Helpppp chicken breeds

[BjGeorge93]

Ok soooo I have an odd question haha. I’m very new at this and need some help. So I’m trying to start my chicken farm and I have some chickens I want and chickens I don’t know if I want and I’m having a hard time deciding what to keep and what to sell. So please any opinions are needed/ wanted.
I have 7 sapphires and I plan to only keep 5. I have 3 Easter eggers and planned to keep those along with 2 olive eggers and 2 BCM. I have 2 BYM but those I’m keeping for sure as long as they aren’t Roos. I’m also looking for a Sapphire Roo but that don’t matter in this post. I’d like to only keep 10 plus a roo but I’m having a hard time deciding what to keep and what not to keep. I’m sorry this is long I just didn’t know what to say or how to say it.

 

[DemeterAD9]

Start by asking yourself what you want from your birds. Just eggs, meat and eggs, friendly birds? Do you plan to hatch eggs in the future for meat and/or more birds that lay colored eggs?

Once you find out what you are looking for in your flock either sell or butcher the rest. It's not fun culling birds and don't plan to keep but at the same time it is necessary to get where you want to be.

For me I am working on dual purpose breeds, specifically good sized colored eggs and pretty feather patterns but also good sized fleshy bodies. I'm also trying to make my birds more cold hardy so I want roos and hens with shorter combs. My current flock of 21 will be getting reduced by a handful to weed out birds that don't fit the criteria and any I do not intend to breed from. Only a couple are being kept because they are friendly but they'd otherwise go. I hatched out 25 chicks from specific hens so I'll be sorting through them all to pick out the best individual to keep for breeding next year. All single combed cockerels have already been placed in a meat bird pen, several of the particularly nicely colored/patterned chicks with short combs are being grown out to see what color/size their eggs will be (and to get a replacement cockerel). By the end of fall I hope to reduce my 68 chicks/adults down to 30 of the best birds.

 

[BjGeorge93]

Start by asking yourself what you want from your birds. Just eggs, meat and eggs, friendly birds? Do you plan to hatch eggs in the future for meat and/or more birds that lay colored eggs?

Once you find out what you are looking for in your flock either sell or butcher the rest. It's not fun culling birds and don't plan to keep but at the same time it is necessary to get where you want to be.

For me I am working on dual purpose breeds, specifically good sized colored eggs and pretty feather patterns but also good sized fleshy bodies. I'm also trying to make my birds more cold hardy so I want roos and hens with shorter combs. My current flock of 21 will be getting reduced by a handful to weed out birds that don't fit the criteria and any I do not intend to breed from. Only a couple are being kept because they are friendly but they'd otherwise go. I hatched out 25 chicks from specific hens so I'll be sorting through them all to pick out the best individual to keep for breeding next year. All single combed cockerels have already been placed in a meat bird pen, several of the particularly nicely colored/patterned chicks with short combs are being grown out to see what color/size their eggs will be (and to get a replacement cockerel). By the end of fall I hope to reduce my 68 chicks/adults down to 30 of the best birds.

I kind of want it all haha which with that being said friendly, meat, and eggs. That’s why I’m having a hard time. I’m just learning about chickens so I have no idea what I’m doing.

 

[WingItRanch]

Ok soooo I have an odd question haha. I’m very new at this and need some help. So I’m trying to start my chicken farm and I have some chickens I want and chickens I don’t know if I want and I’m having a hard time deciding what to keep and what to sell. So please any opinions are needed/ wanted.
I have 7 sapphires and I plan to only keep 5. I have 3 Easter eggers and planned to keep those along with 2 olive eggers and 2 BCM. I have 2 BYM but those I’m keeping for sure as long as they aren’t Roos. I’m also looking for a Sapphire Roo but that don’t matter in this post. I’d like to only keep 10 plus a roo but I’m having a hard time deciding what to keep and what not to keep. I’m sorry this is long I just didn’t know what to say or how to say it.

Sounds like you've already decided! If you keep 3 Easter Eggers, 2 Olive Eggers, 2 BYM, and want 10 total... that leaves you with keeping 3 sapphires and selling the rest. That would give you a nice variety of egg colors too.

 

[BjGeorge93]

Sounds like you've already decided! If you keep 3 Easter Eggers, 2 Olive Eggers, 2 BYM, and want 10 total... that leaves you with keeping 3 sapphires and selling the rest. That would give you a nice variety of egg colors too.

So I’m better off not keeping 5 sapphires and selling other ones? That’s my issue I’m so lost.

 

[WingItRanch]

I mean.. it's whatever you want. Why do you want only 10? Do you have the space for more? And if don't have the space...Why do you have 5 birds too many? Lol

 

[BjGeorge93]

I mean.. it's whatever you want. Why do you want only 10? Do you have the space for more? And if don't have the space...Why do you have 5 birds too many? Lol

Well I have the space but we all need a limit right? Haha or should I say screw it and just keep them all lol

 

[WingItRanch]

Keep them all! Trust me, chicken math is a real thing. You'll realize that your limit is a joke and you'll end up with more before you know it!

 

[DemeterAD9]

I kind of want it all haha which with that being said friendly, meat, and eggs. That’s why I’m having a hard time. I’m just learning about chickens so I have no idea what I’m doing.

Well not all chickens (even of the same breed) are created equal, some are more consistent layers, some lay bigger eggs, some are larger/smaller and other may look big but are actually lanky, or look small but are really quite plump and meaty. Look at all your birds and keep track of who is laying what and how often. How well do they get along with each other, is there a bully or perhaps one that sticks to itself. One that is more flighty than the others. Feel their bodies and take a good look at their stance to determine if they will make good chicks for laying and/or meat. It is hard to determine these things with young birds unless you've got a well trained eye. I for one have no clue how my chicks will turn out until they are nearly mature, but this is only my second year keeping chickens so that is to be expected. If you have the space and feeding funds to keep them all, then just do that if you can't decide. Once you get a feel for what you want and what to look for then start sorting through your birds.

Right now I have 2 birds that are nearly a year old who have not yet laid on the cull list (one may stick around just because she is nice), then I have another 2 that may go because they lay some of my smallest eggs and are just average body size despite being Jersey "giants". Really I should get rid of my bantam but so far she's my only broody and she lays perfect bite sized eggs for boiling so she has her perks despite being a vicious little thing. I have 2 roosters that needs to become just one but while one is a hardy, big boy who survived winter unscathed he is not the hens' favorite. The other lost all his comb tips and parts of his toes but the hens adore him and he's rather plump and stocky which I quite like. I intend to make my decision based on how the kids turn out and that will take another 3 months. It's certainly a process with a bit of a learning curve! Just have fun with it!