members.  The Breeders Directory is a good resource besides this forum.

Title: Recommended Hatcheries?
Post by: Guest on May 30, 2005, 08:55:19 PM

John, Thanks. Will get back to you shortly on the whites. Why are you going to stop breeding them? Are the different colors more valued? Are the whites just too common? Thanks

Title: Recommended Hatcheries?
Post by: philipu on May 30, 2005, 09:00:24 PM

Quote from: jeffs

John, Thanks. Will get back to you shortly on the whites. Why are you going to stop breeding them? Are the different colors more valued? Are the whites just too common? Thanks

Hi Jeff,
I have attended a number of poultry shows, and I have never
seen a white shown.
I have thougth about it, I have white marans and langshans,
and we have had such a wet and cool spring and the roosters
wanting to tread all the time the females are a mess, they have
to be bathed more so than other colours, or my birds are just
pigs.  But there\'s nothing as beautiful as a White well conditioned
bird....Beautiful.  My take only. phil

Title: Recommended Hatcheries?
Post by: John on May 31, 2005, 09:26:14 PM

Different strokes... and different likes.  
I have never been a big a fan of white chickens (sorry Phil).
I have to cut back on some varieties to have enough breeding pens to take on some new ones and to devote more attention to others.  
Randy Buske, of WI, is the premier breeder of bantam whites.  Larry Clionsky, of PA, Carl Fosbrink, of IN, and others are breeding LF whites.  I feel I can drop those varieties and others will carry on.
FYI, my original bantam whites came from Jerry Segler, of IL, and from \"sports\" from other varieties.  My LF whites were developed from an over-sized white bantam cock breed to white Orpington pullets.  Since then I have introduced birds from other breeders into my strains and crossed the whites with blacks to make improvements.