Growth patterns = assessing birds as they grow

by the Cuckoo Stud
This is the author's opinion only and is here as a guide, nothing more

Firstly when I say ‘cull’ I mean KILL, I do not normally believe in keeping/growing out and then later re-housing a less than best  possible quality bird
It is of course each person's decision as to what they keep, but please do consider what you are potentially doing to the breed by keeping, breeding from and re-housing culls. Do you want to be someone that  would be responsible for damaging and potentially seriously damaging the quality of the breed? Also consider the reputation you will acquire as a result of re-housing culls.

I rarely keep/grow out anything but the best quality possible in the standard colours.
I have only kept 'less than top quality birds' for my own use on occasion from colours I was developing, or rare colours.
Examples being the Crele, Partridge and the Gold Barred Buff. While under development there were occasions when I was
forced to keep less than best quality birds, for obvious reasons.

In all colours I only re-house if the new owner agrees in writing to either 'quality birds' or 'breed quality birds'.
(note that any bird can be shown and therefore be 'called' show quality by definition, but =                                                                          it is accuracy to the standards for Type and colour that really defines a show quality bird).

Also do not ‘view’ the birds daily – yes look at them when you tend to them but do not LOOK at them – you need to see them with fresh eyes at each culling session = “to see them but not view them means you will ‘see’ them properly when viewing them”

At this point = this needs to be said – a dear friend (now sadly departed) told me years ago      

 #Quote Lance Hicks  # 
“Breed the best to the best and hope for the best, choose the best and cull the rest,
  do not feed what you do not need.”  #End quote #


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Comments of weight, substance and solid legs are referring to the standard size fowl, bantams are of course a finer/smaller bird 
however this assessment still applies as the type and look are the same for both
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New chicks/hatchlings - fat little fluff balls – if any are decidedly smaller from the same parents/hatch = cull them - if any obvious defects or deformities cull them – do not waste feed on them!

2 weeks old – feathers well on the way to growing in – excluding Blacks and Chocolates = these are slow to feather up –
cull for any now obvious defects/deformities

4 weeks old – most of those ‘first feathers’ are grown in and the chicks should look ‘bright eyed and cheerful/energetic’ –
cull for now obvious defects – lower the amount of heat they are receiving by 25%

7-8 weeks take the birds ‘off heat’ if they are fully feathered up (allowing for the Blacks and Chocs) look for now obvious defects

12 weeks look for more defects and cull – these ones will be big enough to go on the dinner table – be aware they are now entering the gangly teenage stage so be careful not to cull just because they look like shite! ONLY cull for actual defects.
At this age most if not all deformities should not be present as they have been culled previous

16 weeks as per 12 weeks – at this cull all ‘defective’ birds should be in your freezer and the remainder are borderline ‘ugly’ gangly teenagers and you are now wondering “what am I doing???? These are sooooo yuk!” = keep them they will grow out of this stage!

20 weeks look at their heads and legs – pretty heads & solid legs = these are to be ‘tagged’ to be looked at again at 9-10 months old (loose cable ties on a leg is good, make notes re each of these birds and take pictures to go with the notes {close up head shots and full body side on shots} ) – separate the cockerels and pullets into sex differentiated pens = you do not want the pullets being trodden by a dozen or more cockerels when their hormones kick in !
Make sure the pens give enough room for the birds to move freely.

10 months look closely at the tagged birds - if the heads are no longer ‘pretty’ and the legs don’t appear solid still at this age = put different coloured tags on them and take more pictures and keep an eye on them to see how they go, they may improve and impress at the next ‘viewing’. Look at the chest and back of all – a developing/developed full round deep broad chest and a good neat back line = keep growing those out – if any of the pretty faced, solid legged have a good chest/backline – watch these closer at the next viewing. The bottom line can start to be 'watched' now as those feathers will be growing in.

11 months - handle the birds and 'feel' the breast 'meat', if this displays substance, that it feels 'full/heavy' and fills or falls over the side or your hand/s and if you think (for a moment) like you are going to drop the bird when you pick it up (due to the weight) you are on the right track. Also pay attention to the length of leg and muscle of same, solid shortish legs and strong thighs, along with substantial breast muscle indicate a large bird in the making.

If any cockerels impress and there are hens available and laying = put them together twice a day (for 15mins only) to do test matings – ensuring the cockerels stay together during the day and all night to alleviate any problems of fighting

By 12 months you have proof on the ground if the cockerels are worth keeping regards offspring – you have exhibited the cockerels,  and you can then choose the best of the soon to be 1st year roosters to keep and those you will re-house.

Keep the pullets separate until they have been exhibited and once gone through their first moult mate them to test breed to
find out what they will ‘throw’ in their offspring – then decide which brand new 1st year hens you will keep to work with.

Do not be tempted to just grow out and later sell everything you have hatched as you will give yourself a bad name and you will be contributing to damaging/destroying a wonderful breed.

AND / OR - the new owners will 'bag out' both your birds and you as they have decided after the fact that they are not happy with
what they chose to acquire from you.
This happened to me on the only two occasions I re-housed less than top quality birds (I released breed quality).
So, as you can see, it can happen to anyone.

The warning is out there = do not leave yourself open to being abused by those that agree to one thing (either verbally or in writing) then later decide to abuse regardless of the fact they are not happy with their OWN decisions.




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