I\'m going to take more of a middle ground and say it depends on the population you are working with and the room you have to raise that population. An experienced breeder like John or Paul can spot problems fairly soon, because they have the experience. But if you are working with small numbers, and are in doubt, I would give the chick the benefit of the doubt and raise it up until you are sure you either want it or don\'t deem it worthy to keep. It is very possible to make mistakes by culling too early for relatively minor issues. I would look first of all for any obvious deformities, like crooked beaks or toes. Clean faces can be spotted rather easily. I raise blues, but end up with a few blacks each year out of my blue bantams. I like to see a lot of white/yellowish on the front of the chick. any with no white will probably end up being not a very well colored black. There may be some variation depending on the genetics of the breeders you are using, so be patient, observe closely, take notes, mark or band any chicks that stand out (either good or bad), and check those notes when the birds get older in order to learn more. Good luck!
