Culling Towards the Best Flock

[DemeterAD9]

Culled the first group of birds including 3 cockerels, the dark brahma with issues, a light brahma and a BJG. Confirmed that the dark brahma definitely had problems that would likely have killed her. Lash material in the reproductive tract and a weirdly orange-ish liver I assume was fatty. The light brahma (who hasn’t laid in a couple months at least) had a similar looking liver but no lash material I could see.

Only 20ish more to go! Next group to be processed will include the last BJG, SLW and 2-3 more cockerels. May include more to the list after doing some more thinking.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Been doing more thinking and I’m working on a new cull list. My head hurts.

A coworker says he is interested in 10 of my pullets. If he commits and gets these 10 birds (asking for 7$ each) then I will be down to 40 excluding the bantams. I have a list of birds for him and I’ve adjusted it multiple times already. At first I had 3 of my adult hens, now I’ve replaced 2 of those hens with pullets and replaced a couple pullets with other pullets. So far one adult EE is being spared while the SLW and BJG are back on the cull list. Another pullet may be having reproductive issues, I planned to sell her sister but now I’ve decided to keep her as a backup.

While I originally didn’t want to send off birds that I bought, I’m deciding to move along some of the impulse buy pullets I simply don’t see myself breeding from. Looking at you leghorn and cream legbar. Both are tiny and flighty with big floppy combs. The leghorn is proving to be an excellent layer though.

And to add to my problems on deciding who stays/goes, I’m having a hard time telling who laid what green egg as I have 4 or 5 who lay the same shade. So really, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get rid of a couple so I can make sure hatch the right eggs next spring.

My cull list for next weekend includes the SLW, BJG, 3 cockerels and my meat bird Chunky who I simply do not think will make it through winter. She looks like she could weight 15lbs and has really slowed down over the last couple months. So after culling 6 birds and selling 10 (might talk him into more) I’ll be down to 34 (38 with the bantams). That’s close enough to the targeted 30 right?

 

[Mrs. K]

Close enough for this week, next week who knows. I too am struggling, but only trying to get down to 8 and a Roo.