Breeding back-turkeys

[Tunastopper]

Quote:
I can see why you might be confused. I guess some of us won't agree as to what inbreeding and line breeding is. I can tell from what Steve wrote

There were 2 toms and 4 hens in the starter flock. A very small gene pool to work with. What the article only hints on is the breeding method.... classic line breeding from the short description. Line breeding is controled inbreeding.

I thought it was clear as mud what the breeding methods where. After the first cross Smyth bred by selection of certain traits on a individual bird basis (no records of specific pedigrees were kept). Wentworth used a rigorous pedigree approach to expand this flock of Midget white turkeys each year with great effort to avoid further inbreeding. I would never think of line breeding as controled inbreeding. Makes me wonder what Steve thinks inbreeding is? I tend to think of inbreeding the same as Franklin Albertsen wrote about "Continual, repeated use of close bred animals (from the same mating population or strain) results in inbreeding. Linebreeding is the mating of more distantly related individuals which share a common ancestor (which was highly prized or very productive) - - such as a grandson mated to granddaughters (cousins) or nephew to aunt, etc. Linebred animals represent individuals within a "family".​

 

[melody123]

Quote:
Seriously people, why all the hostility? Please re-read the original question.

She didn't say whether she was planning on raising show turkeys or just a few for her family and friends to eat each year. Don't you think that would be important to the whole discussion?

If your just rasing pets/meat for your own backyard, then a few years of inbreeding aren't going to hurt much. But if your planning on going big in the turkey breeding and showing circuit, then you need to do some research and make a plan. Your plan may include inbreeding (parent-child, sibling-sibling) or linebreeding (any one else that would show up at a family reunion - like cousin-cousin). No-one can make your plan for you.

Please ignore all the crazy control freaks on this board who are feeling cranky today. Some people don't understand that the rest of us can't have multiple breeding pens and can't scour the planet for perfect birds. Most of us are just trying this out for the 'fun' of it and have to make due with the breeding stock that we are able to obtain locally. If that means that we do some inbreeding or that we breed imperfect birds for our Thanksgiving dinner, then so be it.

cool: And frankly, Some people need to drink less coffee and spend more time with their birds.

Now take a deep breath and don't get offended because someone else does something different from you.

 

[ziggywiggy]

Quote:
Seriously people, why all the hostility? Please re-read the original question.

She didn't say whether she was planning on raising show turkeys or just a few for her family and friends to eat each year. Don't you think that would be important to the whole discussion?

If your just rasing pets/meat for your own backyard, then a few years of inbreeding aren't going to hurt much. But if your planning on going big in the turkey breeding and showing circuit, then you need to do some research and make a plan. Your plan may include inbreeding (parent-child, sibling-sibling) or linebreeding (any one else that would show up at a family reunion - like cousin-cousin). No-one can make your plan for you.

Please ignore all the crazy control freaks on this board who are feeling cranky today. Some people don't understand that the rest of us can't have multiple breeding pens and can't scour the planet for perfect birds. Most of us are just trying this out for the 'fun' of it and have to make due with the breeding stock that we are able to obtain locally. If that means that we do some inbreeding or that we breed imperfect birds for our Thanksgiving dinner, then so be it.

cool: And frankly, Some people need to drink less coffee and spend more time with their birds.

Now take a deep breath and don't get offended because someone else does something different from you.

I agree. It takes a big commitment and a lot of record keeping to line-breed successfully and effectively. It also takes a lot of pens. However, if you are selling poultry, in my opinion, you should avoid in-breeding. In-breeding will eventially damage the genetic vitality of any species. Any scientist worth a pot of beans will tell you the same thing.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

How does it take alot of pens? It takes a holding pen and a breeding pen. You seperate the birds you want to breed and place them in the breeding pen.


Steve

 

[ziggywiggy]

Quote:
So I assume you are banding to distinguish between sibblings and parents? That's a whole lot easier than multiple pens I will admit.

 

[Tunastopper]

Steve in a post you did a while back you said you put seveal Toms in your pens with your hens. Wasn't the ratio 1 to 3 or 1 to 5? I can look it up so I get this correct. I do remeber mulitiple Toms in your breeding pen. How do you know who the parents are and how is that controlled inbreeding?

OK I found your post Steve.

Depending on the season there is 20 -25 ish per pen with a 4 hen to 1 tom ratio.

I know from you other post you want me to give the link. Did I do it right? https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=4583669#p4583669 Can you explain how you do this?​

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

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You just aren't understanding breeding methods. Feel free to look up my past posts, what I have stated in the past is our breeders are line bred, our year to year hatches are pen bred unless the buyer requests otherwise.

Steve

 

[Tunastopper]

My question is how do you keep records of the pedigrees with mulitiple toms and hens.

Sounds like random breeding not controlled breeding.

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

Have a nice day, this is a waste of time.

Steve

 

[Lotsapaints]

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What method of breeding do you use? There are 3 main ones used by poultry breeders and they are not similar to horse breeding where you have pedigrees at all. Do you own a standard of Perfection? Have you looked at ALBC's suggestions for breeding? This is America where not yet do we have someone controlling poultry breeding so you can do it anyway you see fit I think that is wonderful. Don't tell somebody what they are doing if you don't like someone telling you what to do either though...just saying