The Plymouth Rock Breeders thread

[chickenlver2013]

I have barred rocks from Guy Roy and Kraig Shafer. I have white rocks from Guy Roy. I have silver penciled rocks from Robert Murphy. I had some some Good Shepherd barreds, but they just have terrible tails.

Do you sell hatching eggs?

 

[aoxa]

Can we talk early cull? I am wondering what are some culls in the brooder you see other than the obvious (deformities) and failure to thrive.

I want to say, that I just hatched out a bunch of pullet eggs. All are so vigorous. I hatched out a couple from my older hens, and had a lower hatch rate on those eggs. Some weren't even fertile. I think my main man likes the young girls.. I have all these chicks pre-sold. I don't notice anything to cull for initially, but I did cull my first chick last night because it just wasn't going to make it. Proud of myself. I've always had a hard time with chicks.

So again, my question is: what are some of the early faults you can see in the brooder? Knock knees? etc?

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Can we talk early cull? I am wondering what are some culls in the brooder you see other than the obvious (deformities) and failure to thrive.

I want to say, that I just hatched out a bunch of pullet eggs. All are so vigorous. I hatched out a couple from my older hens, and had a lower hatch rate on those eggs. Some weren't even fertile. I think my main man likes the young girls.. I have all these chicks pre-sold. I don't notice anything to cull for initially, but I did cull my first chick last night because it just wasn't going to make it. Proud of myself. I've always had a hard time with chicks.

So again, my question is: what are some of the early faults you can see in the brooder? Knock knees? etc?

I am pretty selective about culling in the brooder.....only obvious deformities. BUT, I will mark chick(s) who strike me as exceptional and/or as potential culls for some reason. Those become my most obvious candidates at my first culling around 16 weeks

 

[Fred's Hens]

Everyone lives with their own decisions on brooder chicks. I cull for failure to thrive and deformities, if shown. That's about it. Any deformity that appears later on? Cull, of course.

At around 12 weeks, much more culling. I begin pulling out birds that aren't what I am looking for to help the program. Let's just use an example. Let's just say I'm fighting something. Let's say pinched tails. At 12 weeks, I can see if a bird has it, and if so, it gets sold off as layer flock type, or backyard bird that someone has no interest in breeding. At 16-18 weeks, more culling because winter will be coming and decisions need to be made.

Any narrow bodied bird, poor head, lousy wing carriage, ridge back, knock knee or narrow set legs, all these kinds of things are basis for culling. Out of 75 chicks, I'm likely to look for 3 pullet keepers, 2 cockerel keepers and maybe an additional 4 "iffy" pullets that will be good layers. That's all I will carry over the next winter.

 

[smarsh]

Everyone lives with their own decisions on brooder chicks. I cull for failure to thrive and deformities, if shown. That's about it. Any deformity that appears later on? Cull, of course.

At around 12 weeks, much more culling. I begin pulling out birds that aren't what I am looking for to help the program. Let's just use an example. Let's just say I'm fighting something. Let's say pinched tails. At 12 weeks, I can see if a bird has it, and if so, it gets sold off as layer flock type, or backyard bird that someone has no interest in breeding. At 16-18 weeks, more culling because winter will be coming and decisions need to be made.

Any narrow bodied bird, poor head, lousy wing carriage, ridge back, knock knee or narrow set legs, all these kinds of things are basis for culling. Out of 75 chicks, I'm likely to look for 3 pullet keepers, 2 cockerel keepers and maybe an additional 4 "iffy" pullets that will be good layers. That's all I will carry over the next winter.

tough cut to make, I wouldn't make it in any area, being small tailed, knock kneed, skinny legged, and hunch backed, with a small head. Of course I decided not to reproduce, self culling one could say.

 

[aoxa]

I am pretty selective about culling in the brooder.....only obvious deformities. BUT, I will mark chick(s) who strike me as exceptional and/or as potential culls for some reason. Those become my most obvious candidates at my first culling around 16 weeks

Good! I plan to mark my chicks as well. Just ordered coloured zip ties because I'm not a fan of toe punching for myself. Not that I think others who do it are wrong, but I just would rather leave them fully intact.

Everyone lives with their own decisions on brooder chicks. I cull for failure to thrive and deformities, if shown. That's about it. Any deformity that appears later on? Cull, of course.

