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Smaller operations can be very successful when very focused, you should expect to hatch at least 100 each year, the first year with a new line hatch and raise everything you can and learn the line. This will teach you what you can cull and when you can cull in teh future so you know how the birds develop first hand. the second year you are better prepared and know what to watch out for. I like to start with two sometimes three trios, each from a different breeder just to see what line I like best and what faults exist within each line. I will then choose one line to work from pimarily. It grows each year with the trio breed 100, keep 2 cockrells and 4 pullets. You now have 3 trios to work from that will be nicest you have do this again to really develop the line now that you know how it breeds and when you can safely cull what trait
So roughly speaking if I hatch 100 a year, i'm guessing (help me out here) that I would cull at certain stages of the chicks development? Obvious culls when they hatch, cross beak, limpers, etc would be X%. How old would they be for next cull? How many different cull development stages do you have? I guessing if I wait for the culls to grow out a bit I will have a good supply of meat.
The problem wit hgiving you timelines for culling is a problem it varies from breed to breed and sometimes by variety. Say you have a bird that is Birchen, and has black legs. you hatch a chick with a white toe, the chick is culled at hatch. You hatch a chick with a white breast- the chick is culled at hatch, breeders seperated to determine which bird produced that chick and teh breeder is culled.
You will cull for birds not thriving and growing properly, getting illness, poor color inclusive of leg, toe, toenail, spur, beak, eye, comb face and wattles. Comb being to large or too small, comb having folds. the list goes on.
expect to cull 90+% the first two years, cull slowly and learn the line and thier development process. this will teach you when to cull what problem in future years. You see teh first two years you are building your breeder base and need to be very very selective
Smaller operations can be very successful when very focused, you should expect to hatch at least 100 each year, the first year with a new line hatch and raise everything you can and learn the line. This will teach you what you can cull and when you can cull in teh future so you know how the birds develop first hand. the second year you are better prepared and know what to watch out for. I like to start with two sometimes three trios, each from a different breeder just to see what line I like best and what faults exist within each line. I will then choose one line to work from pimarily. It grows each year with the trio breed 100, keep 2 cockrells and 4 pullets. You now have 3 trios to work from that will be nicest you have do this again to really develop the line now that you know how it breeds and when you can safely cull what trait
So roughly speaking if I hatch 100 a year, i'm guessing (help me out here) that I would cull at certain stages of the chicks development? Obvious culls when they hatch, cross beak, limpers, etc would be X%. How old would they be for next cull? How many different cull development stages do you have? I guessing if I wait for the culls to grow out a bit I will have a good supply of meat.
The problem wit hgiving you timelines for culling is a problem it varies from breed to breed and sometimes by variety. Say you have a bird that is Birchen, and has black legs. you hatch a chick with a white toe, the chick is culled at hatch. You hatch a chick with a white breast- the chick is culled at hatch, breeders seperated to determine which bird produced that chick and teh breeder is culled.
You will cull for birds not thriving and growing properly, getting illness, poor color inclusive of leg, toe, toenail, spur, beak, eye, comb face and wattles. Comb being to large or too small, comb having folds. the list goes on.
expect to cull 90+% the first two years, cull slowly and learn the line and thier development process. this will teach you when to cull what problem in future years. You see teh first two years you are building your breeder base and need to be very very selective
