She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[scflock]

You sure do have a thing for monkeys today....

It's a theme. Got started with the computer, so I'm tying it all together

 

[scflock]

You sure do have a thing for monkeys today....

You candling yet?

 

[MunsterChicks]

Line breeding is a good thing, and it's how you improve a flock, but it will also enhance undesirable traits if you don't cull birds with imperfections. It's good that you are asking these questions now, because your long term goals will affect the decisions you should make now. Siblings will breed each other, they don't care, but it doesn't damage the offspring like it does in humans, it just enhances the traits, good or bad. What do you want for yourself, and what do you want to sell? Do you want to improve on the qualities of your birds and breed towards selling them for show? Then you will have to separate the breeds and ruthlessly cull any imperfections. Pick the best rooster, and keep breeding him to the same hens and his pullets. That can get very involved, and is more than I do with all but 2 of my breeds. Do you just want pets, and to sell the extras as pet quality egg layers? Then keep the boys and girls you want and let them have at it. If you want pure breeds, then you still need to separate, but culling isn't necessary. You will wind up with too many roosters, no way around it, and that's another decision to make. Will you ever be able to butcher your own birds? If not, sell the roosters very cheaply, and don't ask the buyer what they are going to do with them. I advertise roosters $20 for 5, and they will sell within a week.
As far as getting eggs from the same man, surely he has more than one hen? I would still get my eggs from there.
I enjoy this discussion, because I have learned some of these things the hard way, so anyone lurking on the thread feel free to ask any question that you might think is "stupid". We all started somewhere

Thanks for that, it helps a lot. I guess I would want to keep some hens for eggs, and I don't mind some for meat either- meaning the roos. I can sell some roosters if need be, but I wouldn't be butchering, my husband would do it no problem. I've never eaten my own chicken obviously, but I've eaten plenty of hunted animals, with everything going on with meat I would like to have my own eggs and meat. I would butcher cows too if I had the land, and know where my food comes from. I won't lie though thinking about it now, I'd have to get past the whole raising and hatching the chicks, to eating them.

I would like to be able to sell eggs (fertile) and chicks. I would also want to keep the bloodlines pure for that purpose, because they are show chickens, and the guy I got them from, breeds and sells them as such. Some people he said keep them as pets and some have won shows. I've never thought about doing shows but if I get a beautiful chicken I would for fun. But they would be my pets, and if I could make some money too that would be nice, since I'll be home anyway. But based off all the info. Im guessing my best bet is to get some more eggs from the breeder, and keep a roo of each breed from a new hatch. Maybe I can even just get a roo from him if he gets any back, or doesn't sell all his chicks in the next few weeks. Worth a try right? I know he was setting his last hatch last week of each breed he has. If I do that though, like you're saying, people cull the unwanted chickens, with the undesirable traits? It would be tough to kill a chicks for no other reason, I don't think I could do that. Couldn't I sell them as non-show quality? Or keep some, even give them away to friends who don't care?

 

[BYC910]

only made it about half way had a business call. I'm posting this for WV also egg quiz what kind of egg is the top egg It won't hatch

 

[AmyLynn2374]

You candling yet?

Yes, done. Quite monkeying around!

 

[scflock]

Thanks for that, it helps a lot. I guess I would want to keep some hens for eggs, and I don't mind some for meat either- meaning the roos. I can sell some roosters if need be, but I wouldn't be butchering, my husband would do it no problem. I've never eaten my own chicken obviously, but I've eaten plenty of hunted animals, with everything going on with meat I would like to have my own eggs and meat. I would butcher cows too if I had the land, and know where my food comes from. I won't lie though thinking about it now, I'd have to get past the whole raising and hatching the chicks, to eating them.

I would like to be able to sell eggs (fertile) and chicks. I would also want to keep the bloodlines pure for that purpose, because they are show chickens, and the guy I got them from, breeds and sells them as such. Some people he said keep them as pets and some have won shows. I've never thought about doing shows but if I get a beautiful chicken I would for fun. But they would be my pets, and if I could make some money too that would be nice, since I'll be home anyway. But based off all the info. Im guessing my best bet is to get some more eggs from the breeder, and keep a roo of each breed from a new hatch. Maybe I can even just get a roo from him if he gets any back, or doesn't sell all his chicks in the next few weeks. Worth a try right? I know he was setting his last hatch last week of each breed he has. If I do that though, like you're saying, people cull the unwanted chickens, with the undesirable traits? It would be tough to kill a chicks for no other reason, I don't think I could do that. Couldn't I sell them as non-show quality? Or keep some, even give them away to friends who don't care?

When I say cull, I mean sell. I have sold everything I have hatched until this last batch. I just don't sell culls for show quality prices

only made it about half way had a business call. I'm posting this for WV also egg quiz what kind of egg is the top egg It won't hatch

Cream Legbar? Nice BCM, by the way. I should be getting my first BCM eggs any day now

 

[scflock]

Yes, done. Quite monkeying around!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Thanks for that, it helps a lot. I guess I would want to keep some hens for eggs, and I don't mind some for meat either- meaning the roos. I can sell some roosters if need be, but I wouldn't be butchering, my husband would do it no problem. I've never eaten my own chicken obviously, but I've eaten plenty of hunted animals, with everything going on with meat I would like to have my own eggs and meat. I would butcher cows too if I had the land, and know where my food comes from. I won't lie though thinking about it now, I'd have to get past the whole raising and hatching the chicks, to eating them.

I would like to be able to sell eggs (fertile) and chicks. I would also want to keep the bloodlines pure for that purpose, because they are show chickens, and the guy I got them from, breeds and sells them as such. Some people he said keep them as pets and some have won shows. I've never thought about doing shows but if I get a beautiful chicken I would for fun. But they would be my pets, and if I could make some money too that would be nice, since I'll be home anyway. But based off all the info. Im guessing my best bet is to get some more eggs from the breeder, and keep a roo of each breed from a new hatch. Maybe I can even just get a roo from him if he gets any back, or doesn't sell all his chicks in the next few weeks. Worth a try right? I know he was setting his last hatch last week of each breed he has. If I do that though, like you're saying, people cull the unwanted chickens, with the undesirable traits? It would be tough to kill a chicks for no other reason, I don't think I could do that. Couldn't I sell them as non-show quality? Or keep some, even give them away to friends who don't care?

Cull doesn't always mean kill. A lot of times it's selling, sometimes it's just culling them from a breeding program. You could keep them and just use the less superior eggs for eating if you have the extra space to house them out from your breeders.

only made it about half way had a business call. I'm posting this for WV also egg quiz what kind of egg is the top egg It won't hatch

Those are some beautiful eggs.

 

[MunsterChicks]

When I say cull, I mean sell. I have sold everything I have hatched until this last batch. I just don't sell culls for show quality prices

Cream Legbar? Nice BCM, by the way. I should be getting my first BCM eggs any day now

Ohhhh ok. Im sorry, I was under the impression that cull meant to kill them. I saw some fancy eggs on eBay once (Ayam Cenami's) and the seller said they cull unwanted chicks (undesirable traits/weren't all black) and I thought they meant to kill, or when someone has a sick chick- but that means what I think it means, right?

 

[MunsterChicks]

Cull doesn't always mean kill. A lot of times it's selling, sometimes it's just culling them from a breeding program. You could keep them and just use the less superior eggs for eating if you have the extra space to house them out from your breeders. Those are some beautiful eggs.

I understand now, thank you for clarifying. And I second that those are some beautiful eggs! I bet it is fun to cross chickens though and see what you get huh?