[Foxy]

Ahhh Jane thats probably because you cant breed a "pure" hybrid strain ,the cockbirds will be kept under lock and key and no-one will be able to use them apart from the strain owner and that will be with the parent flock to keep the genetics pure. So in that sense they are essentially "pure".

[Jane-M]

Oh Mr/s Foxy is that your cynicism I see peeking out?  :blink:

[Foxy]

Oh Mr/s Foxy is that your cynicism I see peeking out?  :blink:

  oh dear, was it obvious? (oh and its Mrs...just got married last July )

[Rhode Runner]

There is certainly a lot of confusion about what is a pure bred and which is a hybrid. The acid test of course is whether mating a cockerel to a pullet will produce matching offspring. The hybrids that are sold are all from a terminating generation and will not breed true. If we really get down to the nitty gritty ALL breeds are a mixture of different birds descended from the jungle fowl. There are breeders working on new breeds and new colours all the time. In 2007 chocolate Orpingtons were introduced to the world.

Anybody interested in the development of a new breed should look at Trevor Martins site and see what he's done to create The Suffolk Chequer. Although it is now  breeding true it is not a recognised breed.

http://www.suffolkchequers.com/index.htm

Hi RR - you have to be kidding about Prof Punnet and Mr Pease  (pals of Inspector Gadget I expect) I ought to know about them really as I have a couple of CLBs myself.

Prof Punnet was real enough Jane. He also devised the Punnet square a diagram that is used to predict the outcome of a particular cross or breeding experiment.  His first experiments were with Sweet peas before he took an interest in creating true breeding auto sexing poultry.

Allan

[Jane-M]

 :ohmy:It was always going to happen I suppose. What? oh beginning to get interested in breeding of course. Genetics is so interesting, but sweet peas won't cut the mustard I'm afraid.

What is the usual lag time for people between a few eggs for the kitchen and contemplating their first show bird? I retire in five years so I hope I can hang out that long 

[betty]

I paid $100.00 for a Blue Birchan Marans Hen!  That included $35.00 for the actul bird, $50.00 to ship from Florida to Pitts.(USA) $15.00 for the box to ship her in.  CRAZY, I know but she came from  good stock.   Here in the states, a lady named Bev Davis,who is from London or France , now lives in Fla.  I met here at a Poultry Show,  she has a Web sight, called bev's marans.  Anyhow, I got the hen in Dec. 2008, and she is doing fine.  ps I aint made a dime off the egss or her yet.    Call me crazy lol

[Kate and her Ducks]

wow! 
so does anyone know what the average price for a duck is? i have seen ready to go birds (sorry not in right word) not a chick but under 9 months. asking £20, is this normal?

Ta very much scotty

Depends on the duck but £15-20 is what I have paid for point of lay Campbell and silver Appleyard ducks. Then again I paid £2.50 for a week old Cayuga cross who is a fabulous bird and my favourite. Only got her to keep a solitary duckling I hatched company.

And she turned out to be a drake!

[babe]

im still not totally convinced that such high prices can be justified,

it costs me the same to hatch a pure breed as it does a cross.

please feel free to explain the difference to me as if proven i will happilly admit that im wrong 

same coop, same water, same feed, same medication

come summer i shall have quite a few pol for sale, pures and crosses. i shall be selling them all for £5 each. just a donation towards their feed costs.

i will just be happy to see them go to new happy homes and happy in the knowledge that im contributing to chicken keeping being affordable to everyone.

[too many girls]

i'm inclined to agree with Foxy, you pay for what you get, these people know what they're doing, i would rather pay £36 for hatching eggs from them than pay possibly more for the same from Ebay where you wouldn't know what you were getting (they replace any infertile eggs) also these birds are guarenteed for 12 months, thats what your paying for, i think the website is good and am considering getting a dozen eggs when my incy's free.