culling

I’m a few months into chicken keeping and really appreciate the advice on this forum. I’m at a crossroads: I have a backyard flock of 18 — looks like 6 boys and 12 girls. Most of them are a barnyard mix, some much larger than others. Four of the boys crow and two lay low. At least Half the...

I need some advice regarding our Buff Orpington rooster, Winston. We took him from a nice lady who couldn't keep him when she discovered he was a roo. So, he was hatched sometime in the spring. I have 30 chickens total. 8 are a month old and safely in a brooder. All female. 20 pullets that...

So I did it. My self, my hubs helped with prep and making sure to be extra hands etc......but I did it! And this was a hybrid roo from our first Batch of our own babies from our first Cochin and all his four ladies We mail ordered last Sept, anyways, I incubated 22 eggs after our surprise roo...

Hello, This is our first time with meat birds (but we’ve had laying hens for a few years). We have 40 Cornish Giants and they’re 4.5 weeks old living their best life in a couple pastured chicken tractors. The other day I discovered one male was getting picked on and his butt was bloody. He’s...

I got a one legged quail today... about 5-6 weeks maybe? He’s not able to stand on one foot. The other foot is almost twisted completely backwards, too. He just scoots/crawls, and it’s incredibly difficult for him to get around. I’m not sure if this is a birth deformity or an injury. This makes...

Hi everyone, I've had chickens for several years now but recently due to unfortunate events involving coyotes, snakes, and a hawk my little flock has dwindled to two (a pair of cochin brahma crosses, a father and daughter of course :barnie). I've completely predator-proofed my coop, and I'm now...

I have a day old chick and she was an assisted hatch. I helped too early. She cant cheep or eat or stand, but she has been kicking her curled up feet a lot, and was pretty active. Breathing very hard too. I gave her sugar water throughout the day. She does seem like she may be suffering, but I...

I need to cull some of my ducks as they are no longer laying. I've done one round of culling in the past using a kill cone and cutting the jugular. Saw a video of "The Ballista" which is a bolt gun used for rabbits and poultry. Here's a video of it being used to stun a chicken. After...

My little girl has some serious scissor beak. She is a silkie and just shy of 6 weeks. She is half the size of her sisters... pretty much literally. I weighed one tonight that was over 7 oz and she’s only 3.5 oz. She is constantly eating because it’s so much harder for her to get any food, but I...

I've culled a few birds now and have not quite gotten my cone technique down yet. Could anyone give me very specific instructions on making the cuts? I've always sharpened my boning knife, and usually grab the bird by the comb for stability. I've found it very hard getting a good cut though, and...

Cornishes? I have 2 accidental buys; one of them is my avatar. They were labeled something else but as they quickly outgrew everyone, I realized I had 2 Cornish hens/roos. I've now had to separate them from everyone else (the rest of the older flock, 10, our slightly younger and smaller flock of...

I'm a backyard breeder with about 3-4 years experience with chickens. I have over 25 years of experience with other livestock and pets, so I'm not a newbie. But I am at a loss... Background: I had about 25 adult birds in 4 coops/pens. No significant issues in the past year or so. I do...

I know chickens don’t like change but I have three changes to make: 1) remove rooster from flock of 6 3-month olds, 2) remove non-laying hen from flock of 3 2-year-olds, 3) Combined the flocks, and 4) reconfigure their housing. Should I do these things separately in a particular order, or all...

Let me preference this by saying that I'm not allowed to keep roosters because of city ordinances, so keeping him for myself is not an option. Background information: Back in January or February I got 4 more chicks that I added to my existing flock of 5 hens - 1 Brahma pullet, 2 Orloffs that I...

Hi all, I'm at my wits end because we've got a poor 7-year-old hen with a dislocated hip. She's still eating, drinking, and even laid an egg or two since this started. She can't put weight on it and it's turned inward. She's using it to scratch, but limps when she tries to step on it. Here's my...

Hi, fairly new chick owner here. I have an established flock of 3. In February I decided to expand my flock with some chicks. I got two from a farm, not a hatchery. This is the worst luck with chicks I’ve ever had. First one had a respiratory infection, it was treated, and recovered. ( I now...

Ok, where to start... My family recently decided to get backyard chickens, and got out first flock of four pullets on March 30th. It has been not even 2 weeks and we are now down to two... kind of. Our EE chick was quickly found to have a really horrible cross beak, and thanks to the help of a...

Hi All! Well, I finally took to leap after reading up on just about all I can maintain in my head and ordered 18 chicks (all sexed females) of different breeds. Blue/Black/Splash Ameraucanas (3), Lavender Orpington (3), Barred Plymouth Rock (3), Buff Orpington (3), Silver Laced Wyandotte (3)...

Male muscovies have such thick necks that I stuffed up the last one, I used a hatchet and while he bled out within 20 seconds, it did not cut through the neck and was very traumatic for my brother(10) and I (I can still hear the poor duck gurgling) I think I lack the upper body strength, I'm...