Best way to crossbreed ducks for egg production

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

I have a small flock of mixed ducks which I will be hatching from this year; mostly just for fun but I would also like to focus on some traits. I am still pretty new to genetics and so far have only learned about colour genetics.
Is good egg production something that is consistently passed down by parents to offspring? If I breed the hens hatched by the best layers to the drakes hatched by the best layers, would that keep the trait going or are there other things I also need to focus on for that trait?

 

[NatJ]

Is good egg production something that is consistently passed down by parents to offspring? If I breed the hens hatched by the best layers to the drakes hatched by the best layers, would that keep the trait going or are there other things I also need to focus on for that trait?

At least in chickens, yes that is the main trait.
I don't know for sure about ducks, but it seems likely to work with them too.

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

At least in chickens, yes that is the main trait.
I don't know for sure about ducks, but it seems likely to work with them too.

Thanks, that's good to know! I would guess ducks would be the same too. I thought I remembered reading somewhere that a certain layer hybrid, maybe White Layer or Golden 300 or something similar, would decrease in egg production if they were continually bred to each other. But I don't remember where I read it, or why that was, or if I even read it right. It's proving hard to find information on breeding and genetics when it comes to ducks.

 

[NatJ]

Thanks, that's good to know! I would guess ducks would be the same too. I thought I remembered reading somewhere that a certain layer hybrid, maybe White Layer or Golden 300 or something similar, would decrease in egg production if they were continually bred to each other. But I don't remember where I read it, or why that was, or if I even read it right. It's proving hard to find information on breeding and genetics when it comes to ducks.

Certain hybrids do produce more than either parent. Breeding the hybrids to each other produces chicks with various rearrangements of the genes, and some of those will not lay as well as their hybrid mothers did.

Inbreeding can cause problems with reproduction (fewer eggs, poor fertility, poor hatching.) That's typically caused by mating closely related individuals for multiple generations. That would apply about the same whether you're mating the best layers, or the worst layers, or the prettiest feather color, or the friendliest birds, or whatever other trait. If you are really focusing on egg production you will notice when things stop improving, and can add some new genes then.

Of course birds have to be healthy in general to lay well, but that means that selecting the best layers will also be selecting for healthy birds.

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

Certain hybrids do produce more than either parent. Breeding the hybrids to each other produces chicks with various rearrangements of the genes, and some of those will not lay as well as their hybrid mothers did.

Inbreeding can cause problems with reproduction (fewer eggs, poor fertility, poor hatching.) That's typically caused by mating closely related individuals for multiple generations. That would apply about the same whether you're mating the best layers, or the worst layers, or the prettiest feather color, or the friendliest birds, or whatever other trait. If you are really focusing on egg production you will notice when things stop improving, and can add some new genes then.

Of course birds have to be healthy in general to lay well, but that means that selecting the best layers will also be selecting for healthy birds.

That makes sense and is extremely helpful; thank you!