Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[3KillerBs]

I have a self calibrating hanging electronic scale which is very good for large weights - its the low ounces I can't currently measure. I've a small digital flat top scale for cooking - use it to portion hamburger, sausage, etc when I'm grinding and repacking, that sort of stuff, which is great for meausring birds till they exceed 3# or so - but the battery compartment door holds the battery in place - once it warps, ever so slightly... and then its a jenga game trying to put slips of paper in to hold the battery "just so" when the door gets closed.

Stupid question, but how do you keep the chicks on the scale?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Stupid question, but how do you keep the chicks on the scale?

Tupperware.

The big birds go in a fabric bag I hang from the scale's hook - but I assume you meant the small scale.

/edit and in retrospect, its really only good for probably 2# - there's an "in between" period where I haven't weighed much, and it probably stops before they reach 3#.

 

[NatJ]

Stupid question, but how do you keep the chicks on the scale?

I've weighed a few chickens by wrapping them in a towel and laying them on a scale. (Put a small towel on the scale first and tare it, then pick up the towel and wrap it around the chicken, then lay chicken + towel on the scale.)

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I just tare the 1/2 gallon or gallon jug. Then dump the poor bird in. Pour them out when I am done. Tall narrow sides cut down on winged escapes.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I have a self calibrating hanging electronic scale which is very good for large weights - its the low ounces I can't currently measure. I've a small digital flat top scale for cooking - use it to portion hamburger, sausage, etc when I'm grinding and repacking, that sort of stuff, which is great for meausring birds till they exceed 3# or so - but the battery compartment door holds the battery in place - once it warps, ever so slightly... and then its a jenga game trying to put slips of paper in to hold the battery "just so" when the door gets closed.

Look into a baby scale. It's what I use to weigh birds and they stand on it pretty easily because it's wide enough

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Culling tomorrow - just saw one of the new Roos (mostly black) jumping one of the new hens (also mostly black). And we know just which Roo it is, too. !Nom Decimus, age 17 weeks (tomorrow). I'll get a good weight and a photo before he goes into freezer camp. Should be early, we are going out to dinner to celebrate my wife's birthday (last week), later in the day.

May take a few of the barred girls at the same time, just to reduce numbers. I have NO END of barred girls, and there's no way to see what's "underneath" the barring, so the lightweights will get the knife. That will reduce the late February hatchings to roughly half their original number. I may take Sleepy from P1-02 as well - she's laying, but she's not big, and while she has the beautiful green sheen black, she's not big, has no discernable pattern, and I can't tell her eggs from any other.

Guess I'm making sausage/seasoned ground chicken?

1 week to go on the 12 comet (I think) eggs I set. One was infertile, one is a clear early quit, one suffered bacterial infestation - that leaves Nine, and one of those seems behind the others in development. MAY be an mid quit, but I can't yet tell

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I'll have to get a good picture of my Big Boy and put it by one of your Pretty Boy. I think colorwise they're getting rather similar, but I'm almost certain Big Boy is larger.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I would hope Big Boy is larger. Pretty Boy isn't small, but he's firmly "Standard" for the age, in my view. and he'll never be massive @JacinLarkwell .


!Nom Decimus, visually, isn't much bigger.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Random Question - recommend any resources for when, and how, to de-spur a rooster??? I'm looking at our upcoming county faire, mid October, and considering entering a bird, just to get some visibility. Unfortunately, its required that roosters have their spurs removed.

Thankfully, our faire is small enough that the categories aren't breed, but rather "Class", so the fact that mine are mutts won't matter.

- Bantam
- Standard
- Waterfowl
- Fancy
- Pigeon
- "Other"

Obviously, I expect nothing but a nod for participating, but it will help to meet the neighbors. Maybe make up some business cards, too...

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Ooof, I'm not sure. Like absolutely no spurs, or dull round tips?

Random Question - recommend any resources for when, and how, to de-spur a rooster??? I'm looking at our upcoming county faire, mid October, and considering entering a bird, just to get some visibility. Unfortunately, its required that roosters have their spurs removed.

Thankfully, our faire is small enough that the categories aren't breed, but rather "Class", so the fact that mine are mutts won't matter.

- Bantam
- Standard
- Waterfowl
- Fancy
- Pigeon
- "Other"

Obviously, I expect nothing but a nod for participating, but it will help to meet the neighbors. Maybe make up some business cards, too...