Well, don't make any definite cuts until they're at least 8 months old. Then you want to look for negative traits that can be passed down to their offspring that will be very hard to breed out and cull from there, at least that's what I do. Type is important, first and foremost. Then I would look at things like color, etc.
The fact that your focusing on health though is also very important and a good thing to keep in mind especially since there is such a small gene pool of these birds here in the US.
Did you get your birds from Greenfire or Marc Sacre? You might want to consider trying to get some stock from whomever you didn't originally get your chicks from down the road just to keep some diversity in your line. You can also outcross to BBS and in a few generations be back to Gold Laced, you then would have introduced the Blue gene and you would have Blue Laced Golds!
Oh, keep ALL of your pullets, you never know what may happen and you wouldn't want to be left with only a few girls. The same can be said about cockerels but as long as you have 2 good boys to work with you are probably going to be okay. But keep 2, if you were to only keep 1 Murphy's Law would kick in and something would happen and then you'd end up roo-less. That's been my experience too...
Oh boy... eight months. I like that. More time to spend with them!
The one thing I NEED is a rooster that doesn't challenge me or any neighborhood children. I am one of those children that was attacked by a rooster as a child. To this day have scars from where he dug in his spurs. Didn't stop the bloodshed for quite a while since this happened at a neighbor's house after I'd jumped over her fence. The only way to get him off of me was with a tree limb that my dad used as a club. For weeks I had bandaged legs oozing yucky stuff. Later as a teenager I was a bit embarrassed at the beach since the scars were still visible. My roosters will have to be gentle giants.
I need to study English type standards. Not sure where to read about those. I've searched online.
Color, well, that will be totally a whimsical choice for me. I'm breeding for backyard "models" that will be worthy of an oil painting.
My babies are from Greenfire. They used two separate lines. With 12, I'm hoping I have representation from both lines. I plan on initially inbreeding of course. Then, hopefully line breed one rooster line (father /daughter) and one hen line (mother/son). Maintaining two flocks. After f3 or f4, I plan on breeding the two lines together, and starting over. This is what I have done with dogs. Hopefully, I can verify that plan of action for chickens. Someone please correct me if I am wrong!! I hope to wait until there is a flaw in health or vigor before I introduce another separate line. This will give me time to establish the traits that I like in the line. Yes, I've already emailed Marc. Very nice person. He recommended the same plan of action that you've mentioned.
Oh my...Blue Laced Gold...my paintbrush is ready!!
I'm only two weeks into these babies and I already see an expansion
Will have to sell more paintings to pay for it!!!
Well, for now, back to cleaning a poopy brooder and trying to figure out why they enjoy wasting the very expensive organic feed
Thanks for the advice Jeremy.
If I am dreaming... PLEASE DON'T wake me up!
