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.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Down to 45 (+4 bantams). Gave the SLW a get out of jail card, she will either stay or be sold with the pullets after all.

This jerk bit me twice when I caught him. I mean I can’t blame him but I don’t recall being bit like that when catching birds.

This guy, under all the blue and gold, should have barring which is great in the hens for sex links but not in the roos. Plus him comb is too big for MI winters.

I hope I don’t regret culling the SLW’s son, he was actually an okay cockerel.

 

[Blue Ridge Bantams]

Personally I never cull, I just sell the birds I don't want anymore. You can make money on the side and don't have to actually kill birds that could be valuable to someone else.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Personally I never cull, I just sell the birds I don't want anymore. You can make money on the side and don't have to actually kill birds that could be valuable to someone else.

I’m glad you are able to find buyers so easily, I wish I could but I don’t think it would even be worth the cost of feed if I were to sell the birds I don’t want anymore. That being said, I don’t buy meat aside from the very rare occasion of sea food. Everything is either hunted, caught or when it comes to chicken, raised. I just feel better knowing the animals I eat had a decent life.

 

[Mrs. K]

I got a taker on two of my cockerels. Now to get them caught and delivered. Maybe Saturday.

Post some pictures of the keeper roosters.

Mrs K

 

[DemeterAD9]

I got a taker on two of my cockerels. Now to get them caught and delivered. Maybe Saturday.

Post some pictures of the keeper roosters.

Mrs K

Right now I have 4. My original rooster, the father of most my hatched pullets. Pretty Boy the blue copper maran from Meyer. Well mannered and he appears wide bodied, his previous sons I butchered were decently fleshy at 12-15 weeks old and were easy to get my hand into. Bonus medium/dark brown egg gene as seems to be the case with his daughters. My main issue with him is how sensitive he is to the cold. Big comb last winter, lost all the tips and a bit of his waddles plus the tips of half his toes. He was the only one effected. I was trying for a son of his from a particular OE hen but I got 5/5 pullets. Most his daughters have that nice golden color on their necks and fading into their breast feathers, I love it. There's a black crested one with it and she is just lovely. He may be replaced next summer with some new blood of a smaller combed variety. Dark brahma is my current top choice.

Hopefully the new second in command come spring. Chunky Jr, son of the SLW’s son and Chunky the Cornish cross. My first 3rd generation chick. Already looking stocky at ~5 weeks.

As for the other cockerels, one is an all blue brother to the gold winged EE I culled today. I don’t have any photos of him yet but he’s currently more cute than handsome. He may end up going as well seeing as his brother was narrow in the body and hard to clean out despite my tiny woman hands. I assume both are sons of the old BJG rooster as all the pea combed hens were “his” girls before I butchered him. I never saw Pretty Boy breed any of the EEs until after the BJG was gone.

The other is a bantam whatchamacallit that I can’t spell without googling. He’s more of a decorative boy than a functional one. Old photo but he looks better today. He's useless to me but people like to see him when they visit. Doesn't really affect the feed bill or pose any harm to the bigger girls so I guess he can stay.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I went to an informal animal auction a few months ago, and I'll never do it again. The woman buying roosters...lets just say she was cruel to the birds. While I knew and expected that they would be harvested, I would prefer to know that they are going to be treated respectfully until that last minute. I don’t like killing, but I would rather do it myself than have them suffer.

 

[DemeterAD9]

It seems my possible pullet buyer has changed his mind, life got in the way and whatnot. I’ve pretty much decided to keep the spares through winter and see about selling them in the spring when everyone is wanting new birds. Guess I’ll have a lot of time to really think on who stays and who goes. Perhaps I’ll even be able to sell the blue EE cockerel with the group of pullets, he’s been decent so far. He’s not near as aggressive with breeding as most other cockerels I’ve raised.

Another change in plans has come up as my other chick who I thought for sure was female is indeed male. While I did want a male from this hen (pea combed dark OE mutt) he just had to have a single comb, meaning he is not likely to carry the blue egg gene. But he should have the right genes for darker brown eggs so that’s not too bad I suppose. Not sure if I’ll keep him or not, we’ll see how he matures. Chunky Jr. and the other cockerel.

I’ll be coming up with breeding plans over the next few months. Thinking of moving Chunky Jr. and a handful of girls into a separate pen and focus on incubating only meat bird project eggs then letting broodies raise my feather and egg color projects. Anyone who doesn’t fit into either project will be going one way or another, unless they make up for whatever they lack with personality.