Dixie Chicks

[Ravynscroft]

If it is a contagious sickness or a non recoverable injury that will affect quality of life then I cull. Cost, pet, livestock, none of it means anything if the rest of the flock is at risk

X2

Unless all you have is a small pet flock, that's the choices you have to make and the priorities to keep in mind...

Even with pets though, quality of life is a biggie for me...

I was debating whether to cull a blind duckling. (it died on its own before I had to decide) but I have alot on my plate, and taking care of individual animals is difficult, if its a long term project. Working on a recoverable sickness or injury is doable though, as long as its not something that affects the rest of the flock. I guess it comes down to what's best for the majority, what's best for the bird, and sadly, what's easiest for me too.

It's looking at the whole picture, not just a small piece... sometimes it's hard...

I had a very rough hatch once, ended up with 2 partially blind ducks... both are female... I kept a close eye on them and they have thrived and are happy and healthy otherwise, so they live their lives here... amazingly enough, the flock doesn't pick on them and several members will buddy up and guide them once in a while when needed...

 

[Ravynscroft]

Whats the light colored girl in the background of the last pic?

She is a mixed color, tailed, clean faced Araucana... :/

That's why I need these Araucana eggs that *should be* coming within the week...

 

[Cold Canadian]

If needed to , culling is done on sick / beyond help animals . Have spent a lot of time trying to cure some ill's , but found out that all I was doing was prolonging the end .........I guess it is up to the person making the call ? Never fun , but sometimes a necessity

 

[Outpost JWB]

ok so... here is  a question for everyone..  An keep in mind this is a rough idea of what I been thinking......so if anyone super clever has the urge to rephrase the question  better feel free....but here it is....... When deciding to cull... Besides for FOOD when culling for injury or illness or temperament or whatever.......Yanno how much time effort energy resources do you  put into a chicken before you may or may not decide to cull?  does the chicken being say a pet as apposed to livestock effect your choices?  and if you do decide to not cull what kind of danger are you possibly exposing your other livestock to? if it's a sick chicken whats the risk in exposing pathogens to the rest of the flock or an injury making one animal susceptible to an illness that can be transferred to your healthy stock? 

and good morning y'all
@BriardChickens
  @RavynFallen
 @hennible
 @Alaskan

@perchie.girl
 @Beer can
  @CanuckBock
  @vehve
  @Outpost JWB
  @Cold Canadian
 @1kluckychik
  @Peep_Show
  @NotAFarm
  @minihorse927
 @Bdaychicks15
 @WVduckchick
 @getaclue
 @Mahen100
 @Latestarter
  @WalnutGroveFarm
  and anyone else I forgot  

Amberjem, I cull whenever necessary, or when I feel like it.....honestly. Example...... I had a barred rock that I bought from a breeder. I bought 4 that day and met him at Tractor Supply where he worked. When he was getting one out of the cage, he broke her toe. I noticed the struggle, but didn't notice the toe until later when I was unloading them. There was nothing REALLY wrong with her. Then a case of fowl pox went through the flock & she lost an eye. I have one chicken that was born with a bad eye. I kept her, but I decided to cull the barred rock even though she was laying, I dont want people to see my flock and see a bunch of unsightly birds. Some may think I am mean, but that is how I run the farm. As for illness, I isolate immediately and cull if I can't cure the illness promptly or if there is any suffering.

 

[Outpost JWB]

In the near future (by next year) I will be culling for breeding standards as well, if not proper coloring, size,etc.

 

[Alaskan]

Culling: i so rarely bring in birds...so if a bird gets sick, it is a bird I have had for a long time, and well, my thought is that everyone has been exposed.

I do no treatment for illness and just watch...it either gets better, or it gets to where it is suffering, and then I kill it.

I do treat injuries and for mites, lice, etc.

As for other culling.... I am always culling... I sell the birds that at hatch I can tell I do not want (wrong comb, whatever, not diseased or defective birds...), then at about 4 months I sell the ones I know I don't want... At that age the ones that are way off with color or tail set etc....

Etc. etc.


I am always looking over my flock and deciding which birds should be sold or eaten. As to pets... I will allow a few, but not many. And I push for zero. Everything we keep needs to have a purpose.

 

[Beer can]

I agree with mini and alaskan. If I see sick they 'disappear'...rest of the flock is exposed already but hopefully strong enough. A few 'disappeared months ago, was afraid of a 'epidemic', looked like mareks, no one else got sick though?....
I plan on culling more, it is hard though, culling perfectly good ones...
If they don't fit in to the breeding program, all pullets will be culled young, sold if possible, but I'm not raising popular chooks so probably not likely.
We get too many eggs for us as is. Why feed them? 12 weeks split and flay and toss them on the grill, feed costs go down. All cockerels will be grown out a little longer, they will be missing their nickles though, capons....

 

[1kluckychik]

I have not been able to allow culling for food yet. Bama has been trying to convince me but I get attached.
He has culled a few when it was absolutely necessary...He protested attending their funerals.

 

[Beer can]

I have not been able to allow culling for food yet. Bama has been trying to convince me but I get attached.
He has culled a few when it was absolutely necessary...He protested attending their funerals.

You sound like my 13 yr old daughter, she thinks one our polish is hers, going to live life to the fullest.....ain't laying eggs, she's gone! All the sudden had a white egg...all others are colored, "SEE I told you she was laying!!" Nah, has to be the brown leghorn...
We've caught her repeatedly laying, actually was a great layer when she started, leghorns gone, stupid poofy head chicken lives...must have heard my threat...Lol!!!

 

[Ravynscroft]

You sound like my 13 yr old daughter, she thinks one our polish is hers, going to live life to the fullest.....ain't laying eggs, she's gone!  All the sudden had a white egg...all others are colored, "SEE I told you she was laying!!" Nah, has to be the brown leghorn...
We've caught her repeatedly laying, actually was a great layer when she started,  leghorns gone, stupid poofy head chicken lives...must have heard my threat...Lol!!!

She just had to show you up!