Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[U_Stormcrow]

Duck number Three (of 12 set). I have such terrible luck with incubating these. 1/3 were infertile roughly, and almost half were early quits - goign to crack open the last three, see if I can guess around what day things failed.

Then clean the incubator, set 12 chicken eggs.

Then process some birds. I have a male duck with a knee injury I can't fix. Quality of life is "poor", so we are ending his pain today. Taking two white hens (I hate the white!) and a Roo, possibly two. Plenty of evidence of overmating, not worried about a loss in fertility.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Twelve new (chicken) eggs set in the Incubator, let the three week countdown begin! I selected for egg size primarily, color second. Do **NOT** know the mammas - but did take a picture of "butts in seats", and took eggs from boxes occupied by primarily black or red hens. A few of the boxes had more than one egg, so... We've adjusted odds some, but no guarantees.

"Butts in Seats"

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Trying to get the pictures off the other cell phone.

Culled a duck (Pekin) with a knee problem I couldn't fix. Male. Approx 1 yr in age. A mere 5.29 pounds. Grind for burgers (not tonight).

One male Rooster, roughly 8 months in age. One of two I meant to cull (and the one I meant to cull last). He had pattern, no discernable reds, but all greyed out. Picture forthcoming. 5.07#

Hens - each was primarily white, each approx 8 months age +/-

3.74#, good fat color, but a little too much of it. Showed in the liver, too. Pictures incoming. Chicken body condition score "3+".

4.09# hen, paler fat, a little less of it. Body Condition score "3". No picture.

4.34# hen, good color, desired fat levels. Body condition score "3". No Picture.

All will likely be ground/processed and used to make "chicken cordon blue - like" toaster oven meals for when we don't feel like cooking.

Sig updated with new flock count.

 

[Sally PB]

I must have missed your scoring system. The higher the number the better (like a grade point average)?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

The promised pics.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I must have missed your scoring system. The higher the number the better (like a grade point average)?

The usual poultry condition scoring system. 3 is desired. 1 2 are underweight, 4 5 are increasingly overweight . I'll try to add a diagram later. Need a shower, badly.

 

[Sally PB]

The usual poultry condition scoring system. 3 is desired. 1 2 are underweight, 4 5 are increasingly overweight . I'll try to add a diagram later. Need a shower, badly.

OH, Duh! I've seen that! Now I know what you mean.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

OH, Duh! I've seen that! Now I know what you mean.

Yes, I'm trying to teach it to myself, and using the butchering results to calibrate it, since there is no more experienced person to tell me when I'm wrong.

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

Thanks for sharing that image! Just what I needed! There is something similar for sheep but I haven't seen this before.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

The second rabbit (female this time) is now occupying space that *had* been part of the run for the grow out pen.

Meet "Peanut Bunny" -