Breeding these two Polish...

[cejunes]

I got these two from a lady off of craigslist. She says they are not brother and sister but I suspect otherwise. Age is almost identical based off of growth rate, he just started crowing and she is not laying yet. She said they were the only two she had and that they would make a good breeding pair. My question is this: What do I look for in the offspring with the first hatch to know if they are brother and sister and whether I should continue to breed them or not - or - should I just play it safe, keep the roo and get different a different hen(s)?

The pair when I first got them:

The rooster now:

The hen now:

 

[muddyhorse]

first are you 100% sure you have a hen and a roo. the second bird's crest feathers look kinda pointy like a roo. one is bearded and one is non bearded. usually you can breed chicken siblings too each other for a while before problems occur, unlike dogs,horses and people

this weekend my daughter won reserve ch. continental with her polish hen

 

[Illia]

Trust me, you have a hen and a roo.

However, it really is up to you. You shouldn't expect that hen to lay eggs in a while, though, I'll give you that - They usually start at about 7-10 months of age, and I don't see laying signs from her yet. As for breeding, it is up to you. If you want to breed for show/good quality, those two aren't the best, but a little better than average hatchery stock. (they need work on their lacing and their backs) As for just backyard chickens, breeding brother x sister is a common thing. . . Most chickens who come from hatcheries are inbred anyway.

So it is up to you, whether you want him to have another hen or her.