Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[AmeliaBedelia]

Well, I might have expressed more sympathy/commiserated with my wife a bit more. Or felt *something* when I butchered the roo more than a bit of irritation over its effect on the schedule/plan for the weekend. But there was no pleasure in it either, so there's that

Expressing sympathy is, in my opinion, less important than taking action to help. And I personally wouldn't be worried about feeling basically businesslike about slaughtering a mean farm chicken...I'd only be a worried if it were the highlight of your day or something.

Then again, expressing sympathy was a learned skill for me...I found that saying "Aww man, that sucks!!" Goes a long way for some people, so now I do it instead of jumping straight to fixing the issue. But it isn't my natural response - I jump straight to identifying and solving the problem. Which I think means a lack of sympathy (deaire to commiserate) not empathy. If I lacked empathy, I wouldn't care that they had a problem unless it inconvenienced me in some way.

Anyway, bummer about the rooster. Hopefully one of the progeny will work as a replacement, or you'll find a good option elsewhere.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

So, time, nature and poor organization on my part have made my record keeping pretty damned poor, in spite of best intent. Relying mostly on the eyes now as I try and get back on track.

As you may recall, RUG became sausage after demonstrating unacceptable aggression. Its been almost a month since he met the butcher, there should be little evidence of him left in the ladies - I've gathered another 12 eggs to incubate, expecting a low success rate. The only reason its even possible is because of RUG's December offspring, now around 20 weeks age.

Thing One and Thing Two (P1-01, Dec 07 2020) were pullets, now with a neighbor. Run of the mill barred girls, which I seem to have in abundance (or did).

Thing Four (same hatching) went to the same neighbor as his new Roo.

Thing Three (same hatching), the big white Cornish-looking cockerel with some black leakage in the plummage isn't showing any interest in the ladies yet - as my other CornishX birds didn't start laying, or expressing interest, until 7 months plus, that's not surprising at all. Will continue to monitor, but currently slated for table.

That brings us to P1-02 (Dec 30 2020), the "Seven Dwarves" - several of the pullets went to the same neighbor due to undesired patterns or unexceptional size for the age. Of the remaining males, one has been showing early interest in the girls and has attractive coloration, though he's not my largest. My hopes will rely on him for a while.

Prominent comb, deep reds in the feathers, good size, clean shanks, appears healthy, active and alert.

another photo, different lighting -

The sun really picks out the deep green sheen, there are some blue tones as well.

Losing out, but not yet culled, is a slightly larger bird just showing interest in the ladies, but rather than reds, the head and neck have a pale gold, as does a bar across the wing. No photo offered currently.

Going to do my best to identify them, but a number of leg tags have been lost/destroyed in the interim.

Anyhow, the new Roo - which we've taken to calling "Pretty Boy" in the absence of a leg tag, will be (is) crossing back with the original Golden Comets, SLW, DBrahma, and HH "Rainbows" - those are the eggs in the incubator now.

/Edit by reference back to earlier photos, "Pretty Boy" is most likely "Sneezy".

P1-03 (Feb 23 hatching) has a number of "Brahma Mama" chicks, unlike P1-01 and -02. I need new photos, weights, and help sorting pullets from cockerels as I look ahead.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

A few random photos -

P1-02 "S White" has only become more muddy with age. Table bird, after the obvious cockerels are dealt with.

and this, same hatching, is "Happy", visually largest of the birds, with the golden color my wife likes. That's the only thing delaying his culling. When he starts chasing the girls, its the table for him.

"Sleepy", no picture, has remained small and almost entirely black with blue-sheen black highlights, not the grey color called "blue".

"Grumpy" and "Dopey" found a new home. "Doc" and "Bash" also.

and here (apologies for the intervening fence) is a round Rubbermaid bowl, 7.5" in diameter, "S White", "Happy", the newly christened "Pretty Boy", a Pekin Duck, a Dark Brahma, a Golden Comet, and an HH "Rainbow" (the last four each aged about one year).

 

[U_Stormcrow]

"Happy" discovered the girls a few days ago. He was mentioned (and pictured) in the message above.

