B.Y.C. Dorking Club!

[Sazbaby]

Question for all you Dorking breeders- what do you do with culls? Obviously there's the easy answer for male culls, but what about female culls? Do you butcher them as well? I'm mostly looking to start and maintain a decent quality dual-purpose backyard flock but will likely be looking to sell useful birds that don't fit what I'm looking for. I'm not in a situation where I can look to hatch 500 chicks a year and cull heavy, so there are some minor faults that I'll have to overlook... This is probably a touchy thing to ask, but how many of you would frown upon selling a culled hen to someone as a layer?? I just got to wondering, if all the breeders (who can't produce the mega-numbers of chicks yearly) keep the best individuals for their own breeding program, wouldn't they only be selling their own culls?? Does that question make sense?? Sorry if I'm unclear... I think it's inevitable, but didn't know if it was a seen as a no-no to sell someone... say... a dorking hen who only had 4 toes? Improper coloring? White earlobes? Etc. Whenever I sell a hen (at least so far) I always inform the buyer that the birds are not "show-quality" and I usually feel ok about that. (Only ones I've sold really in the past were persistent escape artists or roosters, before we elected to butcher our own) Any thoughts?

 

[cukooformarans]

I think it is fine to sell them as a layer if you point out known issues so that the buyer understands fully the situation. Some people don't want to show their birds or intentionally breed. They only want something pretty in the backyard. Besides, some people's culls are other people's best birds... Lol I would take yellow houses culls any day

 

[capayvalleychick]

Question for all you Dorking breeders- what do you do with culls? Obviously there's the easy answer for male culls, but what about female culls? Do you butcher them as well? I'm mostly looking to start and maintain a decent quality dual-purpose backyard flock but will likely be looking to sell useful birds that don't fit what I'm looking for. I'm not in a situation where I can look to hatch 500 chicks a year and cull heavy, so there are some minor faults that I'll have to overlook... This is probably a touchy thing to ask, but how many of you would frown upon selling a culled hen to someone as a layer?? I just got to wondering, if all the breeders (who can't produce the mega-numbers of chicks yearly) keep the best individuals for their own breeding program, wouldn't they only be selling their own culls?? Does that question make sense?? Sorry if I'm unclear... I think it's inevitable, but didn't know if it was a seen as a no-no to sell someone... say... a dorking hen who only had 4 toes? Improper coloring? White earlobes? Etc. Whenever I sell a hen (at least so far) I always inform the buyer that the birds are not "show-quality" and I usually feel ok about that. (Only ones I've sold really in the past were persistent escape artists or roosters, before we elected to butcher our own) Any thoughts?

I'll butcher cull hens, if I don't have enough cull cockerels to fill my freezers, which usually does not happen. I also feed some culls to my pigs.

I think that the majority of serious, standard bred poultry breeders do not sell their culls. There are good reasons not to ... you don't want more substandard Dorkings cluttering up the gene pool and you don't want your name attached to birds with defects.

I don't like the fact that so many breeders buy whatever Dorkings they can get their hands on and start selling, without any regard to whether the birds that they are selling meet the Standard.

All that said, I guess I'm a bit of a hypocrite because I do sell some of my culls. I'm not wealthy enough that I can raise all these birds and not try to make a little back to help with feed costs. I'm absolutely honest in advertising them as not being breeder quality due to defects according to the Standard. I state this on my website and on my bill of sale. I even list the defects of each bird sold on the bill of sale. I sell them as backyard layers or barnyard birds. I've sold culls to people who want to breed Dorking crosses for meat birds.

I've had people ask to buy my culls and I'll usually find out if they intend to breed & sell. If so, I don't sell to them. If I ever get to the point where I have Dorkings that meet the Standard and can sell those, I will feed all my culls to the hogs. Yep, piggies are lookin forward to that day as much as I am.

 

[ronott1]

Robert Bosl recently posted an interesting comment on the Heritage Large Fowl thread. Are most of the SG Dorkings related to Duane Urchases' line?

I have thought about some of these old breeds for example the Silver Dorking. Most of them came from Urch so going out there you may order six different orders of eggs from different people and raise these birds up the key here is you may not see much improvement from what you already have but when you take your Silver Dorkings that you breed in Calif for six years and cross them onto a strain from Penn or Iowa there is a difference in climate, food, water and eye ball breeding from the breeder. That one bird or two may help jump start your strain that you have in Calif that you are stuck with and be all you need to moving the type or size or color around. Just a hunch on my part but if you put breeding pressure on a certain section long enough it should change to the better. They are micro points which I call points. You may have a bird and you score him 93 points he is your best bird. But if you can move up every year a half a point in quality in type, size or color you are making progress. Then in five to seven years you may have your best bird say a female at 94 1/2 points scoring them under the old APA standards from the 30s. You might get on champion row with a bird like that or say in a case of a Columbian Plymouth Rock Pullet with great type and color could get Res of Class at a big show and that I have seen in Plymouth Rock Bantams.

 

[Sazbaby]

Besides, some people's culls are other people's best birds... Lol I would take yellow houses culls any day

Good point!!

 

[Sazbaby]

I will feed all my culls to the hogs. Yep, piggies are lookin forward to that day as much as I am.

So do you just slaughter and toss to the pigs? Butcher fully? We have pigs too...

 

[capayvalleychick]

So do you just slaughter and toss to the pigs? Butcher fully? We have pigs too...

Just kill & toss. The blood & feathers are good for them, too. They may not eat the feathers the first couple times.

