Early Culling of Chicks and Juvenilles

[Steve Neumann]

I realize that everybody has different birds and focuses on different breeding goals, but for those who have hatched many thousands, I would like to hear some of the things you cull for early in chicks and juveniles that you have determined not worth feeding for 6 months. 

[Mike Gilbert]

Genetic defects such as crooked toes, crossed beaks, slow growth and development.    I don't worry about coloring defects early on, as I have Asians who buy young birds to raise for meat, especially the bantams. 

[John W Blehm]

I realize that everybody has different birds and focuses on different breeding goals, but for those who have hatched many thousands, I would like to hear some of the things you cull for early in chicks and juveniles that you have determined not worth feeding for 6 months.

Study the Chick Phenotype topic.  I've posted a lot of photos there of day-old chicks and text about what I look for.  My rejects/culls today would have been keepers 30 years ago, so a lot depends on how close your breeders are to the Standard when judging which chicks to grow for show and/or breeding.  Chick down can tell you an awful lot about how a bird will feather out, but some of the other very important traits you are after can only be determined when a bird is mature.  Just as all the top show winners, of a particular variety, should look like twins so should all the day-old chicks.  Once you know the chick down color and pattern to look for, select for it...chick uniformity. 

[Suki]

Not for nothing, I have never found cross-beaks out of the gate.  That usually takes several weeks about 6 to develop.  i wish I could tell if that was going to happen earlier.