Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[ButtonHoarder]

The first thing that popped into my head when I read the title, was that you were making actual lemonade

 

[Molpet]

You could gather eggs now, or maybe next week, then store them until the ducklings are done. Storing eggs longer does reduce the hatch rate, but infertile eggs will never hatch, so gathering them sooner might be the better choice.

Of course, that would be hatching more chicks from the male you just decided to cull, and I don't know if you would actually want to produce more offspring from him

Yeah I culled all of my first turkeys because of being people agressive
Started over the next year with different blood lines and no problems

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Better yield than I expected. .8# boneless skinless breast, about .1# heart, liver, gizzard, 2# legs and thighs, 2.2# carcass and wings. Only lost .3 pound to internals I can't/won't eat and bad cuts on my part. But that breast/thigh ratio makes clear this wasn't a cornishX.

Thankfully, we like dark meat.

 

[Cattle dog Mom]

Well that stinks. BUT. BRAVO to you for culling the SOB rather than making excuses for his behavior like so many people do!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Its the way I'm wired. A dearth of empathy, compared to the average human. Was not a difficult decision, or one long in the making. My wife texted me, told me what happened. When I got home, I unpacked the car, set up the butcher table, ran the cock down, weighed him and cut him.

The breasts are becoming tonight's taco dinner, and the carcass is cooking down (with another we had saved) for stock/soup.

That said, the same dearth of empathy makes me a pretty lousy human. On balance, its not such a great characteristic to possess.

/edit Tasty, very much enjoyed the first three tacos. May be leftovers for later. Reminder to others - old bird is lean. Breast meat is traditionally lean, too. Grinding helps immensely with chew/tenderness, but a bit of sour cream and a corn starch slurry at the end makes a lovely sauce to replace some of the missing fat. [Traditional red chili seasonings, like you would use for beef, not the green chili often paired with chicken - we had no tomatillos, and only only jalapeno left.] Worked fine.

 

[Ted_Harrell]

Sir, it is important to keep the missus safe, I applaud you for making what sounded like an easy choice for you. Me and my missus will be married 23 years in June. All the genetics stuff is also interesting, bravo to you sir....

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

Hmm...I would say that culling an aggressive rooster who is helpful to your breeding goals in order to protect your wife does show a level of...if not empathy, then at least protective instincts that extend beyond self-preservation. You don't have to be caught up in the emotions of others to be a decent human as long as you are doing your best to understand what they need (or think they need) and accommodate that when possible. It sounds like you did that.

A lack of empathy/being a "lousy human" would be your wife telling you "I'm terrified of that rooster now, because he attacked me!" And you responding, "well, you already promised you'd handle feeding the chickens and he's part of my breeding program, so I don't care. Deal with it."

Anyway, that's my two cents.

 

[chicken-tender]

Success or Fail, I intend to leave this as record for myself, and example for others (of what not to do??)

No, this isn't a "Breed" project, I'm not that organized, and while I have the space, at current prices, its not worth the materials or flock sizes I would need to maintain to create something closely resembling a breed - rather, this is a plan to use selective incubation and culling to create, eventually, something resembling a dual purpose landrace suitable for (largely) free-ranging in my area -

Where: North FL Panhandle area comprised of sandy clay soils suitable for some prairie grasses, mustards, peanuts and upland hammocks of yupon holly, oak, hickory, pines (in order of frequency). Soil quality is both poor and dense, rainfall averages 1" per week+, seasonally heavy spring and summer, non existent late fall. That description would also include swaths of southern Alabama, SW Georgia. Summers routinely hit mid 90s at high humidity, winters will briefly drop below freezing (20s) for several days in a row, but don't maintain those temps. Frost line is 1/4".

What: a red-toned, patterned bird well suited for free ranging in these conditions, alert and intelligent. Low (120-150/yr) but moderately early (4-5mo avg) egg production and cream to tinted egg color, medium-large in size. A good bulk and moderate to somewhat early growth rates (4.5# or greater live weight males at 12 weeks?) on a diet of free ranging and 20% protein feed at .2#/bird/day. Some comb, minimal or non-existent leg feathering. Broodiness is neither sought nor avoided. A dual purpose emphasizing meat over egg production.

Timeframe: I'm not going anywhere, I have years.

Flock size: Expect to maintain between 25 and 60 birds for the duration. Its a reality that my efforts WILL be "assisted" by natural predation, my hopes can't depend upon a single bird or birds. Incubations to maintain flock size will be monthly at a rate of 12 eggs/attempt, year round.

Costs: Existing hen house needs to be expanded, more likely will create a second and/or third house, to assist in segregating the flocks when needed. Existing run suitable without additional resources and can be partitioned, existing free range area is (electric) fenced and approximately 4.5 acres, 1/3 cleared, 2/3 upland hammock - underbrushing is an ongoing project. Readily able to be partitioned at need. Multiple existing grow out boxes in a sheltered and protected barn space. Feed, courtesy local mill, is $0.25/lb at 20% protein (mixing bags 1/1) and will be offered as a mash. Hatchlings will receive a medicated 24% protein feed at $0.32/lb for the first four weeks, 22% the next four weeks, then integrated with the existing flock.

The "Lemons": Breed Stock consists of Hatchery birds obtained from the local farm store (TSC, so Hoover's Hatchery in my area), half of which are themselves Mutts. The single rooster currently available to me was obtained by rehoming. Also a Mutt. Pictures to follow in subsequent comments.

Interesting project. I will follow your progress.

 

[chicken-tender]

Having been attacked frequently by a very large (to me) Leghorn rooster at a very young age while gathering eggs, I have also found great satisfaction in eating the mean ones.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Hmm...I would say that culling an aggressive rooster who is helpful to your breeding goals in order to protect your wife does show a level of...if not empathy, then at least protective instincts that extend beyond self-preservation. You don't have to be caught up in the emotions of others to be a decent human as long as you are doing your best to understand what they need (or think they need) and accommodate that when possible. It sounds like you did that.

A lack of empathy/being a "lousy human" would be your wife telling you "I'm terrified of that rooster now, because he attacked me!" And you responding, "well, you already promised you'd handle feeding the chickens and he's part of my breeding program, so I don't care. Deal with it."

Anyway, that's my two cents.

Well, I might have expressed more sympathy/commiserated with my wife a bit more. Or felt *something* when I butchered the roo more than a bit of irritation over its effect on the schedule/plan for the weekend. But there was no pleasure in it either, so there's that