Breeding up

[Shylis]

Good evening,
This is my first post here, but I've been stalking the boards, reading posts for a few weeks now. I do not have any chickens yet (I am in my "research stage"), but hopefully I will be getting some later this spring. I have questions about various things and I would rather get advice from people who actually have chickens, instead of from books or websites. And I also have thoughts and will likely post some "just wondering" topics.

Anyway, my first "just wondering" is about "breeding up". I read in a book that it is possable to breed up to pure. I understand how this idea works in theory, but I don't remember ever reading about this on any websites I looked at. So, I was curious if this a common practice or if it is frowned upon? It makes sense, I suppose, to introduce "new blood" to rare breeds. Or to increase traits like egg production, fertility, etc. But at the same time, too much of this would dilute a rare breeds genetics, wouldn't it?

If this is in the wrong area, feel free to move it or what-have-you.

 

[chickendales]

breeding up or breeding down is some time easest way to breed a bird with out mixing another breed in, u well get trough back of both sizes but breeding up is easier then breeding down

 

[chickendales]

some time u find quailty birds in one size, ok birds in the other size to emprove the other

 

[chickendales]

breed up from bantams to make standard frizzle cochin

 

[Shylis]

Oh, chickens come in two sizes. I forgot that. I wasn't talking about sizes, sorry for the confusion. I should have been more clear. I was talking, for example, breeding an Ameraucana (sp?) and a Leghorn, to increase egg production(?). Then breeding the F1 back to Ameraucana, and the same with each generation until you basically have Ameraucana.

 

[chickendales]

yes that is done too to make black ameraunas biger the breed then to black austerlops allso to im prove leg color at one time polish was breed in

 

[chickendales]

naked necks where breed silkies to get showgirls

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

there is a chart that shows what you are talking about, let me fimd it

 

[Buck Creek Chickens]

Quote:
what is being asked is if you add a different breed to a line to improve, let say color, you need to then line breed to remove the added breed, is that what your asking, not the making of a new breed like the showgirl

 

[chickendales]

she ask if it was common pratice yes it is for some