Avoiding Inbred Chickens

[HeritageGoose13]

OK haha. (I've been known to make odd analogies, that was not the first or last time I am sure...)

 

[Beer can]

I look at it this way, if chickens were roaming wild like wild turkeys they would have a limited genetic base. They are designed by nature to survive just fine with some inbreeding, the same with deer or rabbits or squirrels. Its not like they would travel to the next county to find a mate. Nature would be culling any defective or weak birds. A chicken in the wild with a leg or wing defect, slow or weak would be taken by predators or hard winters, hot summers. Poor layers/hatchers would not pass on their genes as readily as good layers. Only the strong will survive.
We just have to do it ourselves.
A lot of good points here. You guys should check out the 'breeding for production eggs and meat' thread, a lot of good knowledge and information there.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

I look at it this way, if chickens were roaming wild like wild turkeys they would have a limited genetic base. They are designed by nature to survive just fine with some inbreeding, the same with deer or rabbits or squirrels. Its not like they would travel to the next county to find a mate. Nature would be culling any defective or weak birds. A chicken in the wild with a leg or wing defect, slow or weak would be taken by predators or hard winters, hot summers. Poor layers/hatchers would not pass on their genes as readily as good layers. Only the strong will survive.
We just have to do it ourselves.
A lot of good points here. You guys should check out the 'breeding for production eggs and meat' thread, a lot of good knowledge and information there.

Nice summary.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I look at it this way, if chickens were roaming wild like wild turkeys they would have a limited genetic base. They are designed by nature to survive just fine with some inbreeding, the same with deer or rabbits or squirrels. Its not like they would travel to the next county to find a mate. Nature would be culling any defective or weak birds. A chicken in the wild with a leg or wing defect, slow or weak would be taken by predators or hard winters, hot summers. Poor layers/hatchers would not pass on their genes as readily as good layers. Only the strong will survive.
We just have to do it ourselves.
A lot of good points here. You guys should check out the 'breeding for production eggs and meat' thread, a lot of good knowledge and information there.

In fact the truth of the matter is that the gene pool can be purified by inbreeding. The Middle East population has married their own 1st cousins for millenniums, without any appreciable genetic damage. Some experts estimate that 80% of all marriages that were ever entered into on planet Earth were between 1st or 2nd cousins. In fact Mr. survival of the fittest himself, Charles Darwin married his own 1st cousin as did Albert the brain Einstein. My analogy only falls apart when you start to look at the European Royal Heads of State. However I must remind you that i only endorsed cousin marriage, not incest.

 

[donrae]

Well, back to the OP's question

I've been breeding a simple backyard mixed flock for 20+ years. My focus is mostly egg production, I do eat my extra cockerels most of the time so I shy away from Leghorns and other lighter bodied breeds. I basically change out my rooster every 4 years. Once I kept the son of a current rooster, so I did wind up breeding brother to sister (probably half siblings) sometimes. Since my parent stock didn't have any obvious defects--scissor beaks, two heads, etc, neither did any of my chicks. Were my offspring SOP birds? No, because I started with hatchery stock. Were the offspring as good as the parent stock? Yep, pretty much. I found that 4 years was simply both my comfort zone for breeding relations, and about the effective life of my roosters. After about 4 years I'd notice a decline in vigor and fertility, sometimes the rooster was de-throned at that point and I went with a younger bird.

 

[Striver]

Well, back to the OP's question

I've been breeding a simple backyard mixed flock for 20+ years. My focus is mostly egg production, I do eat my extra cockerels most of the time so I shy away from Leghorns and other lighter bodied breeds. I basically change out my rooster every 4 years. Once I kept the son of a current rooster, so I did wind up breeding brother to sister (probably half siblings) sometimes. Since my parent stock didn't have any obvious defects--scissor beaks, two heads, etc, neither did any of my chicks. Were my offspring SOP birds? No, because I started with hatchery stock. Were the offspring as good as the parent stock? Yep, pretty much. I found that 4 years was simply both my comfort zone for breeding relations, and about the effective life of my roosters. After about 4 years I'd notice a decline in vigor and fertility, sometimes the rooster was de-throned at that point and I went with a younger bird.

Great reply. My plans are more along your own. My main goal is egg production, but extra cockerels and hens past their time will end up on the dinner table.

 

[donrae]

you're welcome. You just never know what's going to strike a nerve around here, do you? I see you're newer to the board and don't want you to get scared off by all the passion

 

[Striver]

Yeah, I guess if you want to get involved with something people are passionate about, you have to be ready to deal with passionate disagreements.