Culling Chicks Opinion Changed =/

[halo]

I appreciate the thought that went into posting that. I agree on culling for deformities. Its so hard to do, but unless they are going to be in a very very small flock, where they can be taken care of specially every day, it can be difficult for a deformed bird in a flock situation.

Now on the vulture hocks. Personally, I wouldnt cull for that, unless culling means to sell. The bottom line is, its a chicken, and can either be someones backyard rooster or someones dinner. Its not like breeding dogs or cats that have serious population issues. Ive never known of a chicken over population issue. There are many many MANY MANY home flocks that arent any specific breed. They are just crossbred back yard chickens that do exactly what chickens do, lay eggs and provide a meal. So personally, I wouldnt cull for a breed flaw. A chicken doesnt have to be a perfect breed specimen to have a good and useful purpose in this world. To me, the bottom line is, its a chicken. It lays eggs, it provides a meal. It can provide a use for another person, where it might not be what you want. And that is just as important as fitting into a breed standard.

 

[CluckyCharms]

I appreciate the thought that went into posting that. I agree on culling for deformities. Its so hard to do, but unless they are going to be in a very very small flock, where they can be taken care of specially every day, it can be difficult for a deformed bird in a flock situation.

Now on the vulture hocks. Personally, I wouldnt cull for that, unless culling means to sell. The bottom line is, its a chicken, and can either be someones backyard rooster or someones dinner. Its not like breeding dogs or cats that have serious population issues. Ive never known of a chicken over population issue. There are many many MANY MANY home flocks that arent any specific breed. They are just crossbred back yard chickens that do exactly what chickens do, lay eggs and provide a meal. So personally, I wouldnt cull for a breed flaw. A chicken doesnt have to be a perfect breed specimen to have a good and useful purpose in this world. To me, the bottom line is, its a chicken. It lays eggs, it provides a meal. It can provide a use for another person, where it might not be what you want. And that is just as important as fitting into a breed standard.

Thank you so much for voicing your differing opinion respectfully and with a lot of class and tact, I appreciate it. Vulture hocks on a Brahma drive me nuts because of the fact that they're a flaw in the specific breed of Brahma and I wouldn't want to help someone breed flaw-filled Brahmas and then breed those and create more flaw-filled Brahmas and start a vicious cycle by rehoming this roo. Vulture hocks in backyard mixes aren't a big deal to most, but to me I often pose the question "I wonder what that chickens' ancestry is?" "What lineage did it stem from and who messed it up to cause it not to be that any longer?" "Were that chickens' great grandparents one of the breeds that are now extinct?" I actually ask those questions to myself when I see a Thing 1 or Thing 2. O_O That part may be weird to some, I'll give y'all that much. lol

It just bothers me that there are so many flaws in breeds due to people continuing to breed chickens, call them a Brahma (or a Sussex or a Dorking or any other APA breed) when it's not that at all, because they didn't cull to produce chickens that are exactly what they were created to be in every way.

It's not just breeders..like I said, I would feel absolutely horrible if one of my flawed chickens escaped and someone found it, took it home and bred it with their same breed thinking mine was the same when there was something wrong with it. IE: vulture hocks IE: wry neck IE: anything else that causes the chicken not to be what it should.

Maybe I need to rewatch Mary Poppins, I don't know. lol

 

[Vickilynn45]

I appreciate the thought that went into posting that. I agree on culling for deformities. Its so hard to do, but unless they are going to be in a very very small flock, where they can be taken care of specially every day, it can be difficult for a deformed bird in a flock situation.

Now on the vulture hocks. Personally, I wouldnt cull for that, unless culling means to sell. The bottom line is, its a chicken, and can either be someones backyard rooster or someones dinner. Its not like breeding dogs or cats that have serious population issues. Ive never known of a chicken over population issue. There are many many MANY MANY home flocks that arent any specific breed. They are just crossbred back yard chickens that do exactly what chickens do, lay eggs and provide a meal. So personally, I wouldnt cull for a breed flaw. A chicken doesnt have to be a perfect breed specimen to have a good and useful purpose in this world. To me, the bottom line is, its a chicken. It lays eggs, it provides a meal. It can provide a use for another person, where it might not be what you want. And that is just as important as fitting into a breed standard.

I would agree with Halo. I don't think I would cull a chicken unless it had deformities that were going to make it difficult for the chicken to survive. If I'm looking for a chicken that is breed specific, then I would look for a breeder with a good reputation of producing a quality bird. In that case, I could see the need for the breeder to cull certain birds in order to keep the breed pure. But for the regular small-flock, or backyard chicken keeper, I don't care to have a perfect flock. Just chickens that give me eggs, and or, meat.

 

[Amanda15]

I just don't think that it's right that you kill chickens because they don't meet the breed standards. If a chick is sick and can't have a painless life, that's a different thing. If you're killing a chick because of how it looks, that's not right. That's just me, I love animals more than anything. I'm also a vegetarian, because of my love for animals.

Butter is the cutest thing in the world! You're a great person for giving her a chance at life. That Lego mobile that you made her is a great idea!

 

[Gofygure]

As a general rule, I kill chickens when they are too deformed, sick, or injured to survive, or whenever I have extra roos for the table. I wouldn't cull over aesthetic issues unless, of course, I intended to also eat the bird and had better males available.

I understand your respect for the standards of perfection, but to most chicken owners they aren't that important. The kind of people who will take a vulture-hocked rooster won't be showing him or his progeny, and there's nothing wrong with a basic utility bird.

That said, I think you mentioned that he has a bad temper? I WOULD cull him for that.

