What babies/ birds should I keep?       

    I can tell you how I pick out my keepers and why for a general guideline, but that does not mean it is the only way to do this. Everyone has different areas to improve on their flock. You can pick out keepers different ways and that is ok. 


  Always remember to tell a buyer WHY you choose to sell a bird- point out it's good and bad points and price fairly. Breeder quality birds cost more than pet quality birds, "show quality" birds cost more than breeder quality birds. (Tolbunts can be shown, but are NOT an APA accepted variety- and are not suppose to go higher than variety, therefore selling a bird as a show bird is should be more that it has great type AND ideal coloring- not really as a "show bird".)


Chicks are not able to be judged on quality- I sell my chicks as pet quality with potential to be breeder or "show"  quality. Until they are at least 3-4 months old telling pet verses breeder/show is hard to say with any truth, and about 5-6 months old is the earliest to really know if something will be breeder verses show. Mind you those are the EARLIEST ages- if you only want a certain quality- wait until 6-8 months of age to get it. It will cost much more than a chick or 3 month old even though. 

  

 New hatch- 2 weeks old: 

     Cull for: Wrong down coloring, beak, leg, & toe issues (duck foot too) 

                                            (should be rare to cull any at this age)


    Sort for: I normally have eggs set for grow out, or sale- not both. Sometimes there will be 4-5 extras left over in a sales batch and I will pick my favorite looking babies out. I'll grab ones with darker beak & leg color, fuller crests & beards, and lower amounts of white on the crest. 


  3-6 weeks old:

    Cull for:  beak, leg, & toe issues (duck foot too)    (should be rare to cull for these things)

  

   Sort for:  I'll send off too red or too white babies at this point ONLY IF I need space. Remember they are young and often change more. 


 7-10 weeks old:

   Cull for:  beak, leg, & toe issues (duck foot too)  this is the age you start to see toe issues start up in this variety- and it is important they are NOT sent to breeding homes or kept for breeding.  

             (should be rare to cull for these things over all)


Sort for:  I WILL send off too red or too white babies at this point. Most of the smooth boys will be showing their baby red rooster feathers popping out if the crest in this time, frizzle do not always look the same- watch for stringy crest feathers that = boys. If I have ALOT of boys verses girls- I will find reasons to send off some of the boys. My local auction gets a lot of young tolbunt cockerels. Remember they are young and often change more. 


 11-16 weeks:

   Cull for:  beak, leg, & toe issues (duck foot too) NOW start checking combs for oddities, wings for splits, watch for kinky backs, off gaits, incorrect nostril placements, etc- send those to the stew pot or auction...... 

             (should be rare to cull for these things over all)


Sort for:   If I have a lot of babies I will send off some junior pairs and trios at this age and keep back at least 1/2 the group. You can start to see type and coloring at this age decently.


 4-7 months old: 

    Cull for:  beak, leg, & toe issues (duck foot too), combs  oddities, split wing, kinky backs, etc- send those to the stew pot or auction......   (should be rare to cull for these things over all)


   Sort for:  I cull heavy on type in this age group- you have a great idea on future type from this age. I sort out my favorites at this age based off body type, tail set and fullness, wing set, crest and beard development, free movement with width between legs, color of feather, legs, and beak.

 Also watch who presents themselves well when set on a table (a bird that hides is hard to show or evaluate) This is the age that is going to show me how their coloring will be over all (do I like it or is it- to red, too white, too mossy, overall uneven lacing, etc).   


 8-11 months old: 

   Cull for: should have all your structure culling done by now. Still watch combs and cull on those.

   

    Sort for:  I watch who is getting too white, who is getting too red, who has better type, tighter crest, beards. who has better wing sets, full wide tails, etc. Watch weights.


12-16 months:

   Cull for: should have all your structure culling done by now. Still watch combs and cull on those. Start culling out your lighter weight birds- tolbunts have an issue with low weights- lets get that changed by culling. (Remember culling does NOT mean killing- sell, eat, etc- your bird and your choice- be honest on why you are selling if there is a reason other than lower your amount)


  Sort for:  I watch who is getting too white, who is getting too red, who has better type, tighter crest, beards. who has better wing sets, full wide tails, etc. Watch weights.


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