My birds are pets, so I cannot imagine making such a hard choice. 
I am trying to understand, not to challenge you: Is there any reason you couldn't just keep the flock as a closed one? Are you going to eat these birds that are culled? Did the vet endorse your decision or present other options?
Just curious...
Keeping the flock closed was an option that the vet offered, but I didn't really like the idea. How would you feel if you bought feed as the same store I did? Wouldn't that make you really nervous? My best friend has chickens that she loves as much as I love mine - what if she tracked it home? It just doesn't feel responsible to me to keep them like this. And I really like hatching and what would I do with all those babies if I couldn't sell them?
I'm waiting for a call back from the state vet to see if they'll do the culling for me. I've processed chickens before, but I don't want to do it like this. I don't plan on eating the birds. The vet said the eggs are safe to eat. I imagine the carcasses would be as well, but I just don't want to. 









