Welcome Penny Hen. I don't have any fertile eggs I just wanted to welcome you.
Colorado
- Thread starter tsgreer
- Start date
I will be very interested to watch this process. I know you aren't on this board much, but I hope you find the time to update every now and then.Looks like 13 of the 30 consignment chicks (now close to 4 months old) will be going away this weekend. That will lower my numbers from about 125 to 112.
I will also start separating out the culls from the potential keepers. Think of it as the first cut from the team...... After the cockerels are processed, and the culling is done, I plan on only keeping 16 breeder females, one older rooster (Lot), up to three new cockerels "to watch until breeding season), and a few other pullets and hens for eating egg production next spring. Over-wintering about 30 chickens total.......
As part of the process, I am thinking about finding new homes for up to 8 of my two year old hens. They are still laying, but production is off from last year, and I need the room for this year's pullets. These are NOT are not my breeders and are from hatchery stock. If anyone is interested, let me know and we can work something out. All these hens are Dominiques. Not show stock, not great SoP birds.
I need to reduce my flock this winter too and am having a hard time deciding who makes the cut or not.
All my birds are hatchery, except for the eggs I got from Wendell and those are mutts (Dom X EE) unless one is a Dominique. I still don't know. I still don't know if any are pullets or how many roos I have. They are 4 weeks old today. I am pretty sure there are at least 2 roosters, maybe 3 and I am hoping at least1 or 2 are pullets.
I also have 7 hens who are 2 1/2 years old. I am thinking I should probably cull them just because of the lower production and age.
I also have 17 hens who are 1 1/2 years old.
I ALSO have 8 pullets who are 4 months old. (I have a chicken math problem)
What do others do here? Do you cull because of age or do you try to find out who is laying and how well they are laying, or do you just let your birds live out their lives.
Also, when you 'cull' does that mean rehome or eat? Wendell. I hope you answer this question. I know you are eating the extra roos and rehoming 8, but the second and third 'cut from the team' will you try to rehome or make a lot of soup?.
For me, living out their lives doesn't seem practical. I would like to get my flock down to around 20 for the winter.
I am only 2 1/2 years into chicken keeping so I still learning a lot.
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I think the reduction process depends on what you want from your flock. It's different for everyone, although I think we're all trying to keep the feed bill regulated.
We just culled three hens. A couple of reason had us deciding this. One hen has had bumble foot for over a year, we beat it back last year, but it returned this year and two surgeries did nothing to alleviate it. The other two hens were the sex-links I talked about, and I just couldn't over look the egg issues.
We still have three other hens the same age, but they're laying just fine still. A barred rock that happens to be my husbands favorite, and two Cochins. I know the BR will have to go soon, but we might hold onto the cochin girls a bit longer to help rebuild the cochin flock.
I think it's really hard picking which birds must go, it's especially hard when cull has to mean kill, because no one else wants my spent birds. I think I could possibly rehome the Cochins, because they're beautiful, but it would have to be someone that just wanted pretty birds and didn't mind reduced eggs.
We just culled three hens. A couple of reason had us deciding this. One hen has had bumble foot for over a year, we beat it back last year, but it returned this year and two surgeries did nothing to alleviate it. The other two hens were the sex-links I talked about, and I just couldn't over look the egg issues.
We still have three other hens the same age, but they're laying just fine still. A barred rock that happens to be my husbands favorite, and two Cochins. I know the BR will have to go soon, but we might hold onto the cochin girls a bit longer to help rebuild the cochin flock.
I think it's really hard picking which birds must go, it's especially hard when cull has to mean kill, because no one else wants my spent birds. I think I could possibly rehome the Cochins, because they're beautiful, but it would have to be someone that just wanted pretty birds and didn't mind reduced eggs.
Thanks for answering Ashdoes. I hope others chime in too. Will you eat the three you just culled?
I think for me cull means to kill. I just rehomed that rooster and a little part of me wanted to see what a polish 4 month old rooster would taste like. But thought he was so handsome if someone wanted him I should let him live.
I will eat any roosters from Wendell's eggs and I will make soup from any of my culls this fall.
I have made peace with that. I just need to figure out who, and how many.
I have about 4 who aren't great layer so I know they will go.
I think for me cull means to kill. I just rehomed that rooster and a little part of me wanted to see what a polish 4 month old rooster would taste like. But thought he was so handsome if someone wanted him I should let him live.
I will eat any roosters from Wendell's eggs and I will make soup from any of my culls this fall.
I have made peace with that. I just need to figure out who, and how many.
I have about 4 who aren't great layer so I know they will go.
Also, when you 'cull' does that mean rehome or eat? Wendell. I hope you answer this question. I know you are eating the extra roos and rehoming 8, but the second and third 'cut from the team' will you try to rehome or make a lot of soup?.
