Evaluating pullets; cull or keep?

[Sussex19]

Hopefully you'll eventually be able to actually test and confirm one way or the other.

I hope so, I think if I get any more symptoms I'll see if we can take it to a vet to see what they say.

 

[3KillerBs]

Thats actually a very good idea!

It doesn't have to be complicated. Just pick 3 things that matter strongly to you and figure out which ones best fit those 3 characteristics.

For me, assuming equally healthy birds, I am looking at:

1. A reasonable approach to the Australorp SOP (bearing in mind that showing is not my main goal),
2. Early maturity and, along with that, the ability to sex the chicks early (some as soon as 3 weeks),
3. Dark, intense color in the blues.

 

[The Birb King]

I dont like the idea of butchering a perfectly fine hen! Why not just sell her as a pet or something

 

[Sussex19]

It doesn't have to be complicated. Just pick 3 things that matter strongly to you and figure out which ones best fit those 3 characteristics.

I think for me, this is the three that matter the most. (for my mixed flock that is, which is where these ones would be going.)

Good foragers and free rangers
Nice colouring, which includes not wanting many, if any more white birds.
Strong and healthy, with good egg laying characteristics so they don't get egg bound or water belly.

Just that list rules out the hen and at least one of the white pullets, so I think that is where I will start.

 

[Sussex19]

I dont like the idea of butchering a perfectly fine hen! Why not just sell her as a pet or something

Because they may be carriers of Mareks, or some other disease.
Also, as it is a about 50kms to the nearest town, it is a lot of bother selling them.
Don't think that I like doing it, but it has to be done.

 

[Tonyroo]

Don't assume it's Mareks, you would need to do some investigation of ailments first then run a test for it.

Based on the history of the hen and pullets, I would get rid of her and her daughters.

 

[3KillerBs]

I dont like the idea of butchering a perfectly fine hen! Why not just sell her as a pet or something

If there is any suspicion of a communicable disease in the flock it's responsible to not allow any bird to leave the property until it's proven to be safe.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

The thing is I'm really not good at having goals, which doesn't help.
My only real one is to have healthy birds that I like, in both looks and personality, and all these pullets tick the boxes as far as I can tell

I have Marek’s in my flock, too, by the way. All our birds and their eggs are for us anyway, but it helps make the decision to process versus sell a no brainer.

I’ll be honest, deciding which birds to cull, knowing it means an end to their lives, is just about as hard as actually culling them. I like to have the decisions make sense, for there to be a reason behind my decisions, so as someone suggested you do, I have a list. At the top of my list is size, so I actually weigh them. All pullets get weighed at 24 weeks so I have an equivalent weight for them all. I use the last hundred (well, I will, I only started this strategy in 2022) to decide if each one falls in a small, medium or large category. All the small birds go first, etc etc. If nothing else makes sense, go with something objective like weight. Or decide what you like about each feature and give point values, one point for the right comb, one for the right color, etc. Who gets the most points, who has the most you want to see more of?

Also, there’s nothing saying you have to cull them all at once or right now. If taking two now leaves you with comfortable numbers, the others can wait. If we have space, I’m always happy to have new layers, especially since, with Marek’s, I have no idea which young birds will ultimately make it to adulthood and which will succumb early.

 

[Harmony Fowl]

Just that list rules out the hen and at least one of the white pullets, so I think that is where I will start.

Sounds like a plan! And it can be a fluid list. Mine isn’t what it was a few years ago. You live a little more and learn more of what’s important to you.

 

[Sussex19]

I have Marek’s in my flock, too, by the way. All our birds and their eggs are for us anyway, but it helps make the decision to process versus sell a no brainer.

I’ll be honest, deciding which birds to cull, knowing it means an end to their lives, is just about as hard as actually culling them. I like to have the decisions make sense, for there to be a reason behind my decisions, so as someone suggested you do, I have a list. At the top of my list is size, so I actually weigh them. All pullets get weighed at 24 weeks so I have an equivalent weight for them all. I use the last hundred (well, I will, I only started this strategy in 2022) to decide if each one falls in a small, medium or large category. All the small birds go first, etc etc. If nothing else makes sense, go with something objective like weight. Or decide what you like about each feature and give point values, one point for the right comb, one for the right color, etc. Who gets the most points, who has the most you want to see more of?

Also, there’s nothing saying you have to cull them all at once or right now. If taking two now leaves you with comfortable numbers, the others can wait. If we have space, I’m always happy to have new layers, especially since, with Marek’s, I have no idea which young birds will ultimately make it to adulthood and which will succumb early.

Thank you so much for your thoughts on this!
You have given me quite a few ideas, and I think the thing to do is just take it slowly and I will probably change the goal posts quite a few times before I really get the hang of things.