Which Showgirl/Silkie babies do I cull?? Advice please!

[leighhancock]

I am planning on keeping several babies this year to raise for next year. I want to try and keep the best quality that I can so I need some advice on the best way to pick out the good ones! (I will sell the rest! When I say "cull" I mean remove them from the breeding program!)

Ok... Because my camera is STILL not working I'll just have to explain!
I am not worried about color. I am working on type this year.
The new babies are Showgirls and Silkies. Heres what I have!
1) All of them have a dark mulberry skin.
2) Toe spacing on most of them is good.
3) Feathers are fluffy on the feet and down to the 3rd toe.
4) About half of them have large vaulted skulls.
5) Most have meduim poofs on top of their head.

So what do I need to look for first? What order? Am I missing anything?

Ooooo they are all so cute! I am going to hate this part!! But I cant keep them all!!

Thanks for any advice. If I am going to be breeding these birds I want them to be the best they can be!

 

[Fay at Frizzled Feathers]

This is what i look at when determining what to keep straight out of the incubator - Dark skin , nice dark eyes , 5 toes , nice toe spacing , foot feathering

I dont cull for anything else til much later on .

Fay

 

[leighhancock]

Quote:
Thanks Faye! All the babies so far have all that except for foot feathering. About half of the have that. What about the vaulted skulls? Do people look for that? Or is it just the large crest in general?

 

[clothdiaperingmom]

I would take the culled ones! I want silkies soooooooo bad (not too many have anything going on in my incubator =-( No one around here has silkies...heck, not many places here to even get chickens in general.

 

[leighhancock]

Quote:
I haven't ever shipped chicks. I just sell them locally.
But I do sell and ship the eggs when my incubators are full!

 

[Fay at Frizzled Feathers]

If you only want vaulted skulls in your flock then you would cull for that too. I dont cull on regular or vaulted skull at all , i have both in my flocks. Although i love the looks of the vaulted skull silkies ! It's so hard to determine good crests on real young birds.

Usually about 3 to 4 months of age you can cull more for crests but i have seen some with not so good crests at 4 months look totally nice at 6 to 7 months of age.

Fay

 

[leighhancock]

Thank you so much! I know what you mean about the crests showing up late. I have 3 splash silkies that it seems like over night their heads poofed out! LOL! They are 4 months old now.
I can't decide on the vaulted skulls. I like the look but I am scared the birds will be more fragile. This year is my first time with the vaults.