Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[NatJ]

come January, I'll incubate

Incubating in January sounds like an easy way to select for winter laying! If they don't lay, you don't hatch from them

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Likely keeper from the last hatch, now about 3 weeks in age.

Good chance for this one too (terrible angle with the sun, its a black pattern on a red base).

and this is my most successful bird to date, age about 9 weeks. Comb is already getting red, likely cockerel. But this photo shows why I'm going for the muted red patterned birds for my particular chunk of land.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

and simply because its cute - my birds are bigger than my newest goat

Yes, that's a 4' plastic gutter full of oyster shell, the metal bowl needs cleaning, I use it for all sorts of things out there, and the automatic watering bowl is attached to one of my 275 gal totes, on a hinge to aid cleaning, and elevated to keep the birds mostly out of it.

 

[NatJ]

Likely keeper from the last hatch, now about 3 weeks in age.

He looks good! (Yes, I'm fairly sure that's a cockerel. If you want early development, I think he's doing well so far!)

 

[U_Stormcrow]

and this is simply an attractive miss.

 

[RoostersAreAwesome]

Likely keeper from the last hatch, now about 3 weeks in age.
View attachment 2897573

Good chance for this one too (terrible angle with the sun, its a black pattern on a red base).
View attachment 2897574


and this is my most successful bird to date, age about 9 weeks. Comb is already getting red, likely cockerel. But this photo shows why I'm going for the muted red patterned birds for my particular chunk of land.
View attachment 2897575

That last one actually looks like a pullet to me (though I could be wrong). I agree with @NatJ that the first one is likely a cockerel. 2nd also looks like a pullet.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

That last one actually looks like a pullet to me (though I could be wrong). I agree with @NatJ that the first one is likely a cockerel. 2nd also looks like a pullet.

I ***HOPE HOPE HOPE*** you are right, as #3 isn't particularly large compared to others of the batch, so I was concerned re size if it is a cockerel. 1 of course has clean legs (desired), while #3 is a Brahma mama, so if its cockerel and pullet, I may get some good crossesby next summer.

I keep saying how bad I am at sexing birds. More proof.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Likely keeper from the last hatch, now about 3 weeks in age.
View attachment 2897573

Good chance for this one too (terrible angle with the sun, its a black pattern on a red base).
View attachment 2897574


and this is my most successful bird to date, age about 9 weeks. Comb is already getting red, likely cockerel. But this photo shows why I'm going for the muted red patterned birds for my particular chunk of land.
View attachment 2897575

I'll bet that top bird is a boy.

 

[chickfused]

and this is my most successful bird to date, age about 9 weeks.

This one looks like someone stuck an owl face on a chicken body. It's kinda neat!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Four Males culled so far. Ages 13 wks, 16 wks, 16 wks, 20 weeks.

Weights 2.5#, 3.5#, 3.6#, 4.7# Pics when I get them off the phone - mostly culling out red and white birds that have no size to them.

Edit, one more bird (didn't photo, looked a lot like Pretty Boy, another male) at 5.07# joined the cull. Unsure if he was 20 wks or 23 wks. I found him standing on a high perch, looking like he was going to practice a crow. His testes were immature, but growing. I put him around 4 months +/-