 

[Amanda15]

2 years ago

 

[CluckyCharms]

As a general rule, I kill chickens when they are too deformed, sick, or injured to survive, or whenever I have extra roos for the table. I wouldn't cull over aesthetic issues unless, of course, I intended to also eat the bird and had better males available.

I understand your respect for the standards of perfection, but to most chicken owners they aren't that important. The kind of people who will take a vulture-hocked rooster won't be showing him or his progeny, and there's nothing wrong with a basic utility bird.

That said, I think you mentioned that he has a bad temper? I WOULD cull him for that.

"bad temper" doesn't even begin to describe this chick. He's only a week old (I lose track of time a lot, but I'm pretty sure he's a week). He bloodied up both his siblings beaks in less than an hour in the brooder and this was almost immediately after hatching so I let it be for a while, thinking he was figuring out how his beak worked or something. lol A couple days later he was even nastier so I placed him with the 4 week old big kids (Norwegian Jaerhons) and he literally attacked the ever loving heck out of my birds. They did nothing to him. He ripped out three tail feathers in one of them. With regard to his hatchmates, like I said, he bloodied their beaks - both of them within an hour. He then caused one of them to have a bare naked bohonkus (butt) because he ripped out all her chick fuzz.

I have never seen him peck at a single thing. What he does is open his beak on whatever he has an interest in, snap it shut and yank really hard. He does it with water as well, and his food, and my fingers. He ripped off the cuticle of my pointer finger while I was wiping his pasty butt (and I'm extremely gentle with them). He has also taken to squawking, not peeping, and he just plain looks mean as well. He's gorgeous in all actuality (apart from those pesky hocks that are forming) but even his facial features scream "I'm obnoxious". I named him Mr. McNaughtyface and my husband calls him something I can't write in this forum. -_-

Everything in the baby brooder has been complete harmony and peace since I removed him from there and placed him in his own brooder. He acts completely indifferent to the fact that he is alone and struts around with his beak in the air...doesn't chuck a fit like a lonely chick would normally. When I say a chick has a temper, it must be absolutely horrible because I know chicks can be mean sometimes. "mean" does not cover this baby.

I want to make it very clear - especially to you Amanda - that I am not killing chickens left and right. I've only culled the Silkie thus far because she was *severely deformed* there was NO WAY she could live anything close to a happy life. My husband culled a D'uccle a couple of months ago because he was a very problematic roo ( alot like this brahma is actually).

I'm sorry I seem to have offended so many people, I just for whatever reason have chosen to strongly support preserving breeds rather than making them murky. I am sorry I offended, though.

 

[TurtlePowerTrav]

Quote:
Clucky, you have to do what YOU have to do. It doesn't matter what others think. I will be culling(sometimes killing) birds when I start breeding in a couple of years. So right now I am only going to cull for deformity(current birds are for eggs and meat, and yes pets). I understand I will also loose some to predators too. Yes I name each and every one of my birds, but they do have a purpose. About Mr. McNaughtyface, is it possible he has limited to no eye sight and is relying on his beak and hearing to determine what is around and edible/drinkable? You know I have agreed with and appreciated your advise I have gotten from you. You are the master of your flock. You are not "soulless".

 

[MarineCorpFarmr]

Good for you Clucky!

 

[CluckyCharms]

Clucky, you have to do what YOU have to do. It doesn't matter what others think. I will be culling(sometimes killing) birds when I start breeding in a couple of years. So right now I am only going to cull for deformity(current birds are for eggs and meat, and yes pets). I understand I will also loose some to predators too. Yes I name each and every one of my birds, but they do have a purpose. About Mr. McNaughtyface, is it possible he has limited to no eye sight and is relying on his beak and hearing to determine what is around and edible/drinkable? You know I have agreed with and appreciated your advise I have gotten from you. You are the master of your flock. You are not "soulless".

Thank you Trav I appreciate it. I do know I can come across as harsh sometimes (particularly when I feel my opinion is being judged by close-mindedness) but I try to right it when I slip. In any case, I don't think Mr. McNaughtyface is blind. On day 1 and 2 I always feed my chicks Grow Gel Plus B, and then start them on chick starter on day 3 and keep them on that, no more of the grow gel. It's an "extreme green" color, similar to bright emerald. When I placed it in their brooder he was the first one to scurry over to investigate it and wolf it down. When the other chicks realized that something interesting was in the brooder, they wandered over to partake in his enjoyable meal. That was the first time he began bloodying their beaks. He didn't stop until they were about a half a foot's length away from his green goodies...at which time he left them alone. The second dose of beak bloodying occurred when he was getting a drink and they wanted to drink too - he has absolutely no part in them being anywhere near him at all, but particularly when he is eating or drinking something interesting (and water was interesting at that time because it was still something new).

The buttfuzz yanking occurred when Toffee (one of what I think is a female) began trying to snuggle with him around their bedtime the second evening. I shut the lights off in there around 8pm apart from the red heatlamp. She didn't do *anything* other than snuggle beside him for sleeptime and he chucked a complete fit and ran around the brooder yanking at her bottom. I grabbed him eventually but they are very slippery little suckers and they are not easy to get a hold of. Her entire "tail section" I guess you would call it, is still naked almost a week later.

Due to the reasons he snaps and yanks his beak and the times I've noticed him doing it the most - I really don't think it's a sight issue. I think he's just a complete horse's butt. o.o

Many people will probably be thinking...geez he's a baby chick cut him some slack...but I've had a TON of chicks in this house for three months now (not all at once) and only 2 cockerels thus far (him and the d'uccle) have acted like this. I really think he's just a Rosemary's Baby chicken.

Edited to add: thank you Marine...finally seeing where you and some others were coming from in the posts I read and was initially appalled by. I'm not enjoying my humble pie. lol