A question to those of you that raise quality show chickens, about parring my birds for mating

[henpeckedmuch]

Hear is a question for those that raise and show quality chickens

I am now ready to start mating my birds. A little background might be in order first. I have shown my birds and discovered which is my best cockerel and 2ND best cockerel. Also, my best pullet and the four next best pullets. I have 12 pullets in total, (They are all of the same lineage of course, and not to closely related).

How should I proceed in the parring these birds for mating? I would like to breed about 50 chicks from this lineage.
ReplyQuote Miltie

 

[sourland]

Do you have a mentor in your particular breed? There 'tricks' or methods that vary from breed to breed on what hens to pair with what roosters. Advice from someone successful with your particular breed would be invaluable. If that is not possible search for whatever is printed about your breed.

 

[Chris09]

If it was me the first year I would pen my best Cock over my 3 best Hens and pen my second best Cock over the rest of the Hens.
Hatch as many chicks as you can this year so that you have a good may chicks to pick from for breeding next year.


Chris

 

[Fred's Hens]

I am pretty much taking Chris09's advice for this year.

We have an old line of Rhode Island Reds that need a lot of work. We only selected Cockerel #1 and Cockerel #2 as worthwhile to even try going forward. Almost none of the pullets and one hen (mother of both cockerels) are near as we'd like to type. So, we just are putting #1 cockerel over the 4 females we have to work with. We've already begun to collect and incubate. We need to get out of the gate fast on this project.

After two batches with cockerel #1, we'll swap him out for cockerel #2 for a couple more batches. We hope to hatch 40-50 chicks and cull, cull, cull. We'd be very happy to get a half dozen decent birds out this season if decent DNA surfaces. Then, we'll put sons over mothers next year and well as daughters under fathers. But that is a year away.
If nothing comes out of this, we'll probably have to just let this old line go. We'll see how it goes.

 

[saladin]

If it was me the first year I would pen my best Cock over my 3 best Hens and pen my second best Cock over the rest of the Hens.
Hatch as many chicks as you can this year so that you have a good may chicks to pick from for breeding next year.


Chris

The only thing I would add (because I like/agree with this answer):

Next year you can use the Rolling Mating System of breeding. It is easy and works well.
Cocks will go over your best pullets/ Cockerels will go over your best hens. etc. etc.

 

[henpeckedmuch]

thanks guys that is what I'm going to do.