Hatchery catalogs

Spring is here, and along come the hatchery catalogs! They are a great way to start thinking about keeping a different standard breed this year.

Metzer Farms' catalog came tucked into my Poultry Press. This is sure a great way to reach poultry people. Metzer, in California, offers mostly waterfowl, ducks and geese, but also carries guineas, wild turkeys and ringneck pheasants. I enjoy holding a catalog in hand and browsing through it, like a duck looking for snails. The web site has lots of additional support information. John Metzer is keeping an informative blog.

Cackle Hatchery in Missouri offers an extensive cornucopia of chicken breeds, both large fowl and bantams, as well as ducks, geese, turkeys, guineas, chukars, peafowl, pheasants and quail. they include plenty of old rare breeds, such as Lakenvelders, White Sultans, Spitzhaubens and Houdans, as well as old breeds that aren't so rare but benefit from having more advocates, such as four varieties of Wyandottes, Light Brahmas and Rhode Island Whites.

Cackle has assembled a wonderful collection of photos over the years. Getting hold of this catalog is a great way to be introduced to these breeds.