Avoiding Inbred Chickens

[Striver]

Need a little guidance from the more experienced members. If you had a flock of 10 to 12 hens plus a rooster, wouldn't you need to introduce a new rooster with each subsequent generation to avoid inbreeding?

 

[Beer can]

You can.
Research line breeding.

 

[Striver]

You can.
Research line breeding.

Thanks. You've opened my eyes.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

You don't have to introduce new blood that often at all. If your keeping a heritage breed and breeding towards the SOP then stringent records would be kept and line breeding practices adhered to. With a back yard flock that you have no intention of showing or maintaining SOP then you'd only worry about a few negative attributes showing up in the flock. Things like less egg laying, low vigor or hatching rate, things of that nature that are telling you you need to introduce new blood, an unrelated cock bird for mating. It would take many generations for negative attributes to show up. 'Inbreeding" is not really a negative thing in itself and far too much concern it imported to it.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

12 hens housed in 6 pens bred to one rooster in each pen and the roosters rotated or moved each year or every clutch of eggs, coupled with judicious and I should add RUTHLESS CULLING and smart picking of brood stock will banish all problems with inbreeding.

The most important thing is ruthless CULLING. The next most important factor is ruthlessly CULLING the right individuals. Because when you begin to breed any animal you are in effect playing god with that animal and with its DNA. Where most people go wrong is when they neglect to play god in a ruthlessly enough manner. You can not become emotionally involved with your chickens. If several chicks in a clutch are unable to hatch without human help lets say, what makes you believe that these weakling chicks or even their brothers and sisters little less their mothers and fathers are good brood rooster or brood hen material? What about that chick with crooked toes or a cross beak? The same thing goes for pampering or doctoring sick birds. If you are unable, unwilling, or to kind hearten and you shy away from playing god in this manner then in my humble opinion you should not be breeding chickens, especially if you intend on selling them to other people who will simply watch them die.

 

[eviemethugh]

It depends on what you are breeding for. If it isn't too serious (like showing the birds) then you can inbreed up to 8 generations before things get screwy.
A better alternative for the casual breeder is to mate the sons of bird A to birds B, C, & D. Then they are getting some new genetic material without your breeding program costing an arm and a leg.
And yes, cull cull cull. There is no reason to make more of a bird with leg problems or who doesn't lay good looking eggs. Choose only the best of your birds.

 

[Toddrick]

What if your rooster was a slow developer, smaller than the others, but caught up to the others within 12 weeks? (I think mine wasn't slow because of genetics, but because I cracked his egg and had to superglue it together). He's my only rooster now, and I want to breed for my own flock, and maybe to give away some pullets too. I'm not showing or selling--but should I find a better rooster?

 

[AmyLynn2374]

12 hens housed in 6 pens bred to one rooster in each pen and the roosters rotated or moved each year or every clutch of eggs, coupled with judicious and I should add RUTHLESS CULLING and smart picking of brood stock will banish all problems with inbreeding.

The most important thing is ruthless CULLING. The next most important factor is ruthlessly CULLING the right individuals. Because when you begin to breed any animal you are in effect playing god with that animal and with its DNA. Where most people go wrong is when they neglect to play god in a ruthlessly enough manner. You can not become emotionally involved with your chickens. If several chicks in a clutch are unable to hatch without human help lets say, what makes you believe that these weakling chicks or even their brothers and sisters little less their mothers and fathers are good brood rooster or brood hen material? What about that chick with crooked toes or a cross beak? The same thing goes for pampering or doctoring sick birds. If you are unable, unwilling, or to kind hearten and you shy away from playing god in this manner then in my humble opinion you should not be breeding chickens, especially if you intend on selling them to other people who will simply watch them die.

It depends on what you are breeding for. If it isn't too serious (like showing the birds) then you can inbreed up to 8 generations before things get screwy.
A better alternative for the casual breeder is to mate the sons of bird A to birds B, C, & D. Then they are getting some new genetic material without your breeding program costing an arm and a leg.
And yes, cull cull cull. There is no reason to make more of a bird with leg problems or who doesn't lay good looking eggs. Choose only the best of your birds.

I am so glad I am not ruthless or heartless and am kind hearted enough to take care of what I breed and not play God. As for your opinion of the nice guys should not be breeding and raising chickens, it's my opinion that ruthless people who don't take responsibility for the animals they have decided to bring into this world should not be breeding chickens. Just because something isn't perfect does not mean it doesn't have quality.

I agree that a sick or suffering bird should be culled and I agree that you shouldn't knowingly be selling birds/eggs from a chicken with problems. Or breeding from a bird that produces offspring with serious issues. As for just not being perfect, many people aren't looking for perfection in their birds and as long as you aren't selling them as high or show quality and the person knows that they are not getting show quality there is nothing wrong with selling them.

As for assisting, I've said it before in this arguement and I'll say it again. My very first assist was a very malpostioned chick. She would not have been able to get out due to her position and would have died. She is and always has been a beautiful healthy girl and is now one of my top egg layers. I've done a handful of assists since her all with great results. You can have your opinion, but to say those of us who have a heart shouldn't breed is ignorant. We do just fine balancing breeding/raising and empathy thank you very much.

I'm not even going to touch the good looking egg comment.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Of course everything hatched has value. Culling can mean sold as a pullet/layer or to your personal layer flock. It's not always killing. Cockerels usually are killed when culled from breeding but that chicken dinner has value too. It's not ruthless at all, it's husbandry and maintaining a sustainable flock, egg and meat source. The breeding is a bonus enjoyment and sense of accomplishment. For all the chicks hatched many can immediately be sold straight run as you get better with early signs of keepers for the breed.

 

[HeritageGoose13]

I've not yet bred chickens (have worked with other animals though), but if I were going to I would go with "spiral breeding." Look it up; only thing is I think you'd probably do better with more than 13 chickens.

Agree that culling is very important. Produce a lot, cull a lot. If you really care about the breed you're working with, you'll accept nothing less than perfection. Especially if you plan on selling, you want your customers to get the very best.

12 hens housed in 6 pens bred to one rooster in each pen and the roosters rotated or moved each year or every clutch of eggs, coupled with judicious and I should add RUTHLESS CULLING and smart picking of brood stock will banish all problems with inbreeding.

The most important thing is ruthless CULLING. The next most important factor is ruthlessly CULLING the right individuals. Because when you begin to breed any animal you are in effect playing god with that animal and with its DNA. Where most people go wrong is when they neglect to play god in a ruthlessly enough manner. You can not become emotionally involved with your chickens. If several chicks in a clutch are unable to hatch without human help lets say, what makes you believe that these weakling chicks or even their brothers and sisters little less their mothers and fathers are good brood rooster or brood hen material? What about that chick with crooked toes or a cross beak? The same thing goes for pampering or doctoring sick birds. If you are unable, unwilling, or to kind hearten and you shy away from playing god in this manner then in my humble opinion you should not be breeding chickens, especially if you intend on selling them to other people who will simply watch them die.

Ruthless indeed! Yes, a god that plays favorites is not good. Nature is ruthless, it kills whenever animals show a moment of weakness. This is what keeps wild animals strong and healthy. We should act in the same manner with our domestic animals. When we don't, we end up with pug-faced bulldogs who can't breathe, collies that are afraid of sheep and other tragedies. The same thing could happen to chickens if people favor the wrong traits.

Treat each bird in an equal and objective manner, without favoring any over the other or compensating for weaknesses. And start with the best stock you can afford.