I do cull quite a bit every year also and keep my best.
...and start culling as day-old chicks. Look at the photos of chicks on the ABC site and compare. Some E/E and ER/ER chicks look the same, but if the chick is completely or almost completely black chances are it is ER/ER or E/ER.
This can save on brooder space and feed.
Keep culling every few weeks or so.
Interesting. I will start noting that at hatch.
I did have a couple of all black chicks hatch last year, no cream. Looked much like the brown red chick photos. I happened to keep one. It turned out a cockeral, no leakage so far, black legs I believe and black toenails, which I thought was neat and unusual. He is third in my pecking order (just a spare)because of size and a low tail.
Does the same hold true for the blue chicks if they do not have cream? Because I think I had one or two of those last year also. I also had one chick that I could have sworn was a black chick until lacing starting showing up when it fully feathered out. She is one dark hen.
But yes, I have been culling even the chicks. The wings have been issues with me in the past and I\'m finally past that. I usually end up growing out maybe 10 or 15 and cull once again. Except the hens. They are always good for eggs.
