Quality of stock from Greenfire Farms

[SSHilltopHens]

My boyfriend and I made the decision a few months ago to start breeding rare/endangered chicken breeds, and since then we have been working on acquiring good-quality stock from reputable breeders. We try to buy locally as much as possible, but we've had to drive upwards of 6 hours to obtain some of our stock and it is starting to get exhausting, yall

I've seen Greenfire Farms' name tossed around on this forum a few times, and people's opinions on them seems to be quite divided. I understand that a lot of folks are put off by their prices - that part does not bother me, as I expect to pay a premium for rare/unique breeds; however, I've seen the admins of a few breed-specific Facebook groups that I'm in actively warning people to avoid buying from GFF and breeders whose stock comes from GFF lines if they are serious about breeding to the standard of perfection.

Is there any particular reason as to why GFF has gained such a mixed reputation? There is a disclaimer in their terms of service which very plainly states that they do not claim to produce show-quality/cosmetically perfect birds and that defects should be expected. Are people just buying from them expecting perfect stock, or is there truth to the claims that they do not breed to the SOP for the breeds they sell?

If there is anyone here who has personally raised birds from GFF lines and can attest to the quality of their stock, whatever it may be, I'd love to hear from you! I'm specifically interested in their Appenzeller Spitzhauben, Lemon Owlbeard and Icelandic lines.

 

[GreenJay]

@NagemTX , is this the same Greenfire where some of your Thanksgiving hatch-a-long eggs came from?

 

[NagemTX]

@NagemTX , is this the same Greenfire where some of your Thanksgiving hatch-a-long eggs came from?

Yes, and from the Appenzeller Spitzhauben stand point they are closer to SOP then others. They are one of the only places to get rare chickens. They do the imports and then have a breeding program that allows them to offer them to the public. They are a hatchery, but I really think hatcheries get a bad reputation even when they tend to be the places that keep some breeds from dieing out entirely.

 

[NagemTX]

I would like to point out there is a quote from a well known APA judge about starting with what you have and working to make it better.

Not all breeders have SOP quality birds and not all Hatchery birds are trash.

We all have to start somewhere and all chickens are related. There's a book out there that describes the end results that have been deemed acceptable.

 

[SueT]

I have a lot of respect for Greenfire as they are researching, seeking out and importing these rare breeds at great effort and expense. They are responsible for preserving/increasing many rare heritage and landrace breeds that would not otherwise be available.
They are not a hatchery in the same way that some of the big hatcheries are. They are a farm that develops and raises their own breeding stock and they have a hatching building on site to hatch eggs themselves. It’s small in scale compared to the big hatcheries.
I feel they take great pride in their mission and rightfully so.

 

[NagemTX]

I have a lot of respect for Greenfire as they are researching, seeking out and importing these rare breeds at great effort and expense. They are responsible for preserving/increasing many rare heritage and landrace breeds that would not otherwise be available.
They are not a hatchery in the same way that some of the big hatcheries are. They are a farm that develops and raises their own breeding stock and they have a hatching building on site to hatch eggs themselves. It’s small in scale compared to the big hatcheries. There is no comparison.
I feel they take great pride in their mission and rightfully so.

I feel there is a comparison but it's between them and hatcheries like Cackle who's owner is a lifetime member of the Ameraucana Alliance club and talks to those that breed to SOP. He doesn't out source all the breeds they carry but breeds some as well.

Anyway if the price on the owlebeards ever comes down I would like to add a few. They lay I think extra large to jumbo eggs.

 

[SueT]

I feel there is a comparison but it's between them and hatcheries like Cackle who's owner is a lifetime member of the Ameraucana Alliance club and talks to those that breed to SOP. He doesn't out source all the breeds they carry but breeds some as well.

Anyway if the price on the owlebeards ever comes down I would like to add a few. They lay I think extra large to jumbo eggs.

I like Cackle because I can drive there. We got our original Spitzhaubens there. I have seen Cackle write about their breeding programs, and importing stock to improve their lines. Good to know about their Ameraucanas. I think I’ll remove that line about there is no comparison.
I can’t imagine shipping chicks thru the mail, especially super expensive ones. I’ve considered ordering eggs instead.

 

[NagemTX]

I like Cackle because I can drive there. We got our original Spitzhaubens there. I have seen Cackle write about their breeding programs, and importing stock to improve their lines. Good to know about their Ameraucanas. I think I’ll remove that line about there is no comparison.
I can’t imagine shipping chicks thru the mail, especially super expensive ones. I’ve considered ordering eggs instead.

I haven't had issues yet on shipped chicks but I do prefer the hatching eggs as long as they are done like greenfire does on shipping them. I had a near 100% hatch from them.

 

[ProbablyChickenRelated]

I feel there is a comparison but it's between them and hatcheries like Cackle who's owner is a lifetime member of the Ameraucana Alliance club and talks to those that breed to SOP. He doesn't out source all the breeds they carry but breeds some as well.

Anyway if the price on the owlebeards ever comes down I would like to add a few. They lay I think extra large to jumbo eggs.

The Owlbeards lay more of a regular Large egg. They’re basically white, but not like a sheet of paper white. They do lay well though, as mine are laying daily in the winter. Of my flocks, the Owlbeards are by far and away my favorites. I call them my minions lol. They are incredibly personable and friendly. When you walk in their coop to get eggs, you are quite likely to become a perch- they’ll just straight fly up to your shoulder.

Most of my birds are from Greenfire. I’ve purchased both eggs and chicks and they’ve all been healthy and generally good breed standard, more so than elsewhere. There are some breeds that are quite difficult to get SOP due to the small genetic pool here in the states; like Lieges for instance.

 

[Tonyroo]

Greenfirefarms, are care takers of rare birds and maintain there natural state in terms of temperament, characteristic, and appearance of the orgin they came from.

That said, they're a good source to diversify bloodline and some traits.