The Realities of Chicken Breeding

[Hen-Gen]

I hesitated about posting this but in the end decided to because it’s one of the hard facts.
I hatched, as I said earlier, 48 chicks. However there is considerable ‘wastage’ for the following reasons.
1) Dominiques and Barred Rocks can be sexed at one day old via a combination of head spot size and definition and leg colour. Therefore the males have been destroyed.
2) Half of the Jersey Giants hatched were black. I do not require these so these were destroyed.
This leaves me with 23 chicks.
However I only need one Buff Leghorn cockerel so the lucky ones brothers will be destroyed. The pullets will be sold. The same logic applies to the Blue Jersey Giants where I only need the pullets so all males will be destroyed. For the Buff Leghorns and the Jersey Giants this will happen at about six weeks of age.
So I anticipate having about 12 chicks to rear to maturity.
This is why chicken breeding necessarily involves a degree of hard heartedness. I always say to people that if you can’t cope with this then do not think about hatching eggs. Buy your chickens as pullets.

 

[MrsBiscuit]

Indeed HG, I quite agree. Just out of interest, would you consider rearing 2 buff leghorn males in case of accidents? Or even more so you can choose the best and eat the rest? I get why you wouldn't rear JGs of either sex to maturity if you didn't need them, as they are so slow growing.

 

[Hen-Gen]

I’ve previously tried to rear Leghorn males for eaters (three blue ones). At 17 weeks there was the worst chicken related blood bath I’d ever seen. Combs were shredded and subsequently purple. I immediately necked two of them and swore never again ?.

 

[bigyetiman]

it is one of the harsh facts of a breeding programme, not for the faint hearted.

 

[LadyA]

Exactly why I have never had a cockerel. In some ways, I think it would be good to raise chickens for meat, but (let's be brutally honest here!) it's a lot of work.

 

[rick]

Breeds wouldn't exist without selection. I guess it isn't obvious how much selection. I know it wouldn't be an easy task but no-one can love a breed without being connected to what has to happen to get there. I'm a bit of a softy with mine but dont breed them (willy nilly or passionately with expertise.) Did save Bonnie a pointless car journey to the vet (as I promised her I would) but that's a different sort of difficult job.