Most of our flock is really old hens that aren't in lay. And although I feel awful about it, we need to cull some. My Grandmother says that thre is no point in feeding birds that don't do anything. We will be adding a rooster soon, off topic but do you have any suggestions/pros and cons between...
so awhile back i had posted questions about the dangers of opossums. having taken care of a few over time i had felt confident my flock was safe, but alas... yesterday morning seemed normal with feeding time at dawn as usual, but as roll-call carried on it became clear someone was missing and in...
Something got to our Brat Pack. Took off with one, we found one with head and neck and feathers, but interior gone, and one severely injured:
Basically, her complete back end had been eaten off, and she was limping, almost a hobble. She was making squeaky noises. We fed her and then I...
Hello BYC members!
While I am certainly curious about the viability of starting up my own chicken and/or quail operation in the future, I am mostly here to find out if there are any chicken or quail breeders near me that breed for meat rather than eggs. I am attempting to switch my ferrets over...
Although I know the pullets/hens are used for eggs, let's say too many have hatched out and you want to cull them for meat. At what age would be appropriate for a good sized DP bird?
I just culled four birds that were no longer laying, and I am wondering to what extent their abdominal fat played into it. A friend gave them to me- they had come from a stationary coop/run and were put into my mobile coop/run. They were feeding them twice a day, it sounded like, and I'm in the...
Hi there,
I'm relatively new to keeping chickens, and see them generally as pets. I don't raise for meat, and have decided to keep retired layers as pets through their natural lifespan. However, for the first time, I'm considering culling some of my hens, and would like some feedback...
I have never raised chickens. I have never lived on a farm, nor even visited one for more than a little tour when I was quite young. Having purchased my first home, AND home STEAD, in 2016... and at over the age of 40, everything has been exciting and daunting at the same time.
I currently...
My original post was on Aug. 22nd in relation to this poor bird.
Her condition has become a lot worse.
First posted in "Raising Baby Chicks".. This is the link to the history of her condition:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/genetic-mutation-or-disease.1194521/
Below is a video from...
I'm a first-time chicken owner, and one of our ladies hatched with a dislocated hip and as a result, her other leg can't hold up her wait and has over time crippled.
We're considering putting her out of her misery, and we'd prefer the cervical dislocation but aren't confident we'll get it right...
How do those of you who breed show-quality birds cull your hatched chicks? I have some nice FBCM stock that I'm trying to improve. In the past I have either sold or given away the culls, but recently I've reconsidered and am thinking about instead just decapitating the culls with kitchen shears...
A couple of months ago, my mom and brother came back from a birthday party with a baby chick. Turns out that the party favours were live baby chickens and my family (along with many others) had happily accepted the gift. I, on the other hand, knew that taking care of a chicken would take some...
I am going to try giving as much information as possible.
First, I told the children and myself that if they didn't lay they would be food. So I am setting up an area for that now.
We have 18 chicken that are just over a year old. Two Black Australorp (on chop block), Three Barred Rock (one...
Heyo. Recently, I posted a thread asking why my rooster was acting so aggressive. (I still appreciate answers on that thread as well). Many people responded, the majority advising me to get rid of it. If I do get rid of it, I'll have to cull it, because I don't want to put an aggressive rooster...