At around 12 weeks, much more culling. I begin pulling out birds that aren't what I am looking for to help the program. Let's just use an example. Let's just say I'm fighting something. Let's say pinched tails. At 12 weeks, I can see if a bird has it, and if so, it gets sold off as layer flock type, or backyard bird that someone has no interest in breeding. At 16-18 weeks, more culling because winter will be coming and decisions need to be made.

Any narrow bodied bird, poor head, lousy wing carriage, ridge back, knock knee or narrow set legs, all these kinds of things are basis for culling. Out of 75 chicks, I'm likely to look for 3 pullet keepers, 2 cockerel keepers and maybe an additional 4 "iffy" pullets that will be good layers. That's all I will carry over the next winter.

What about if you get a chick with splay leg? Do you correct it or cull? Crooked toes?

I have yet to have a large fowl chick with crooked toes, but I have had a few splay leg.. especially in bantams. I end up correcting them now, but should I not?

I ask these questions because you had mentioned you would have culled my rumpless male in the brooder. How do I see a deformity like that at this age? Can I?

Sorry for all the very loaded questions.

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Good! I plan to mark my chicks as well. Just ordered coloured zip ties because I'm not a fan of toe punching for myself. Not that I think others who do it are wrong, but I just would rather leave them fully intact.

What about if you get a chick with splay leg? Do you correct it or cull? Crooked toes?

I have yet to have a large fowl chick with crooked toes, but I have had a few splay leg.. especially in bantams. I end up correcting them now, but should I not?

I ask these questions because you had mentioned you would have culled my rumpless male in the brooder. How do I see a deformity like that at this age? Can I?

Sorry for all the very loaded questions.

I don't cull splay/spraddle legs as that can most often be fixed and can be a result of an injury after hatch

Crooked toes go immediately here

 

[DMRippy]

Can we talk early cull? I am wondering what are some culls in the brooder you see other than the obvious (deformities) and failure to thrive.

I want to say, that I just hatched out a bunch of pullet eggs. All are so vigorous. I hatched out a couple from my older hens, and had a lower hatch rate on those eggs. Some weren't even fertile. I think my main man likes the young girls.. I have all these chicks pre-sold. I don't notice anything to cull for initially, but I did cull my first chick last night because it just wasn't going to make it. Proud of myself. I've always had a hard time with chicks.

So again, my question is: what are some of the early faults you can see in the brooder? Knock knees? etc?

I have found that the older hens eggs don't hatch as well and are usually not as fertile. My White Leghorns for example, the older ones eggs are so big I can't close an egg carton with those eggs in the carton. I have tried and tried to hatch those eggs. They develop but never hatch. I know it is because the egg is so big but not sure beyond that why they stop developing late. Younger birds eggs are just better for me to hatch with.

I was talking with a guy that runs a hatchery not too far from me. He only uses birds for one season and sells them the next. He had a similar reason.... eggs were too big and didn't hatch.

I do have some birds that are over 3 years old and still great layers and the eggs hatch pretty well, but I am not going to make a practice of keeping older birds. My WL are about 3 years old and this problem just started last summer or the fall.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I have also zip tied, but we starting seeing some issues, so were moving toward the soft, vet wrap type. We've also seen an expanding ring we're considering.

We've seen some birds actually get the zip tie and pull on it. Not good. So, while a zip tie works, there seem to be much better products on the market to check out.

 

[aoxa]

I have found that the older hens eggs don't hatch as well and are usually not as fertile. My White Leghorns for example, the older ones eggs are so big I can't close an egg carton with those eggs in the carton. I have tried and tried to hatch those eggs. They develop but never hatch. I know it is because the egg is so big but not sure beyond that why they stop developing late. Younger birds eggs are just better for me to hatch with.

I was talking with a guy that runs a hatchery not too far from me. He only uses birds for one season and sells them the next. He had a similar reason.... eggs were too big and didn't hatch.

I do have some birds that are over 3 years old and still great layers and the eggs hatch pretty well, but I am not going to make a practice of keeping older birds. My WL are about 3 years old and this problem just started last summer or the fall.

All my RSL eggs develop and hatch, and they are as big as it gets.

I think the older girls are not as willing to give in.. maybe.

I have also zip tied, but we starting seeing some issues, so were moving toward the soft, vet wrap type. We've also seen an expanding ring we're considering.

We've seen some birds actually get the zip tie and pull on it. Not good. So, while a zip tie works, there seem to be much better products on the market to check out.

That's what I am using now, should probably just stick with it I guess