How many do you growout and for how long?

Shellebelle920

Songster
Feb 10, 2019
162
369
156
Southwestern Pennsylvania
I’ve got some excellent breeders’ lines (silkies, faverolles and legbars) that were hatched a week or so ago. The eggs (now chicks)!all came from show breeders. I’ve read that there are really only 1/10 chicks hatched from good lines that are even good enough to show. I’m not sure what the percentage would be as breed-worthy. My guess is maybe 5/10or so? Anyway, once you have an established line, how many chicks of each variety or breed do you hatch out? Grow-out? And most importantly, for how long? The logistics of growing out 100 birds of a particular variety to get 10 show worthy birds just doesn’t seem practical. But I don’t know. Pic of my new coop and some of my new silkie chicks.
 

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Age depends on breed and color. Some colors need to be past that first molt to be able to decide if they're good enough. And usually birds don't show their true shape confidently until around 10 months, later for slower growing birds.

Really serious show breeders do hatch out hundreds to get those five or six that can improve their show career and breed.

I think it's between 4 and 6 that are worth keeping back to breed depending on the lines and breed
 

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