using a drake from his flock... is it wrong or right ? please help !

[michelle b 1972]

hi everyone,
i am looking to buy some welsh harlequin fertile duck eggs to incubate and raise myself... the trouble is i would like to keep all the females and just 1 drake but i dont know if once they are older i could use him to breed with the girls... which in effect would be his sisters ! i know in the wild they would possibly do it but i want to know is it best to buy a new malle in or is it ok to use him... i dont want to have to cull any deformed ducklings so thought id better check with you guys before i commit !
thanks
michelle x

 

[muddyhorse]

you should be just fine. in a couple of generations you will want a new bloodline but you should be OK

 

[TK Poultry]

you could do that, or buy a really nice drake with good conformation, and breed him back to his daughters to lock in conformation and there is the start of you flock. But if you want to keep your guy I would only breed him to his sisters for a generation or two. I also wouldn't breed him back to his nieces/daughters. That may be getting too close genetically. But in poultry the closer they are genetically the better. I've heard of people hatching out a dozen eggs and keeping a closed flock for like 10 years never adding new stock without problems. So I suppose its a personal breeding choice. When I start a new flock of something I usually buy from at least three different breeders that way I have genetic diversity yet I can still manipulate whats going on fairly easily.

 

[kswaterfowl]

Most breeders are afraid of inbreeding.
Inbreeding is a fact of line breeding and is necessary to a certain degree to perfect a strain of poultry.
The way to prevent inbreeding depression is to cull hard for deformities.
Select hard for health and vigor and productivity.
The most prevalent symptoms of inbreeding are poor productivity and lack of vigor.
Traits to select for are age when start to lay (earlier the better).
Weight at 16 or 20 weeks. (should be at standard weight for cockerels and pullets by this time).
Number of eggs layed per year.
Fertitlity, number of eggs hatched per number of eggs set.
Birds with poor health and vigor should never be used in your breeding program.
Longevity is also important and selection criteria should favor older birds since old age is a great indicator of health and vitality.

9 times out of 10 I would prefer never to outcross onto another line. But if an outcross is required, that cross should be done with birds that are still related, but if possible, from the original flock my own are from, or from a previous generation. That's not to say I haven't brought in a new bird here and there, but normally those birds are directly related to my own stock, OR if there is some major issue showing up, I will bring in a new bird that doesn't possess that issue, but I never get rid the original birds until I am sure the new bird will benefit us rather than harm our breeding program.

 

[michelle b 1972]

thankyou all so much !
regards
michelle x

 

[michelle b 1972]

hi guys, just to let you know i have now purchased my welsh harlequins and none of them are related and they are all from show stock and he has mated with one of my girls at the moment

... how long should i have to wait before she starts laying ? and i also have bought 6 welsh harlequin fertile eggs and they are in my incubator as we speak... they are at 5 days and it looks like 4 are forming nicely so i will have some new lines also... i will keep you all posted on my little ones and when they hatch i will post some pictures
thanks
michelle

 

[michelle b 1972]

hi everyone, just to let you all know i managed to have 2 fertile eggs and they are due to hatch on the 10th march

michelle