Breeding?

What do you want to know?


Are you selectively breeding more than one variety/color/pairing? What do you plan to do with the chicks, what are you breeding for, do you plan to sell and to whom, etc.


The first advice I'll give is of course, you should have at least 3 hens per rooster. And even 3 is low, the rooster will wear them out in no time. However it should be no more than 10, and 10 can push it if you're breeding to sell hatching eggs, as the more hens per rooster, the lesser the fertility rate. Roosters can be choosy, and some can have fertility that doesn't last as long in the hen.

 

What are your goals? That makes a big difference.

Tell us a bit about your set-up. How many chickens and a bit about your facilities.

That's just too wide a topic to even approach.

 

If I may, I have a question to add to this.... (Great topic thread by the way!)

Do you have to worry about inbreeding??

Thank you!!

 

You can breed mother/son and fathers/daughters just no full brother/sisters. I think you can brother/sister only if there is an unrelated(different mothers or father)

 

I want to do this too.

Here's how I understand it:
Good solid coop with an extra nest box
Rooster
Broody Hen
Other hens to keep the Roo busy during nesting.

Is that all that is needed for a mutt chicken breeder that wants to increase the flock the old fashion way?

Thanks
patricia

 

Gives good explanation of cross/line/inbreeding http://www.poultry.allotment.org.uk/Poultry/Start_Keeping_Bantams/bantam_chicken.php



This has a good chart for line breeding http://journeytoforever.org/farm_library/ppp/ppp6.html