ejcrist
Songster
I'm a new chicken raiser and have only raised my current flock which is 6 months old and just started laying, and a flock of broilers which of course is no longer around. I'm very interested in breeding and I'm currently reading several books on the subject. As I've been thinking about breeding I'm figuring out that one would have to be pretty skilled in integrating chicks and roosters if you're line breeding and rotating roosters. I've read where a lot of general flock owners avoid integrating like the plague since it's difficult and risky, but from what I can tell it's very necessary if you ever hope to have a successful program running. Also, with regard to chicks, do most people select eggs and incubate most of the time or do they let the hens brood chicks? I'd think you wouldn't want the hens doing the work because you may have to wait for a while to get hatchlings and you also wouldn't have as much control. Also I know some birds don't make good mothers, like Leghorns, so I'm guessing if you didn't incubate Leghorn chicks you may never get any hatchlings. Is this generally true and am I on the right track? Any info would be appreciated.