Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[U_Stormcrow]

 

[Fallenone05]

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I love this goofy looking stage. What do you think of the coloration so far?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I love this goofy looking stage. What do you think of the coloration so far?

Front left is a "no". Front right is a "yes". Those in back are mostly "maybe", with back right leaning no. But I have to look at the older batch of birds, send a few of those to freezer camp merge the rest into the adult flock. Take a long look at the adult flock, remove less productive layers. I may once again end up keeping some that don't thrill simply to maintain egg production.

Then I can decide how many of these get more time, and how many get separated for a trip to camp as soon as they put a couple pounds on.

...and decide if I'm going to try and hatch more in the next month or two. That window closes late October +/- depending on whether or no we get an early cold snap or a mild winter.

 

[Sally PB]

Did the turkey egg hatch?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yes it did!


We have three more in the incubator, 18 days to go!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

A promising development in the project -

 

[Sally PB]

What percentage of the chicks that hatch have enough of the characteristics that you want? How many get to stay to adulthood?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

About 1 in 10 what I want. and I'm culling around 70%, mostly males and a couple hens with clearly undesireds.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

My "more promising" chick rate is probably 2.5x that, but as they age up and come into adult plumage, a lot can go wrong.

Two batches back, I had two white throwbacks and an almost solid black - they go to freezer camp this week. New they didn't count. Like four of the others had potential. I had one very promising that has darkened far too much as it ages - but will likely stay, I need more girls making eggs. and another went all muddy on me. The last two? Jury is out, but assuming they aren't both male, both will make it to breeding.

Last hatch wasn't even that good, but I'm keeping my eye on one.

Would like to do one more hatch this year, but I need to do other projects around the house first