mmmchicken
Chirping
Excellent info (as usual!) Thank you so much! I know I've got a good group of birds. May not be all I expected (have 2 bantam EE's ... not exactly what momma ordered) but I do appreciate them all... even the cock. I suppose.Before getting this ill-used flock back in my coops, I only examined birds once a year unless I spotted an obvious problem...which is so rare as to be almost never. Of course, I am just talking from a backyard perspective and not a breeder point of view.
Each year I do a cull. I've pretty much already visualized the birds that will make that cull just by watching their behavior, overall appearance, health and feed thrift. The only physical exam I do at that point is to check for who is laying, who is not...the rooster gets out of this exam but I swear even he lays an egg the morning after a yearly culling. He is that motivated to stay out of the cull...
So, for your answer...once a year for layers, never for the rooster...except if a problem is spotted.
Problems that warrant a closer inspection than just eyeballing? Feather loss when there shouldn't be any, skinny bird when it didn't used to be, any visible wound, skin problem or obvious limp, excessive scratching or shaking of the head, a bird standing off by itself in a hunched manner or staying by itself in the coop in the same hunched stance. Check these last ones, in particular. Sometimes it's nothing and you will see the bird later all happy with the flock, but if she is easily caught while standing there, could be something is wrong.
As long as I have your attention for the moment Bee.. I remember back a ways ago you mentioning the type of bird you'd highly recommend for families.. meaning it was a peaceful, good chicken around children who were good producers, and I do believe they were cold hardy to boot. Was it the Black Australorp? (sp?) I can't remember, but I thought it was Black something or other. Ring a bell?