For me, living out their lives doesn't seem practical. I would like to get my flock down to around 20 for the winter.
I am only 2 1/2 years into chicken keeping so I still learning a lot.
[/quote]
When I use the term "Cull" I am removing it from the flock.
This can be done in a variety of ways.:
1. sell or donate the bird as a layer only, please don't breed
2. sell or donate as a pet (doesn't happen often)
3. Process the bird.
Flock evaluation at my place is an ongoing effort until I set up the breeding pens. I breed to APA standard for my breed. When the birds are young, there are a couple of things that stand out and initially, to cull or "cut from the team" is easy. i.e. head/beak, comb shape, and color (beak, legs, feathering) All my pullets will become great layers, so I prefer to sell or donate these culls so they can live their lives in a productive manner. Cockerels that don't meet these early criteria will be raised to about 24-26 weeks and then processed. I won't sell one of these cull cockerels for breeding. After the birds get to about 16-20 weeks, I can cull for body shape and tails (there's more that I look at, but this is a simplified explanation). Also, other comb issues are usually apparent by this stage, so we then have the 2nd cut from the team. By 26 weeks, the cockerels that didnt make the cut are processed, and they taste delicious. Then I have to bring the pullet/hen numbers down to my over-winter goal numbers. Yes, I have the room to keep more, but with my self imposed maximums, I must look very closely at my stock, and only keep those that will improve my flock/line. After I am at my goal numbers, I have a pretty good group, but it doesn't end there. I have two breeding pens, and next January each will house my best cockerel/ 8 Hens and Cock/ 8 pullets. I sometimes classify them as my 1st string, and 2nd string. Those that don't make it into the breeding pens are my 3rd string. The 1st and 2nd string eggs are either sold as fertile hatching eggs, or collected and hatched. They are too valuable to eat. The 3rd string flock, which also contains my 3rd string rooster, is kept for eating egg laying. That way I can still eat and sell eating eggs, but I also can maintain the breeding birds as well. When the breeding season is over, the best rooster is kept, and the 2nd and 3rd string roosters are either sold/rehomed or eaten.
This way I am always improving the flock. They are healthier, and each year are closer to what i feel is the perfect Dominique.
Any hens that "made the team" that aren't meeting expectations are also either sold as layers, or made into soup.
I know that the vast majority of the folks on BYC are more pet chicken oriented, rather than farm animal oriented, and that's OK. My chickens are livestock, and I have to look at them that way or chicken math would kill me......
I also maintain some other hens/pullets other than Dominiques just for fun. I have 5 EEs, and will keep at least one of the Dominegger pullets. Just for fun. (The EEs and mixes don't go into the breeding pens, though with a rooster in with them, their eggs are usually fertile as well) The 3rd string hens from this year will need to either be re-homed, sold, or souped. For me to meet my flock goals, I can't keep them around.
For me, living out their lives doesn't seem practical. I would like to get my flock down to around 20 for the winter.
I am only 2 1/2 years into chicken keeping so I still learning a lot.
[/quote]
When I use the term "Cull" I am removing it from the flock.
This can be done in a variety of ways.:
1. sell or donate the bird as a layer only, please don't breed
2. sell or donate as a pet (doesn't happen often)
3. Process the bird.
Flock evaluation at my place is an ongoing effort until I set up the breeding pens. I breed to APA standard for my breed. When the birds are young, there are a couple of things that stand out and initially, to cull or "cut from the team" is easy. i.e. head/beak, comb shape, and color (beak, legs, feathering) All my pullets will become great layers, so I prefer to sell or donate these culls so they can live their lives in a productive manner. Cockerels that don't meet these early criteria will be raised to about 24-26 weeks and then processed. I won't sell one of these cull cockerels for breeding. After the birds get to about 16-20 weeks, I can cull for body shape and tails (there's more that I look at, but this is a simplified explanation). Also, other comb issues are usually apparent by this stage, so we then have the 2nd cut from the team. By 26 weeks, the cockerels that didnt make the cut are processed, and they taste delicious. Then I have to bring the pullet/hen numbers down to my over-winter goal numbers. Yes, I have the room to keep more, but with my self imposed maximums, I must look very closely at my stock, and only keep those that will improve my flock/line. After I am at my goal numbers, I have a pretty good group, but it doesn't end there. I have two breeding pens, and next January each will house my best cockerel/ 8 Hens and Cock/ 8 pullets. I sometimes classify them as my 1st string, and 2nd string. Those that don't make it into the breeding pens are my 3rd string. The 1st and 2nd string eggs are either sold as fertile hatching eggs, or collected and hatched. They are too valuable to eat. The 3rd string flock, which also contains my 3rd string rooster, is kept for eating egg laying. That way I can still eat and sell eating eggs, but I also can maintain the breeding birds as well. When the breeding season is over, the best rooster is kept, and the 2nd and 3rd string roosters are either sold/rehomed or eaten.