Happy has now been processed, as he had neither the coloration nor the pattern I was seeking long term. At 18 weeks, 3 days, he weighed in at 5.85# live weight, mix of daily feeding and free ranging. Plucked easily, without scalding - still lots of "fluff" on him, under the adult plumage - that may be genetic. White skin, clean shanks, pronounced single comb all good. Black pin feathers

3.96# Processed weight, plus heart, liver, gizzards. 3.96/5.85 = 67.7% yield. Not displeased.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

For those looking at the economics, I'm feeding (on average) .2# per day, the remainder they get free ranging. There was a little subcutaneous fat - he wasn't a skinny bird, but he wasn't covered in the stuff either. 18 weeks, three days is basically 130 days of feed. 130 x .2 = 26# of feed to get to this weight.

My mix is averaging $0.25/lb, so that's $6.50 in feed for 4# of yield, or $1.63/lb for whole bone-in chicken. About 50% higher than I'd pay at the supermarket.

I know, I know - these aren't supermarket birds, for good or ill, and its apples to oranges to try and make the comparison - but some inevitably will, so there it is. Note that this was my heaviest male of this hatching, the others would be less cost effective still.

Egg sales help offset the cost of this project further, but because most of the flock is immature, daily production is low compared to head count. Looks like I'll be selling about $20/wk in eggs ($2.50/dozen or 30 for $5 - its an economically depressed area). My feed costs work out at $19.25/wk.


Your own numbers will, of course, vary.

/edit Forgot to mention, I owe $1.40/wk in taxes on that $20, and another $250/yr in filing and licensing costs, so I'm in the hole to the tune of about $7 weekly, and haven't begun to start paying back the $$Thousand$$ invested in the coop$, run$, incubator$, $ignage, etc or the labor to keep it going.

This project is paying for itself in my satisfaction (which is to say, the entertainment budget), and "in kind". We take, on average, a dozen pekin duck eggs and a bird a week for our own use.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

My technique still needs work.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I know not necessarily what you're looking for, but Snow White is just beautiful to me.

Pretty boy too. I had an EE male that threw several sons like that but with cheek muffs too

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I know not necessarily what you're looking for, but Snow White is just beautiful to me.

Pretty boy too. I had an EE male that threw several sons like that but with cheek muffs too

THANKS! Pretty Boy is a surprise to me - like winning the genetic lottery early on. I'm hoping he throws some beautiful offspring.

Snow White - great size (its the CornishX in her background, she got the "big" gene ), but my need for color and pattern means I have to be very aggressive in removing that dominant white from early generations. She, and the CornishX that spawned her, and both getting culled next week I expect. If you were closer, I'd sell her to you for a song (assuming you've got a good singing voice). $2.50 otherwise.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

THANKS! Pretty Boy is a surprise to me - like winning the genetic lottery early on. I'm hoping he throws some beautiful offspring.

Snow White - great size (its the CornishX in her background, she got the "big" gene ), but my need for color and pattern means I have to be very aggressive in removing that dominant white from early generations. She, and the CornishX that spawned her, and both getting culled next week I expect. If you were closer, I'd sell her to you for a song (assuming you've got a good singing voice). $2.50 otherwise.

Unfortunately I'm at the other side of the country. Otherwise I'd gladly scoop her up. Seems like everyone east of the Mississippi gets the pretty hatches

 

[U_Stormcrow]

...and we are now in lockdown, 3 days to go on the next batch. As you may recall, RUG was culled long before this batch of 12 eggs went into incubation, and Pretty Boy had just discovered the girls a few days before I gathered eggs. I expected fertility to be "low". My expectations were reasonable.

Of 12 eggs, only 4 developed. I checked for movement just before locking down, all four appear active, though one has a very small air sack - in spite of "dry" incubation to this point (my usual method). "Dry" because I'm in an RV, and we've had a lot of rain, so ambient air has been quite moist. By late Monday, early Tuesday, we may have a new addition.

...and more culling of the older siblings.