breeding and inbreeding how do you get around it?

[dustponds10]

Well like the title says I am curious how you all get around the inbreeding when you get your eggs or birds from the same person. I am going to be buying some birds that are laying right now that are not related as i know and I am wanting to largen the flock for the future but I dont really know how to get around the inbreeding. I know I could add new blood but I dont know if the quality would be as good in the next generations. Anyways if you all could please shine some light on this subject that would be great. I know in fish people dont seem to care if they are looking to get one specific gene but I am unsure of the importance of inbreeding. Thanks in advance.

 

[CoopCrazy]

You really dont have to worry about inbreeding with chickens...

 

[dustponds10]

Really? So when breeding a bird is it best to look for feather density or how do you keep track of what traits you are wanting? I mean because the hens dont really show the roosters feather quality? How do you mark them to keep track of who is who? each hen has a green band and all offspring have a green band or what?

 

[blackclownfish16]

Quote:
Not true

Especially when your dealing with a specialized line such as hackle stock or egg layer's. At some point you will lose the very qualities that the breed is known for and you will also have poor hatchs/weak chicks.

Dustin with your trio, I would start two lines based on the hens. So separate all the chicks from the rooster and hen A and from hen B. Then you can set up two lines. There's a good SPPA article on breeding methods, let me look for it online. There's no way to know if your trio is related but that shouldn't be an issue. I do know that hackle farms generally have closed flocks for 10 plus years before they have an established line.

Anyway breed the cockerels from hen A to the pullets from hen B and vice a versa. You could outcross and within 4 years have nearly pure stock. I would only recommend longtails (phoenix, yokohoma, ohiki) and breeder birds at that, meaning no hatchery stock but birds that have been selected for long saddles/tails and higher feather counts.

You can toe punch, dye, leg band or wing band chicks to mark there parentage. Or you can separate hatch's, only hatching hen A's eggs one week and only hatching hen B's eggs one week. The hen's will have to monitored by the quality of there son's.

Here's some good articles
http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/1/1-2/Craig_Russell.html
http://ultimatefowl.wordpress.com/2009/02/11/line-breeding/

 

[dustponds10]

I for sure appericate this a ton, I had no idea where to start only that I wanted to start and this is the information that I need. I dont know how many birds I will have in the future but I would like to at least get a couple different strains and produce some nice hackles for fellow fishermen that have incomes that cant afford the 100 saddles. I am going to be needing all the help I can get and I think that doing offsetting hatches is awesome way to do it. To make things better I even have the facilities to do it. Not a huge barn but I have a couple different pens and out buildings that we use to raise animals in in the past that will help on my endevers. I truely cant wait to get started and it is going to be a long road for sure but when I get down to it I hope to have a ton of fun and have some very nice birds.

Thanks blackclownfish this information is awesome and I am going to be printing it off and sifting through it to get a plan.

If anyone has any more information that would benifit me please share. Thanks again.

 

[dustponds10]

If anyone has more information or suggestions or maps for breeding chickens please let me know. I will be getting some genetic hackle chickens and i am very interested in all the information I can get for feather quality and quality of hackles and saddles. Please feel free to post anything that would be helpful. Thanks all. I will be anciously awaiting your information. THanks. Dustin

 

[Chris09]

First off are you breed for show quality or just to breed and have chicken and eggs?
Second what breed ('s) are we talking about.

I remember you know. You are breeding for a 'long hackle/ saddle" breed. Right?


Chris

 

[dustponds10]

Yeah, Chris I am going to start breeding genetic hackle chickens for long saddles and long capes. Right now I am going to have the barred rock variety of genetic hackles. Thanks and sorry for not mentioning what I was going to be breeding.

 

[hoppy]

I mark my chicks with plastic bands and then when the get older, I put a metal band on the wing (new thing I'm trying this yr) and put a colored band on the leg.
all chicks from a certain yr have a certain color band once I make my final selection of keep vs sell on the left leg. if I want to do a family band, I'd use the right. I've seen people use 2 or 3 colored bands on a leg.

 

[dustponds10]

Ok sounds good. I will have to look into it and see about it some more, I cant see 2 or 3 bands on one bird. That is a bit much and confusing,