The Moonshiner's Leghorns

[Amer]

I actually didn't have to cull any this year for cross beaks but I'm also not home so maybe they all do, or my mom culled them without me knowing (I'm fine with that.)
The older ones all look like they have messed up beaks and I just have to turn a blind eye to that because I think they are just going through a phase where the beak looks awkward and I'm just paranoid.

 

[NagemTX]

My d'Anvers are always most likely to die but they are the smallest. Ironic though because they are the smartest out of the chicks when it comes to drinking water.

Probably true. I cull hard against bad beak shapes but they're still imperfect, the upper mandible never seems to stop growing.
I'm trying to select for a shorter, stouter beak.
After the first couple of generations of my birds I haven't noticed any cross beaks though, just a couple off center beaks these days.
Outcrossing is actually bad for the beak shape because all that selection goes away you can inbreed a nice beak on though.
I've heard it was associated with the rose comb gene giving a shorter head but maybe it is the beards if the same is the case for Ameraucanas plus I've never seen short heads on rosecombed Leghorns.

Happens alot in silkies and bearded polish as well. I've read up on it in those breeds and the Ameraucana. They all speculate that it's some combo of genes related to beards just like the crest genes relate to the head domeing.

 

[KF0002]

You're not putting any of those on your games are you

Probably!

 

[KF0002]

Had a nice hatch of turkeys. Slate Tuxedo, Black Tuxedo, Painted, White, and Rusty Black.

 

[Amer]

Had a nice hatch of turkeys. Slate Tuxedo, Black Tuxedo, Painted, White, and Rusty Black.

View attachment 4109366View attachment 4109367View attachment 4109368View attachment 4109369

this rusty black has a remarkably short face, toiny beak, and big eye
Anime uwu turkey

 

[KF0002]

With any beared breed it's more likely to happen. At lest it was only one.

Thank you. I still have a hard time culling.

I have a hard time culling too so I usually have my husband do it. But if he isn’t around and a chick is suffering I will snip its head off with a pair of very sharp scissors.

 

[Amer]

I have a hard time culling too so I usually have my husband do it. But if he isn’t around and a chick is suffering I will snip its head off with a pair of very sharp scissors.

I used to do that but chicks are so small that there's no reason to go for the scissors when my hands are right there.

 

[KF0002]

View attachment 4109380this rusty black has a remarkably short face, toiny beak, and big eye
Anime uwu turkey

Yes you’re right! lol It has a jenny looking face.

 

[KF0002]

I used to do that but chicks are so small that there's no reason to go for the scissors when my hands are right there.

I just can’t bring myself to do it with my hands. The scissors are quicker and less stressful for me. I’m a huge softy. My husband usually does all the dispatching, and I can butcher birds no problem once they are dead. But I have to walk away while he is culling them.

 

[Amer]

I just can’t bring myself to do it with my hands. The scissors are quicker and less stressful for me. I’m a huge softy. My husband usually does all the dispatching, and I can butcher birds no problem once they are dead. But I have to walk away while he is culling them.

It's a little disconcerting knowing what I'm capable of but I often prefer to do the deed because I know I'll do it right the first time. Any hesitation and it doesn't work correctly.