Genetic Culling

[al6517]

I selectively purge my flock............. That's all I am saying, many go on to fulfill other chicken folks needs, for many uses.

 

[JenniferNgo]

Have you tried Craigslist? I have rehomed many an unworthy bird on there. ESPECIALLY silkies!! I had one with a deformed toe (two nails coming out of one toe) and the family who took all my silkies just loved them!! I even had one with an AWFUL top knot , I mean uuuuuuuglyyyyyyyy!! still got rehomed in about 2 days. I don't know about the population where you are but Asian people LOVE silkie meat. It is believed to have special healing powers. My husband is Vietnamese and his parents are always willing to pay top dollar for unwanted silkies

Oh, and BTW for dog food: they can eat the bones as long as they aren't cooked. All my border collies eat is raw meat in some form or another (except pork) and raw bones for calcium. I have been doing this with all my dogs for many many years and have never had a problem.

 

[madamwlf]

Quote:
Yes, I've tried Craigslist. I was hoping someone would take them since they are free silkies.

Yup, I feed my dogs raw bones too and raw meat at times.

 

[DTchickens]

Quote:
While I understand what you're saying here, I don't understand why you wouldn't sell these to a breeder with full disclosure (as if they couldn't look at the birds and see the flaw(s) as to what they're getting into. If you originally bred their parents and some of the babies have a genetic flaw, then some of your breeding stock already has a genetic flaw and you're still breeding them. Would you cull the parent birds too?

Depends on the birds and situation. I may cull the parent(s?) as well; if it were something very important to me I would work with the good offspring, raise a lot, and cull everything with a strict standard over periods of generations until it rarely showed (if it ever showed).

Many lines have flaws hidden somewhere, some more than others. I wouldn't sell them to breeders because only an irresponsible breeder would breed birds in those situations, does it effect them? Maybe not, but it will effect the people who receive birds from them.

Kind of like German Shepherds, a lot have the hip dysplasia problems which to my knowledge is a genetic issue. The individuals that show it aren't (at least shouldn't) used for breeding, but the whole lines aren't culled.


-Daniel.

Again though I say: It depends on the birds and situations.

 

[chickened]

I think culling for genetic reasons would mean killing but for a BYCers by all means find a home although I see problems with that also but for another day and topic. I always read and was told that when breeding for genetic superiority you as a breeder would be responsible for eliminating inferior traits and lethal genes. With that said from a logical viewpoint why redistribute inferior birds that you go through the time and effort to create to risk reintroducing that inferior gene or trait down the road when you introduce new strains that may be tainted? just seems irresponsible that you cannot do what is best for the breed at least to me.

Does anyone realise how many birds were culled (killed) to develop one breed? The SOP would cease to exist.

Read any book on breeding chickens published prior to the mid 50s' and culling in fact meant killing only recently was the meaning broadened.

As said earlier culling technically is removal with the emphasis on removing the weak, inferior prematurely.

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

Depending on the bird I cull different ways. If it is a good healthy bird but has a color flaw, wrong comb, defects with them not meeting the standard I take them to a traders place, he pays $3-5 depending on the bird/gender/age and no one knows the birds are from my stock. If it has a physical flaw like crooked toes, cross beak, things like that I cull them as soon as I notice. If they are big enough they get turned to dog food, if theyre smaller I have a reptile friend that takes them.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Hatchlings with birth defects and deformities get put down. I don't have chickens, but deformities can be caused by the way the chick lies in the shell; they are not necessarily genetic problems. I don't know if cross beak is genetic or not.

I don't have room to keep special needs birds and I know that the number of lifetime homes available for handicapped birds is extremely small. The quality of life for the bird must be considered as well as thinking about who will want him. I am concerned about quality of life and I do take the time to make sure my birds don't go to homes where they will be abused or neglected.

For the most part, people who buy from me are hoping to get quality birds and I don't sell them birds that won't be a benefit to them in their breeding program. Some of the birds that have minor issues go out to home flocks where the people have no interest in showing. Since I raise Swedish ducks, I get a lot of hatchlings that can't be shown because of color. If they are quality birds, they can go to a home flock, as long as the buyer understands that the color can't be shown.

The birds I sell to home flocks do not have any health or temperament issues. Birds who aren't good enough to be bred, at least in a home flock setting, are put into the freezer.

If the OP can't find anyone to take the birds and doesn't have room to keep them, then the options are rather limited.