 

[ki4got]

Question for all you Dorking breeders- what do you do with culls? Obviously there's the easy answer for male culls, but what about female culls? Do you butcher them as well? I'm mostly looking to start and maintain a decent quality dual-purpose backyard flock but will likely be looking to sell useful birds that don't fit what I'm looking for. I'm not in a situation where I can look to hatch 500 chicks a year and cull heavy, so there are some minor faults that I'll have to overlook... This is probably a touchy thing to ask, but how many of you would frown upon selling a culled hen to someone as a layer?? I just got to wondering, if all the breeders (who can't produce the mega-numbers of chicks yearly) keep the best individuals for their own breeding program, wouldn't they only be selling their own culls?? Does that question make sense?? Sorry if I'm unclear... I think it's inevitable, but didn't know if it was a seen as a no-no to sell someone... say... a dorking hen who only had 4 toes? Improper coloring? White earlobes? Etc. Whenever I sell a hen (at least so far) I always inform the buyer that the birds are not "show-quality" and I usually feel ok about that. (Only ones I've sold really in the past were persistent escape artists or roosters, before we elected to butcher our own) Any thoughts?

most people I sell to are looking for pretty birds that lay eggs. some like that they go broody, others like that they're edible. LOL and most of the girls that I sell are nearly as good as the girls I've got, but I just don't have room for too many birds... I've got some sg's now that will be up for sale soon too, once I figure out which ones i'm keeping. I may end up selling Junior too (the hawk killer) depending how he compares to the new roo. I know he's not as large as his sire but I also believe in keeping a spare. then you won't need it. LOL

I tend to think the people buying my culls aren't looking for breeding stock. they don't ask any questions about breed or lines or anything, just age and 'how much'.

I think it is fine to sell them as a layer if you point out known issues so that the buyer understands fully the situation. Some people don't want to show their birds or intentionally breed. They only want something pretty in the backyard. Besides, some people's culls are other people's best birds... Lol I would take yellow houses culls any day

DITTO! I can say some of my culls are better than the mcmurray birds I first started with. with one exception. I have a mcmurray girl who is consistently larger and better typed than most of the others I've produced. and at 3 years old she's still laying, so I'll let her. her only flaw is foot conformation. and I can live with that. it doesn't seem to affect her chicks at all.

Robert Bosl recently posted an interesting comment on the Heritage Large Fowl thread. Are most of the SG Dorkings related to Duane Urchases' line?

no, I don't think so... I've got 2 of urch's pullets (a friend locally ordered some, lost a number to predators and I got the last 2. she gave up and went back to her orpingtons) and they are different from the mcmurray birds as much as the sandhill birds differ... small things here and there, but mostly in how they grow. the outcome I think will be very similar though.

my newest roo is from gene Patterson's lines, and the hens are a combination of lines, so I'm told. I tend to agree the roo is much larger than Junior. Big guy hasn't gone over to visit much so I haven't had a chance to compare side by side. and I don't plan to turn the new ones loose for a while. I want those eggs! LOL

 

[Sazbaby]

most people I sell to are looking for pretty birds that lay eggs. some like that they go broody, others like that they're edible. LOL and most of the girls that I sell are nearly as good as the girls I've got, but I just don't have room for too many birds...

True, that's what I've found as well, most people are just looking for eggs... And I've been very pleased with the "culls" I got from you! lol The oldest batch will be 6 months at the end of next month, and I'm hoping to post pictures and get input on who is good and who is not, since I certainly don't have the eye for it yet!! Still learning...

Thanks for the input everyone

 

[LilyD]

Question for all you Dorking breeders- what do you do with culls? Obviously there's the easy answer for male culls, but what about female culls? Do you butcher them as well? I'm mostly looking to start and maintain a decent quality dual-purpose backyard flock but will likely be looking to sell useful birds that don't fit what I'm looking for. I'm not in a situation where I can look to hatch 500 chicks a year and cull heavy, so there are some minor faults that I'll have to overlook... This is probably a touchy thing to ask, but how many of you would frown upon selling a culled hen to someone as a layer?? I just got to wondering, if all the breeders (who can't produce the mega-numbers of chicks yearly) keep the best individuals for their own breeding program, wouldn't they only be selling their own culls?? Does that question make sense?? Sorry if I'm unclear... I think it's inevitable, but didn't know if it was a seen as a no-no to sell someone... say... a dorking hen who only had 4 toes? Improper coloring? White earlobes? Etc. Whenever I sell a hen (at least so far) I always inform the buyer that the birds are not "show-quality" and I usually feel ok about that. (Only ones I've sold really in the past were persistent escape artists or roosters, before we elected to butcher our own) Any thoughts?

I do sell my culls from both my Dorkings and my Brahmas and I will also sell my mixed breed chicks as well, but the people that I sell them to (as stated above) are more looking for a large breed layer that lays decently and does well in cold weather. Another big selling point even for the culls from the Dorkings and Brahmas is that both breeds are extremely people friendly. Many folks like them for that fact alone. These people own mixed flocks and enjoy having many different breeds of birds. My feeling is that even if they are aren't totally breeder quality, as long as I state that when selling the bird, it is still doing it's part by getting the breed notice and allowing others to become familiar with the breed. I had one person come and see my trio, which are still a work in progress and decide they wanted to also try and breed Dorkings as well and asked me where they could get good breeder quality chicks. I pointed them to this website and everyone here to get them started. Every little bit helps and the more people working towards the same goal the better IMO.