How to go about "culling" in the spring?

[Smartie_Pants]

Right now I have:

3 Golden Comet Hens
1 Barred Rock Hen
2 EE Hens
1 Hatchery Quality BO
1 Silkie Hen
1 Jersey Giant Hen
2 Cuckoo Maran Pullets
1 Cornish X Hen (NOT on purpose!)
1 Partridge Rock Hen

2 Ancona Roos
1 BR Roo
1 EE Roo


Let me be clear, I don't want to kill any of them, just rehome. I am giving them all until spring to see how everyone will lay and mature. I know I probably have too many roos, but I would only be willing to part with one. I want to rehome the ones I find undesirable, but I'm not sure how to judge that.

I have a hard time getting rid of anything. I think that its cruel to break them up from their friends or brothers and sister, plus I don't know how the next person will treat them. How do I change this mindset?

Right now, the Golden Comets are very pushy and I don't think the BO is even laying (when I bought her, they said she was.) One of the EE's is cleanfaced and laying white eggs with a little touch of green sheen when you get them in the light just right. The little anconas are super agressive to the hens and I kind of want to get rid of one of them, but have a hard time splitting them up. Only about 5 of them were chicks when I got them, and I would like to raise chicks istead of buying them from someone else.

 

[spook]

Sounds to me like you should keep all of them. What was the question? lol...after the question you said you want to rehome...you gave your answer, just like that. Find out which Chickenstock you want to go to, take them with you and there you have it, a little bit of $ to pay for gas or grain. Problem solved.

 

[Smartie_Pants]

The question was, how do I pick the ones to go and not feel guilty about it?

I can't keep them all! LOL. I just don't want them to be someones dinner or mistreated. I can't keep them though, they are eating a lot of food and not giving me anything back!

 

[digitS']

Quote:
Spring may be a very difficult time to determine which chickens to cull. Usually that job is one for the Fall when the birds begin to slow in their production. You may even have a better idea now about that than you will in the Spring.

You "know" you "probably" have too many? That isn't making a decision on knowing something.

If the aggressive nature of the Anconas - bothers you but you don't want to split anything up but have too many roos . . . .

Owning a chicken "not on purpose" is allowing outside forces to determine what you have rather than making that decision yourself.

If you want to raise chicks does it matter if they are mutts? You already have 1 Barred Rock Hen, 2 EE Hens, 1 BR Roo, and 1 EE Roo - there may be strong reasons for keeping these and not some of the others.

I know that it is hard to turn over the care of animals you know to someone else but chickens have been livestock for thousands of years. That means they are property and the responsibility for care is in the hands of their owners. This is neither good nor bad. This is just how they come to be living with us now and how they have lived with our grandparents and their grandparents in the past.

You have responsibility for those you choose to own and may be doing them no favors by keeping some of your livestock. And, you can only take a very, very limited responsibility for how others care for their livestock.

Here is wishing you the best of luck and happiness

.

Steve

 

[spook]

Steve made some valid points. I did not intend on sounding as quick as I did. There is no way to not feel guilty. I could not go out and kill my layers, I could not have killed anyone of them when I was your age.
I did give my fave roo away, but only after he had driven me nuts! I couldn't take it anymore, found a great home for him off this site and did get to visit him a couple times and believe it or not he remembered me! Crowed, strutted and looked me in the eye as he showed off his girls. I am so happy in the home he has, freedom and girl friends.
One thing is the first to realize, you are not going to feel good about passing one off, but they will have a better life if you have them go to a good home with a back yard flock.
If you are not comfortable with certain personalities, then quite possibly you cannot give them your all and nervousness around them. Keep those that you can deal with. I have one girl that is a pain in the butt, if someone came and said "ohhh shes nice looking" I would have a hard time saying no. She is always on the go, rushing doors, tripping me and just a brat.
Do a list of pros and cons, and when your done, let that be it, find a small flock home for them and just do it. Chickens have personalities just like you and I (although some don't think so), you might not like me, so you would cull me....hey, wait a minute, lol. Not that you hate me, but have no ability to deal with. You will have a more enjoyable relationship with the other ones when you just pick and remove. (either that or write their names on a slip of paper and draw the unlucky group)
Good luck and sorry so long winded.
Kel