Which birds do I keep?? Anyone interested in the maybes??

[wanda047]

If I were doing the culling... I'd keep the 3 BO hens and the 3 RIR for sure... and of course the 3 silkies. That'd give you a rooster for the girls protection and 5 laying hens. The silkies would be your brooders.

From there... I'd sort through the rest of your flock and keep the best hens for egg layers. I'd eliminate any and all potential roos.

Use Process of Elimination!

 

[onthespot]

I agree.
First of all, all bantam breeds (except the silkies) would go. I would keep


The turkey, for thanksgiving
the three BO, plus the two week old one listed last.
That only leaves ten more birds.
The six speckled sussex
the barred rock,
the RIR

The rest, craigslist.

Oops, chicken math at work, I guess the silkies don't count because they don't roost or fly.... and the look funny... but you can still keep them... they don't count.... chicken math, remember?

I would, however, hatch out whatever ducks are being incubated and sell those, rather than sell the hen right off a perfectly good nest.

 

[SportTees]

Quote:
My mil told me the same thing- said she would even cook it

Most would agree I need to keep the Buff orp's and Speckled Sussex and silkies but they don't count.

Are there any signs to look for on Silkies to tell if M or F?

Everything is outside except the serma so I'm not cleaning brooders constantly anymore.

What about the Cochins ?

The birds are for Pet, eggs, broody. I'm definitely wanting to have pure breed eggs to sale later on.

 

[LilBizzy]

If it were me, I'd keep 2 buff orps, 3 speckled sussex, 2 EE's, the barred rock female, 2 RIR's. These would be for egg laying. No rooster, just girls.
Then I would have to keep the 3 silkies, and 4 cochins, and that serama- plus a rooster for these gals. This group would be the pets/broodies, and eventually the hatching eggs to sell. Although if you want pure breed hatching eggs- well, you'd need a way to seperate breeds. Maybe thats a project for next year.

The turkey and the ducks would go, unless you have a market for duck eggs for eating.

But hey, that's just me. It would probably just be best to keep your favorites, no matter what breed they are.

 

[SportTees]

Decisions Decisions

 

[SportTees]

Any other input??

 

[TreeHugger]

I'd get rid of all the roos. It's easy to get a free rooster (just about any breed) if you decide you want to raise chicks later down the road. I'd also get rid of all the ducks except maybe a few favorites unless you have a pond to keep them on. I like ducks, but they are sooooo messy

I don't know enough about the breeds of chickens you have to make any comment there, but I do know that the silkies wouldn't count! I would probably keep the turkey just to have a little variety.

 

[SportTees]

I've already gotten rid of most of the roos with my first downsize.

 

[OHWoosterChick]

If you want to sell hatching eggs I would keep all the rocks and the silkies.
Rock roos are supposed to be pretty gentle (RIR not so much) and of course if one of your silkies is a roo you can sell those eggs too. Silkie roos will sometimes even set eggs. They are however very hard and late to sex Personal preference rules from there, are you looking more for eggs or pets?

 

[SportTees]

I think I have it narrowed down some to KEEPING

Lrg Breeds

6 Speckled Sussex ( depending on how many roos)
4 Buff orp

Banty's

3 Silkies ( depending on if they are hens or roos)
4 Cochins ( If I have 4 hens they mostly act more rooish)

The Turkey of course

Ducks

2 Muscovy
2 Mixed

Still deciding on the

2 partridge mixes
2 delaware
2 ee
2 barred rock
3 RIR ( this roo is like a pet)
1 Blk copper Maran roo ( this roo is also like a pet)
3 Cochin
1 Banty turken

5 mixed ducklings
2 muscovy
1 roen
2 mixed