Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Fred's Hens]

LOL. Well, right now? My plan is small, slow and right down the middle. Just quoting Bob B.

I don't care who'd be looking over my shoulder. This year.

 

[al6517]

That's the way you should do it, the more comfortable you become with the entire process at your own pace is the shizzzle.

 

[galanie]

You old timers have all my respect and love!  I've enjoyed the time we've spent here. 

 

You are NOT leaving. Nope. Not.

 

[JeffOeuf]

... If you have good trios or Quads just collect from the 3 hens and work with all of them, but to insure single hen egg ID you must isolate period unless your claravoiant.

I want to make sure I'm following here. With a good pair of hens, most likely siblings or at least half siblings, you would not bother separating them, but treat their offspring as one group?

 

[al6517]

NO Just a good pair or trio or quad if they are all capable of producing good offspring. Nowhere would I put sibling mated groups together, line breeding is one thing but Brother & sister is too close and only the poor stuff is then brought out. Gandparents to grandchildren is as close as I would go.

 

[Fred's Hens]

I want to make sure I'm following here. With a good pair of hens, most likely siblings or at least half siblings, you would not bother separating them, but treat their offspring as one group?

There are different approaches. This is just what I am doing. I have only have 3 Red hens worth breeding, (sort of) and two decent cockerels. So, #1 cockerel will breeding those 3 hens first. All chicks hatched will become family one. The second cockerel will then breed those same 3 hens to build family 2.

If I only had one Red rooster and the 3 hens or even 2 hens, for example, I'd breed as many chicks as I could. I look them over, at this time next year, choosing the best cockerel and put him back in with the old hens next year. I put the best 2 or 3 pullets and put those back in with their father next year, at this time. That's how I"d make two families out of a breeding trio. Just my way to build two families.

Once I was out there 3 or 4 generations or so, I'd work family one over family two. That kind of thing. Some folks call it two families, two houses, spiral, etc. There is more than one way to skin the cat.

 

[JeffOeuf]

Sorry, I meant two sisters or half sisters with an unrelated rooster.

 

[JeffOeuf]

There are different approaches. This is just what I am doing. I have only have 3 Red hens worth breeding, (sort of) and two decent cockerels. So, #1 cockerel will breeding those 3 hens first. All chicks hatched will become family one. The second cockerel will then breed those same 3 hens to build family 2.

If I only had one Red rooster and the 3 hens or even 2 hens, for example, I'd breed as many chicks as I could. I look them over, at this time next year, choosing the best cockerel and put him back in with the old hens next year. I put the best 2 or 3 pullets and put those back in with their father next year, at this time. That's how I"d make two families out of a breeding trio. Just my way to build two families.

Once I was out there 3 or 4 generations or so, I'd work family one over family two. That kind of thing. Some folks call it two families, two houses, spiral, etc. There is more than one way to skin the cat.

Thanks, Fred. It sounds like we're on the same page on that. So, If I only have two females, banding or punching isn't going to be a big issue in the first generation.

 

[galanie]

NO Just a good pair or trio or quad if they are all capable of producing good offspring. Nowhere would I put sibling mated groups together, line breeding is one thing but Brother & sister is too close and only the poor stuff is then brought out. Gandparents to grandchildren is as close as I would go.

Crazy question. When you have three hens with one roo, you still don't know which exact hen a certain egg is from, correct?

 

[Fred's Hens]

Crazy question. When you have three hens with one roo, you still don't know which exact hen a certain egg is from, correct?

Nope.