breeding to sustain own flock

[SchusterChickens]

We have 19 hens and 2 roosters and are wanting to hatch our own eggs to keep the flock going without buying new chicks from other sources. Do we need to be concerned with our roosters mating with their daughters or brothers and sisters mating? I have read about spiral breeding and line breeding, but we are not wanting to improve what we have, just sustain what we have. (We have a mixed flock - RIR, barred rock, OE, sapphire gem OE, black sex-link & Australorp. Roosters are barred rock.)

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Should be okay for a couple generations, than you might want to bring in fresh stock. It's easy enough to switch out the roosters.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I have read about spiral breeding and line breeding, but we are not wanting to improve what we have, just sustain what we have.

I assume sustaining what you have is talking about productivity, health, and wellbeing. Sustaining isn't that different from improving. What you are really trying to do is to do is to not let them get worse.

One important component is to not let defective chickens breed. Choose your breeders with care. When you inbreed defective recessive genes can match up. It is not that every chicken has these but some do. Any chicken that has a cross beak, crooked toes, or some other problem should not be allowed to pass those genes on in your flock. This doesn't happen that often but if it does deal with it.

When I select which ones get to breed I try to select hens that lay well and lay egg colors that I want. I try to select for color/patterns and I try to select for behaviors.

The other part of inbreeding is that you can start affecting the general health and productivity of the flock. It's called losing genetic diversity. They may become more susceptible to diseases, produce fewer eggs, lose fertility, things like that. Dad had a flock of one rooster and 25 to 30 hens and kept his own replacements. He could go 4 to 5 generations without these problems showing up. Even without seeing any problems he's bring in a new rooster and restart the genetic diversity clock. I remember him doing that twice when I was growing up. One rooster was a New Hampshire rooster, the other a Dominique.

I can't tell you how many years you can go before you need to bring in a new rooster. That depends a lot on what actual genetics your chickens have to start with.

Do we need to be concerned with our roosters mating with their daughters or brothers and sisters mating?

Nope, not with hens mating with their sons either. Not for a few generations. But only breed your best.

 

[Mrs. K]

As Ridge runner states - breed the best. In which one should keep careful records, egg production, rate of gain, egg size, and so on.

However, I tend to just keep a bowl on the counter if I think I am getting a broody and try and hatch the freshest of eggs.

I agree, the easiest way is to add a rooster, or sometimes I will add some day old chicks under a broody too.

Mrs K

 

[Amer]

Inbreeding is fine, as long as you don't breed from birds with genetic defects. You don't need to bring in new blood.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

@Ridgerunner has the right of it.

I've been culling my way to sustainability for a little while now, following similar advice "Breed the ones you want to eat, eat the ones you don't" and started with less genetic diversity than is represented by your flock - I only had one Roo. Your OEs and SexLink are already hybrids, you've got a lot of genes to work with there, and should expect considerable variation in the offspring.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

5 years on, two different hens, same age, photo'd on the same day. Yes, there's a difference in lighting. The one is my best or second best red - close to what I am culling for. The other? is grey (with a slight reddish tinge). I've also got an almost all black hen running around, and plenty of nearly solid red hens with some black feather tips (like leaky barring) poking thru.