This way I am always improving the flock. They are healthier, and each year are closer to what i feel is the perfect Dominique.
Any hens that "made the team" that aren't meeting expectations are also either sold as layers, or made into soup.
I know that the vast majority of the folks on BYC are more pet chicken oriented, rather than farm animal oriented, and that's OK. My chickens are livestock, and I have to look at them that way or chicken math would kill me......
I also maintain some other hens/pullets other than Dominiques just for fun. I have 5 EEs, and will keep at least one of the Dominegger pullets. Just for fun. (The EEs and mixes don't go into the breeding pens, though with a rooster in with them, their eggs are usually fertile as well) The 3rd string hens from this year will need to either be re-homed, sold, or souped. For me to meet my flock goals, I can't keep them around.
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Also, I don't use the buy-sell-trade feature on BYC. Birds for sale are listed on my FB page, etc. or by contacting me via PM, emai, phone, etc.
Occasionally I will have several high quality cockerels, but I can't keep all of them. These I do my best to sell or place with 4H homes or to "budding breeders". I have to be careful, as I sold some pullet chicks to someone fairly local, who turned around and sold them on Craigslist for triple the price she paid. Not cool.
Occasionally I will have several high quality cockerels, but I can't keep all of them. These I do my best to sell or place with 4H homes or to "budding breeders". I have to be careful, as I sold some pullet chicks to someone fairly local, who turned around and sold them on Craigslist for triple the price she paid. Not cool.
I have been reading about people doing that. Takes a lot of nerve...wow.
I was going to eat the sex-links, until we saw the prolapsed vent, and I was just too upset by it. All our Silkie culls have gone under newly planted trees. We froze them till planting day, then thawed in the hole full of water.
But usually, we do eat them, my daughters really enjoyed eating the Roos that kicked them...chicken tacos were called kicky boy tacos.
But usually, we do eat them, my daughters really enjoyed eating the Roos that kicked them...chicken tacos were called kicky boy tacos.
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain your system in more detail. It is very helpful to me and I think will help in making some hard decisions.
I don't breed my chickens, and my chickens aren't pets. I love the eggs and providing eggs to friends (it pays the feed bill), but I love to look at them too. I love looking at a healthy flock.
I have allowed myself some bantams and polish chickens to satisfy the 'yard candy' need I have. I also love a beautiful egg basket. I know that means I won't have any hens laying 280 eggs a year. I'm ok with that too.
I have a chicken who is laying a weird shaped egg. It is very large and once a month or so it has an opened end where the shell didn't form correctly. She lays almost every day, but she will be culled this fall. I have two others who I don't think I have ever seen in a nest box. They will go too.
I have about 32 birds now. I need to get rid of at least 12....
Thanks
mo
I don't breed my chickens, and my chickens aren't pets. I love the eggs and providing eggs to friends (it pays the feed bill), but I love to look at them too. I love looking at a healthy flock.
I have allowed myself some bantams and polish chickens to satisfy the 'yard candy' need I have. I also love a beautiful egg basket. I know that means I won't have any hens laying 280 eggs a year. I'm ok with that too.
I have a chicken who is laying a weird shaped egg. It is very large and once a month or so it has an opened end where the shell didn't form correctly. She lays almost every day, but she will be culled this fall. I have two others who I don't think I have ever seen in a nest box. They will go too.
I have about 32 birds now. I need to get rid of at least 12....
Thanks
mo
I can't believe people do that!
We are new to chicken keeping too (1 1/2 years) so we haven't had to face the culling decision but I've thought about it. We don't breed for a specific standard so we don't have to worry about quality of looks. We will only be concerned with productivity. We have decided that we will have a pet flock and a laying flock. The pets are there because they have personalities that we are attached to and offer more to us than just eggs. This includes our first batch of hens and our bantams. They will live out their lives here. Our laying hens will probably become soup when their production goes down.
That's the plan anyway. It won't really take effect until we get some more pens built. I'd like to keep the layers separate from the pets eventually. Right now as long as they are nice they'll get to live out their life. There's a couple in there that are so skittish, if they stop laying, I wouldn't have a problem eating them.
We are new to chicken keeping too (1 1/2 years) so we haven't had to face the culling decision but I've thought about it. We don't breed for a specific standard so we don't have to worry about quality of looks. We will only be concerned with productivity. We have decided that we will have a pet flock and a laying flock. The pets are there because they have personalities that we are attached to and offer more to us than just eggs. This includes our first batch of hens and our bantams. They will live out their lives here. Our laying hens will probably become soup when their production goes down.
That's the plan anyway. It won't really take effect until we get some more pens built. I'd like to keep the layers separate from the pets eventually. Right now as long as they are nice they'll get to live out their life. There's a couple in there that are so skittish, if they stop laying, I wouldn't have a problem eating them.
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