Official BYC Poll: How and When Do You Decide to Cull a Bird?

[HorseGirlAbby]

I've culled cockerels before, as I just had too many and couldn't get rid of them any other way. My main thing, though, like others have said, is quality of life. I have a fully blind hen who gets around just about as well as a seeing one, and her quality of life doesn't seem compromised at all. She's the one who's most excited to see me every morning, and would probably climb into my arms if I let her.

 

[Shabby Chic-Hens]

Usually I let them go in my lap, sometimes with a few mealworms If they are able to eat. I had one rooster who got fly strike (due to unknown wound, he had red feathers so I couldn’t tell), and we decided to cull him (pellet gun method, the chicken has no idea he died)

 

[BigBlueHen53]

By "cull" in this context I assumed you meant "cull by killing." I checked a few options as well as "other." The "other" being that I terminated a rooster for attacking ME. I cull for balance in my flock.

 

[SourRoses]

It would probably help to change the poll options so there's two categories of illness... recoverable or not. I do try to nurse them along, but cull if they are in pain, starving, or clearly not going to get better.

Aggression is the #1 factor in culling for us.
We also cull excess cockerels if they aren't going to appeal to a new home, mostly mixed breed / mixed color.

 

[StinkyAcres]

I mainly cull when an illness, defect, or injury severely reduces quality of life. In most cases I do try to treat the bird if I can, but if I see little to no improvement after treatment(s) I will have them dispatched.

I did have extra cockerels culled one year only because one was showing signs of a respiratory illness. Otherwise I would have tried to rehome them.

 

[Sally PB]

I had to cull when I had too many cockerels. I had to euthanize a favorite hen who was horribly injured by another hen. That hen just about got on the cull list, but I had promised her "group" they could all stay as long as they lived. If she ever does it again, there will be no reprieve. So far, she's been good.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

I cull for:

1. Sickness.
2. Human aggression.
3. Physical or behavioral traits I don’t want.

 

[Rose_adamaj]

As others have said, I cull extra cockerels if no home can be found.
If an illness or injury causes quality of life issues.
I saved a pullet that had all but a sliver of skin torn from her head down to her breast and top of her back. She is doing great. I had to ‘cull’ a pullet that was too severely injured to help.
I would cull a bully. I’ve been fortunate in never having one.

 

[MrsWinterWheat]

We had to do our first culling because of aggression this month. Our 3 year old rooster started to become increasing aggressive to me and then my husband. I want to be able to walk in the flock without being scared that I will be attacked. I tried a bunch of ways to keep him, as I was quite attached to him. But he was giving me anxiety and I stopped enjoying my chicks.
His worst attack was against my hubby, where he got his large spur into the joint space of his wrist. Less than 24hours later his hand was larger than the other hand. He started antibiotics soon enough so it didn’t progress to cellulitis that needed treatment with IV antibiotics. Unfortunately I just couldn’t have something like this happen again so he had to go.

 

[GlicksChicks]

I cull:
- Chickens that have a sickness that hasn't been able to be helped for a while.
- Aggressive roosters.
- Excess roosters.
- Deformed chickens where their quality of life is rock bottom.
- And meat chickens.