Say it isn't So!

[hooligan]

Quote:
Did AngelMarie say she wanted to make it illegal? No she didn't, she wanted to know if there was something that could be done, as in adopting.
And at first she did not know that culling does not always mean killing...it can mean rehoming too.

Don't attack her just because she was asking a question about something she did not understand.

 

[angelmarie]

thank you hooligan i appreciate it, and if you look through previous posts i said i appreciate everyones opinions and choices, i'm not hear to judge just learn and give advice

 

[coopist]

It is important to explain things or engage with concepts nicely and respectfully, especially when they are asked or offered by a young person.

Now, as to culling in the breeding world:

As some of the others have said, the truth is that people who seriously breed to a standard often breed fairly large numbers of birds and cull hard (that often, although not always, means killing some of the birds, especially the roos, and sometimes both sexes, sometimes for what some would probably consider minor imperfections). Since these birds are usually not kept as pets, the paradigm of "re-homing" just doesn't really apply, since the birds didn't really have what most would consider a pet "home" in the first place. However, most breeders will sell off quite a few of these birds rather than killing them (depending on the quality--they usually sell birds that are not quite good enough to keep for their own programs, but not quite bad enough to kill. They are not worried about competition from their own birds at all, and they are often happy to set up a serious beginner with a pretty good trio and to offer them worthwhile information about breeding. These beginners will often credit the original breeder with giving them their start).

I admire the sentiments expressed in Hooligan's signature, but I know that in the breeding world, that type of thinking isn't usually the mindset. Now, people who breed small numbers and keep them as pets or "livestock with petlike qualities" (as our own Elderoo might so rightly term them ) can still keep the breed standard in mind (and I agree with Hooligan that they should), but unfortunately those breeders are just not as likely to meet the breed standards in a reasonable amount of time as those who breed and cull more strenuously. I read posts by serious breeders from time to time that scoff at people who raise fewer than a couple hundred birds per year as wasting their time. I personally don't happen to agree, and I think that careful stock selection can help narrow the gap a bit, but I do certainly understand the theory and have personally learned a lot from people who hold those views even if I don't agree.

Here on BYC, the worlds of livestock husbandry, pet keeping, hobby breeding, genetic preservation, and show breeding all come together, sometimes in odd ways. It's important to realize that different people have different views and goals. I think, overall, the folks on the board do remarkably well at understanding the viewpoints of others even if they are very different from their own.

 

[GallowayFarms]

Quote:
I was going by this statement right there that she made. I wasn't judging, I was just trying to get to what she was wanting to do.

 

[hooligan]

I admire the sentiments expressed in Hooligan's signature, but I know that in the breeding world, that type of thinking isn't usually the mindset.

Guess its good I am not in the breeding world then LoL​

 

[EweSheep]

I agree with Elderoo, Coopist, and several of us likewise about culling our roosters.

Out of 49 Blue and Black Orpingtons, I got one good pullet and one good blue rooster that made the cut. The rest of them were culled, given away or eaten and those people that has my birds are happy and won awards with them. Sometimes its painful to the pocketbook to get all those Orpingtons (and Spitzhaubens) to get the correct image I wanted out of the breed standard. Only ten ended up as meat because they are either badly conformed, very wrong with the conformation (like too leggy or too skinny like a Leghorn body) or cross beaked or crooked toes (due to incubation process, its my own fault) and I dont let those meat ones go out for breeding even for a simple backyard pet...why would I want to pollute the gene pool with those defects? I'm doing everyone a favor by culling out what I dont need, have too many or they dont simply fit in the breeding program or pet program at all.

I think Coopist said it well!

 

[tiffanyh]

You know people eat chicken too, right!

Just kidding, I know if can be hard at frist to get some of these ideas concerning aniamsl and death. I spent my first year at my first vet hospital taking in almost everything that was there to be put to sleep! (I was 15) Even the 20 year old dying cats!

as I have gotten older (UGH) and spent more time in the hospitals, I have learned that people can be cruel and culling or euthanizing and aniaml can be a VERY HUMANE choice considering the alternative- starving, abuse, neglect, etc

 

[angelmarie]

well if you read on, then you might understand a bit better. I thought show breeders just killed all the chickens that weren't up to sttandard

 

[suenrob]

Hey Angel, just wondering what exactly a peacock eel is? Do you have a pic?

 

[angelmarie]

Quote:
its a tannish eel w/ spots on its tail that look like the eye on a peacock feather, if you hold on i can try to get a pic but they like to hide in the gravel, so it'll take me a few