Columbian Rocks

[Yard full o' rocks]

I have 28 Columbian Rock chicks from Dunlap hatchery, 2 weeks old. I need to cull the group down to a manageable size. Any way to begin sexig these chicks at this age? I am having a difficult time locating much information on the Columbian Rocks at all. Thanks

 

[walkswithdog]

Well all colors of Rock are Plymouth Rocks and meet the same standards. At two weeks you begin to see which have fast growing tails and fuller wing feather. But serious culling for sex is harder in the yellow legged varieties. I wouldn't even begin to make up my mind into six or eight weeks in that variety.

And in Columbians culling just for sex is a mistake since color quality (of hackle and tail) and body type for the breed is KEY. You pair down early at your own peril.

Some of my slower growing pullets and roos turned out the most impressive in type and size.

You shouldn't begin to cull for quality until laying at a minimum. Be soooo easy to throw out your best birds sorting any earlier. That said if you're near E. TN, I'd be interested in a few.

You can early cull for way too many comb points, for multiple crooked toes, but that's about it.

Columbians won't even put in full hackle and tail color til very near POL.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

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Thanks for the advise....since I am a newbie that helps a lot. I have 2 Dels from Cyn that she culled, Pepper and Lil Bit, and they have changed a LOT in the past few weeks. I'm hoping that if I keep 15 out of the 25 I have now, that I can cull for quality as you describe. I need to put 15 of Halos BBS babies in the grow up coop too and there just isn't enough space to keep "everybody" unless I build ANOTHER coop (have 3 now) and afraid that might be grounds for "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" in the words of a famous Tn country singer!!

 

[walkswithdog]

LOL then we need to talk cuz I still have a little space and I'm up in Knoxville. And we could always trade back and forth a bit - I want more of Halos birds eventually as well, and I have some of Cyns Dels so LOL you and I have a LOT in common. I might even have a spare Del pullet or another come my final sort. We have good taste in birds LOL.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

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