Is it time to cull?

[kate2008]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I decided to go ahead and cull 5 of the 8 birds based on individual productivity and characteristics. I went ahead and ordered 6 chicks that we get here in two weeks and will hopefully have eggs by mid to late April. I brood outside within a section of our big coop and it works really well. Now I just have do my culling.

 

[lazy gardener]

Have you considered keeping a roo so you will have your own replacements? (Don't remember if you addressed the roo ?/issue.)

 

[lazy gardener]

BTW, I have found that if I intend to eat the bird, it's better to simply hang them and use a sharp knife. I still use the broomstick for birds that will not be processed.

 

[RollTideChicken]

Have you considered keeping a roo so you will have your own replacements? (Don't remember if you addressed the roo ?/issue.)

This is exactly why I keep a rooster - they put chickens in your eggs. Bought an incubator and I can restock my flock any time I get ready.

Hey speaking of culling... How long is a rooster good for breeding? Never heard anyone talk about culling a rooster, well for anything other than aggression that is.

 

[kate2008]

Have you considered keeping a roo so you will have your own replacements? (Don't remember if you addressed the roo ?/issue.)

I'm in the city limits so no rooster allowed or else that would definitely be the best solution.

 

[Mrs. K]

I think I am going to finally try this. I read it here years ago, but I am finally in the position. My oldest bird are EE and lay green or blue eggs. My younger birds are brown egg layers. This spring I think I will add white egg layers. Then I will know who is and who isn't laying. I might get some soon, if I started them now they would be ready to lay with the spring... hmmm

 

[lazy gardener]

This is exactly why I keep a rooster - they put chickens in your eggs. Bought an incubator and I can restock my flock any time I get ready.

Hey speaking of culling... How long is a rooster good for breeding? Never heard anyone talk about culling a rooster, well for anything other than aggression that is.

Jack (avatar) will be 4 years old this spring. He has given me 2 generations of wonderful chicks. I've noticed that his technique is slipping this year. He will leave an encounter thoroughly satisfied with the experience, while the poor gal is left standing alone, wondering, "What just happened here?" Let's just say that Jack misses the mark more often than not. I am hoping to get a few more chicks from him, but that may not happen. I have my #2 man: "Goliath" who is ready to take over as flock master. So, Jack's days are numbered. There is a possibility that he may be welcomed into an other flock, but if that does not happen, he'll be culled.

YMMV, and you may have a roo that continues to hit the mark for many years.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

If your goal is eggs and the prospects of eggs is dim until spring then cull the whole flock and get 8 more chicks now. Brood them in the coop under MHP or heat plate and get eggs in the spring.

Gary

 

[RollTideChicken]

I was just talking with my dad about ISA Browns. If it's true that they are bred to lay through the winter, and have shortened lives because of it, and eggs are your main reason for having chickens, then maybe that's the breed for you. (That maybe a great example of a run-on sentence.) Just my thoughts...

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Really good thread. I concur wholeheartedly with many of the posts.

If your goal is eggs, and you aren't into feeding pets, and feed is expensive, I second to cull hens after the 2nd molt as they eat way more than they produce by that time. Some heritage type breeds stay more steady through the years, but generally they weren't your best producers and already are eating more than they give.

In my experience, the specialty breeds such as the blue layers and dark brown layers definitely noticeably reduce after that first molt and are somewhat very sad after the second. Your commercial lines lay like machines those first 2 years, but then are played out, often doing rather poorly healthwise as they were not bred for longevity. EE's can vary depending upon their mix, and backyard mix mutts often seem more steady, but still reduce.

Yup, about 4 to 5 years for a rooster's fertility. I plan to have another couple of years with my Barney (barnevelder), but a nice son hatched this season that has a lot of dad's fine traits. I will be keeping Barney junior in line as it often takes a good rooster a year to mature.

And yes, by all means get chicks now. My best broody hatches are in the November/December time period as the chicks are growing during lengthening daylight. With a purely natural daylight schedule, you will often see earlier layers that way, especially if you get commercial layer lines or are hatching backyard mixes...but even my heritage lines mature quicker when they were hatched in December-ish. I've often had December broody hatches laying by late March....about 15 weeks to 18 weeks.

I turn the laying flock over about every 2 to 3 years to keep egg production up. I have staggered ages so that I've got some in grow out, some in first year of lay, and some ready to be phased out.

Only one laying hen has gotten a free pass since she has endeared herself, and my brooding hens get royal treatment in the brooding hutch as long as they will brood, which for Silkies and bantam Cochins is almost life long.

And I've tried all the culling methods:
1. Axe...really messy, and I'm not strong or good at aiming, and hubby won't help. If you don't have a good grip, bird will run around spraying blood everywhere or it becomes something of a horror movie as you hack the poor thing to death.

2. Cone and slit, good for birds to be eaten, bleeds them out. But, if you aren't eating, very messy as blood tends to drip all over the ground (drawing rats in our area)...so be sure to have a good size bucket well aimed under every bird to catch bleed outs. And slitting the throat is actually a surprisingly slow way of letting the bird die. It can take up to 3 minutes. Beheading with the axe is instant death.

3. CO2 dry ice method (1/2 lb dry ice, bottom of bucket, some warm water, place lid, form big cloud, place bird, reclose lid. With first gulp bird is immediately unconscious, death is in less than a minute...usually 30 seconds). Other than the axe, this is probably the fastest method and least traumatic for the bird. I use this for sick birds that have suffered enough...but it is inconvenient to go down and get dry ice as it doesn't keep well (at all).

4. Broom stick method. This is now my go to method. Clean, quick, once you get the hang of it...and be prepared for the first try or two to be a bit sad for the bird as you choke more than snap (be sure to pull up to snap and be on firm ground and have a good grip as bird will flutter with involuntary muscle contraction upon death). I have an old broom stick always on hand for those times I need to cull.

LofMc