Bird Culling

[honda2hummer]

What is bird culling and why do you do this?

[CalebK273]

Bird Culling is killing birds.  You do this if something is wrong with the birds like if they have a defect such as broken legs, missing parts, etc.

Caleb

[jk]

Killing/eating/selling birds to others that don't have desirable traits or don't represent the breed well enough(for poultry) for you to breed. You should also cul lany birds with deformities. Pretty much in one word, [undesirable] birds.

[stewaw]

If it helps, think in terms of agriculture.  When harvesting apples, as you remove them from the tree and examine them you have to chose which basket to put them in.  Some otherwise "undesireable" apples may be fine to keep for cobbler (think eating quail) and some may be perfect in shape, size and color to eat right off the tree (think breeders) while some are only fit for tossing over the fence (culls). What defines a cull bird varies depending on what it's purpose is.  If I was only raising flight birds a broken wing or injured leg would be a cull but if I'm only raising them for eating (or say dog training) then a broken wing or damaged foot may not be a problem provided it doesn't affect the birds ability to get around or eat......


David

[kcgamebirdfarm]

hey
   culling has also been used to produce dominant and recessive colors as well as larger breeds - .
like for instance - when i set my A&M eggs and florida giants - i will take 100 eggs and pick out the 50 largest ones - THEN THROW THE SMALLER ONES AWAY i dont sell them because then people will hatch them - raise them - sell them - and then you got some bad stock out there.
I like how caleb said it - cull = kill
                 jk                  cull = undesirable
i know this is an old post but i meant to reply along time ago and i got kicked off in the middle of the post
Kyle

[pheasant_dude]

Hello,

My first post on this forum. One thing I neglected to see anyone mention about culling was that this be done humanely...

pheasant_dude

[jk]

Culling isn't necessarily always killing. It can be just getting rid of birds as well(selling them). But if you are going to do elimination culling then jsut a quick pluck off of the head(for quail).

[kcgamebirdfarm]

hey
   as far as humane goes - allot of times when culling birds it is because of as stated sick, diseased or deformed birds - so honestly the humane thing is to kill the bird.
Kyle

[jk]

You put it well Kyle. Usually all the birds I cull are just deformed or I don't need them. The only ones that most people kill are the ones that are deformed or something like that.

[CharlieHorse]

Hello,

My first post on this forum. One thing I neglected to see anyone mention about culling was that this be done humanely...

pheasant_dude

Do you have any suggestions?

[aKirA]

Say a prayer and flush down the toilet.

[Babs_MN]

What is referred to below is considered selective breeding. Where you purposely breed for desired traits, culling is removal of the bird from your flock.
What you do with it is your business.
Babs


 

   culling has also been used to produce dominant and recessive colors as well as larger breeds - .
like for instance - snip - i will take 100 eggs and pick out the 50 largest ones - THEN THROW THE SMALLER ONES AWAY i dont sell them because then people will hatch them - raise them - sell them - and then you got some bad stock out there.
Kyle

[kcgamebirdfarm]

selectively does selective breeding taking 51% of the desired stock and re-breeding them
   and that would make the other 49% what? The culls?
I am not exactly sure where the difference comes in here -
for instance most people cull birds that have crooked toes - but would that also be selectivly breeding as it is said that crooked toes a hereditary and you would not want that passed on?
or if this doesn't matter what is the point in culling anyways = what is to gain of it?

aKirA you said something about flushing them but once again i must ask what do you do about ducklings that swim?

KC