[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi Breeders,

           I would like to hatch some show quality birds next year and wondered if it is possible to do this without purchasing a quality breeding flock. If I purchase fertilized eggs to avoid having to keep a cock, will the eggs I purchase be any good? I imagine that breeders want to keep the best eggs back to give them the next generation of prize winning birds, so are the eggs that are sold likely to hatch into quality birds? Or should I just invest in a nice looking trio from a winning breeder?

Buffy

[DJ_Chook]

The fertile eggs you buy might be of show stock, you never really know. Go and visit the parent stock, see if it meets the standards for that particular breed. Even if the parent stock is true show winning standard this doesn't mean that what you hatch will be of the same standard. It takes years of selective breeding to make your own breeding flock.  If you go to buy show winning breeding stock be prepared to dig deep into your pockets.

[Power Poultry]

We breed and show birds.

My advice would be buy the best birds you can aford make sure there true to type.

Eggs are such a gamble we have winning birds here but not every chick bred from our top birds is up to showing.

Your lucky if 1 in 20 born make the grade.

I have to say over the years I have found you get what you pay for.

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Thanks for your advice,

   I dont actually want to show my birds but just want to reproduce the best quality that I can. I have decided to breed Croad Langshan bantams and attended a rare breed show and sale recently in the hope of picking up a prize winning trio but there werent any. I dont mind paying and agree that you get what you pay for, I just like the idea of hatching my own. Though I can see now that it could take me an awful long time to get a breeding flock of the right standard.

Buffy

[bamford6]

best bet is to get some from a breeder .then sex and keep all hens and then get 6 from the other end off the country and go on from that .i pay a bout £150 for 2 cock birds and use 3 teams off hens then i get selected which is best .we had 150 chicks off the 2 cocks and that team will be stock next yere .the cocks will be sold at a local sale 2 hens and a cock will make about £50 pound in November iff you bought them from me i would sell 5 or 6 hens and a cock for 40 pound and would be fantastic stock .these are split chocklate  orpingtons gold lace all bantam or large stock .i do not show my birds .i do atend the big shows and stock bought from me have won top fedaration shows