Which Hybrids are best for Newbies?

I think Marigold has hit the proverbial nail on the head when commenting on the importance of the the enviroment your potential new birds are in..what are the conditions like? Are they clean, and do the birds all look healthy? Do they have plenty of room? etc...If the husbandry is good and the supplier is knowledgable and caring I would imagine this would be reflected in the quality of birds presented.

Hybrids are generally fine as long as you observe the above and continue to practice good husbandry. Indeed they may not lay as long as pure breeds, however they are likely to lay more in the first season and yes it does tend to tail off in the second and third years.

Also do not be too concerned regarding vaccinated birds carrying the live virus, the vaccination process is a bit more complex, and the virus will not mutate,,, the genetic sequence has been shortened so to speak through the research process so do not be alarmed.

Finally just enjoy the process and do not worry! If you look after your hens they will reward you with lots of delicious and fresh eggs..so what are you waiting for??? :D
 
I too think chrismahon is far too gloomy when talking about hybrids. The only ones that get worn out quickly are those in battery cages which are under artificial light 24/7 and have nothing to do but eat and produce eggs. Even these when released from their cages can go on to give steady productive lives for another two or three years. FIND ME PURE BREEDS THAT CAN MATCH THAT. There are so many breeders of pure breeds who have no idea what they're doing in regard to breeding for production which makes it doubly difficult to find stock that will keep a family in eggs summer and winter.
I wonder if the people who make this kind of statements about hybrids are trying to tempt buyers their way, or are they just perpetuating myths with no real understanding of the poultry industry or the poultry hobby.
There are several types of hybrids that have been produced for the home/domestic market. Blues, Blacks, Whites, Ambers, Sussex types with various brand names some of which are not expected to produce huge numbers of eggs a year.

I've owned and bred utility poultry, hybrids and some pure breeds for 60 years and I'm very protective of the hybrids that have kept us virtually self sufficient in eggs since the 1960's mostly in very unsavoury conditions.
 
Unfortunately my gloom is born of practical experience. We introduced two Copper Stars to our flocks of Orpingtons, Wyandottes and Cream Legbars. Within two weeks they were all infected with mutated strains of the innoculation live viruses for ILT and IB. 3 weeks and £250 worth of Synulox later and they were better, but some still get ILT (swollen eyes and raw throat) flare ups 2 years later.
Our Black Rocks stopped laying after 18 months and never restarted. Two shed the entire ovaduct (looks like a flesh covered egg). Three died in quick succession 6 months later after not responding to treatment and little Annie -the weakest of them all we thought, still plods along happy but very slow.
 
Well, you've obviously had very bad experiences, Chrismahon, and this has understandably coloured your view of your choice of poultry. But this doesn't mean that everyone else's birds are going to be affected in the ways you mention, and we're talking about first-time poultry keepers here, so the issues around mixing vaccinated hybrids with unvaccinated purebred stock aren't relevant. In fact, on the other side, hybrid vigour and vaccination should help ensure birds which don't go down at the drop of a hat to whatever diseases are around. Obviously the two Copper Stars whose arrival triggered such unfortunate consequences for you did bring problems with them, (I wonder what went wrong wherever you got them from?) but this is very much the exception, whereas you seem to be suggesting it's inevitable. Any new birds MAY arrive with potential problems lurking in their genes or under their feathers, but given careful choice of supplier, good conditions etc, the vast majority of hybrids are completely trouble-free and a joy to keep. For new keepers, they are a better start than purebreds which may, as Chuck says, have been randomly bred, not true to type, and not with a view to hardiness or productivity, and a newcomer to poultry possibly wouldn't know what to ask to establish their worth for purpose.
 
Well chrismahon, with experiences like that I can understand why you are so anti hybrid. However, I think you'll find that you are so in the minority that you should at least consider how successful hybrids are for other people. Perhaps you mixed vaccinated with unvaccinated which is said to cause problems, though in practice, I don't find any problems at all. I buy in and sell on hybrids of several types obviously to give people a choice and get scores of people come to replace their old hybrids which were bought from me and from others. I also sell pure breeds, mostly Leghorns and get repeat orders for them as well. The hybrids sell at £12.50 and the Leghorns sell for £25 at POL as that is how much I've worked out it costs me to rear them as opposed to the bulk rearing of the hybrids so again, people have a choice.
I hope we haven't dragged this thread too far off track !
 
I think this discussion is still well on track, if the aim is to explore some of the issues around the choice of birds for newcomers to the hobby.
Did you get your pullets, Bramax? If so, what did you get, and how are they getting on?
 
I'd go for suggested Chalk Hill it sounds great. Transport the birds as suggested by them. 30 mins for a chicken run is not too much road time, and when you put them in their new home, you will be well rewarded by their reaction to their surroundings and you.
I have been keeping chickens for about 2 and a half years, and would love to be able to begin again with no mistakes this time. Regards, and all the best in your exciting venture.
 
Yes, Chalk Hill is indeed an excellent place, but has recently been hit by a devastating fire in one of the brooding houses (see link to Practical Poultry Forum http://www.practicalpoultry.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1314034957) As the link explains, most of Nick's birds are kept outside, but I expect a lot of equipment and housing was lost, as well as young birds, so any extra business this year would be a great practical help to him.
 
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