- Sep 24, 2013
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I have just ordered 52 jumbo coturnix quail eggs from a breeder. The birds are from three distinct breeding groups. I would like to keep the nicest birds from this hatch as breeders. All the eggs were collected on one day and I think the chances any of them are full siblings is next to nothing, and probably very few are even half siblings, being from three different breeding groups at a large breeder.
I plan to have two pens that are about 12 sq ft each to keep breeders/layers. (Extra males I can grow out in another space). How would you keep these birds for breeding to help with genetic diversity as much possible? Should I divide them into two groups and swap the males each generation?
I could take the F2 male offspring from pen 1 and put them in pen 2 so they are not breeding their mothers. And take the F2 female offspring from pen 1 and put the F1 males from pen 2 in with them since they've been replaced by the new males... I'm sure its simpler written out as a flow chart...
Anyway...I'm curious what someone experienced would do with this set up! Of course I can always add in new stock every once in a while, but I'd like to do whatever I can with what I have!
The goal here: The birds are just for family egg and meat production. So I plan to hatch out fertile eggs, mostly for meat, every 8 weeks or so. Then I'll need to replenish my layers and breeders once a year or so.
Thanks!
I plan to have two pens that are about 12 sq ft each to keep breeders/layers. (Extra males I can grow out in another space). How would you keep these birds for breeding to help with genetic diversity as much possible? Should I divide them into two groups and swap the males each generation?
I could take the F2 male offspring from pen 1 and put them in pen 2 so they are not breeding their mothers. And take the F2 female offspring from pen 1 and put the F1 males from pen 2 in with them since they've been replaced by the new males... I'm sure its simpler written out as a flow chart...
Anyway...I'm curious what someone experienced would do with this set up! Of course I can always add in new stock every once in a while, but I'd like to do whatever I can with what I have!
The goal here: The birds are just for family egg and meat production. So I plan to hatch out fertile eggs, mostly for meat, every 8 weeks or so. Then I'll need to replenish my layers and breeders once a year or so.
Thanks!
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