I ran across this and I was just wondering if anyone has ever done this type of mating and if so how did it work for you?
Spiral Mating is a system in which three or more matings are setup every year. In the first year you divide the hens up into three or more "families" and give each family an identifying name: such as "1," "2," and "3," or "Blue," "Red," and "Pink," or "Albarado," "Belanger," and "Schrider." Males are chosen to mate with the females—as long as any given male is used, he will always be mated to females from only that one family. Offspring are marked and named for their mother's family. So pullets and cockerels from the "Blue" family are marked and called Blue family. In the second and following seasons, the pullets join their mothers and are used with that family; so Blue family pullets are added to the Blue family hen flock for breeding. Blue family sons, however, are only ever used on the next family hens—in this case Blue family roosters are used on Red family hens and pullets; Red family roosters on Pink family hens and pullets; and Pink family roosters on Blue family hens and pullets. The rotation, or spiral, comes from males of one family being used only with females of the next family. So in your records, you will know each season that Blue family roosters are always used with Red family pullets and hens.
The advantage of Spiral Mating is that close relatives are never mated and you can go many decades without adding new chickens. If you choose to add new chickens, new roosters can be substituted in for one family of males, and new hens can either start a new family, replace an old family of low quality, or be added to the family which they most resemble."
As the above description of "Spiral Breeding" suggests one can go many years without the need for new blood so this system also has a lot of merit if you are in for the long haul. To me the "Sprial Method" is a much easier system to put to use in terms of record keeping than some of the others but that's just my take on it?!?!
Spiral Mating is a system in which three or more matings are setup every year. In the first year you divide the hens up into three or more "families" and give each family an identifying name: such as "1," "2," and "3," or "Blue," "Red," and "Pink," or "Albarado," "Belanger," and "Schrider." Males are chosen to mate with the females—as long as any given male is used, he will always be mated to females from only that one family. Offspring are marked and named for their mother's family. So pullets and cockerels from the "Blue" family are marked and called Blue family. In the second and following seasons, the pullets join their mothers and are used with that family; so Blue family pullets are added to the Blue family hen flock for breeding. Blue family sons, however, are only ever used on the next family hens—in this case Blue family roosters are used on Red family hens and pullets; Red family roosters on Pink family hens and pullets; and Pink family roosters on Blue family hens and pullets. The rotation, or spiral, comes from males of one family being used only with females of the next family. So in your records, you will know each season that Blue family roosters are always used with Red family pullets and hens.
The advantage of Spiral Mating is that close relatives are never mated and you can go many decades without adding new chickens. If you choose to add new chickens, new roosters can be substituted in for one family of males, and new hens can either start a new family, replace an old family of low quality, or be added to the family which they most resemble."
As the above description of "Spiral Breeding" suggests one can go many years without the need for new blood so this system also has a lot of merit if you are in for the long haul. To me the "Sprial Method" is a much easier system to put to use in terms of record keeping than some of the others but that's just my take on it?!?!
