Brother/Sister Breeding

[konopswj]

I have two silver pied chicks I picked up at the end of May. As they grow I've began to notice that I might have one male and one female. After asking the breeder I bought them from I've found they have the same father, but different mothers.

I'm looking for opinions on if you would breed them? For personal keeps or to sell eggs/chicks?

I guess I'm leaning towards it being a bad idea, but I've never bred before so I don't know the pros/cons.

Thanks in advance,
Walter

 

[Choctaw Valley Farm]

In the years we have been breeding peafowl it is hard finding peafowl that aren't related to each other somewhere in the food chain, we breed brother to sister, daughter to father sometimes you gota do what you gota do.

If you could run a family tree on all the peafowl out there who knows what you may find.

 

[Kedreeva]

You'd find a lot of inbreeding, Choctaw. You sort of have to when new colors and patterns arrive. You can outcross your new color, but eventually you'll be breeding back to the original to get more.

Kono, it's not the best idea if you have other options, but it seems to also not be the worst idea. What you would have to be on the lookout for most is stagnant gene pool signs- physical deformities in the chicks like crossed beaks, twisted feet, bad/thin feathers etc. I don't know what diseases peafowl are genetically susceptible to (like some dogs are more apt to get hip displasia or have hearing loss) but those sorts of things are more likely to crop up when inbreeding.

 

[saddina]

Since they're half-siblings, you should be okay. As you remember from bioloagy 1/2 your dna comes from each parent, these two haveing different mothers will have a different maternal set of DNA, lowering risks. Keep an eye out of any blips that occour, and you can outcross later if you need fresh DNA.

 

[konopswj]

Ok. Thanks everyone for your thoughts.

I have two other males, both are from different states. But these two chicks were bought together as the seller wouldn't sell less than two at a time.

I might sell the female and just not worry about it. I'm not sure I want to worry about breeding and eggs. Just wanted males.

The two silver pieds are 9 week old chicks so I have a while to decide anyways.

Thanks again,
Walter