chickens interbreeding??

[girls and guineas]

Is it okay for chickens to mate with their brothers and sisters, and/or parents?? Or should you not keep the babies added to your flock?? Is it okay for one or several generations??

 

[gryeyes]

Yes, it's okay. Poultry doesn't have the same issue as most mammals when considering breeding lines. That is, not much problem with sports or mutant babies.

At least not for simple flock maintenance and viability. If you plan on breeding a specific breed, however, you do have to understand chicken genetics and pay more attention because you would be trying to breed for certain traits or attributes and not want some to be continued in subsequent generations.

A small flock would need "new blood" after a period of time, though, just for genetic diversity.

 

[Tripp16]

When breeding brother to sister you can only breed them once. For example, if your breed brother and sister, the babies from them cannot come back and breed with their father, which would kinda be their uncle? Lol See what I'm saying?

But you can breed mother to son or daughter to son with no problem.

Lots of people (including me) breed brother to sister (kinda whacked I just don't think about them as siblings. LOL ) but people mostlyl do it to improve a trait that the line has. Such as in my seramas I breed for a certain type but I'm breeding my rooster back to her sister to improve is type.

Hope this helps.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

Is it okay for chickens to mate with their brothers and sisters, and/or parents?? Or should you not keep the babies added to your flock?? Is it okay for one or several generations??

Judging by the chickens you have you are not trying to create the next great show chicken (i love all the breeds you just dont have one specific breed). If you are just letting them breed so you can replenish your flock, most times you should have no problem other than the occasional ugly cross bred who by genetic lottery got all of the wrong traits haha However since you will have many different breeds the genetic diversity is pretty great and in a few years if you are getting nervous just get/trade a rooster and you will be fine.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

When breeding brother to sister you can only breed them once. For example, if your breed brother and sister, the babies from them cannot come back and breed with their father, which would kinda be their uncle? Lol See what I'm saying?

But you can breed mother to son or daughter to son with no problem.

Lots of people (including me) breed brother to sister (kinda whacked I just don't think about them as siblings. LOL ) but people mostlyl do it to improve a trait that the line has. Such as in my seramas I breed for a certain type but I'm breeding my rooster back to her sister to improve is type.

Hope this helps.

Well, you can breed back to the main line if you want to. It might not be the most desirable for your particular breeding program, but nothing awful is going to happen. chickens don't really show any ill effects from inbreeding--nothing like the terrible retardations and dwarfisms seen in humans.

The basic take-away for you is that if you just want some barnyard crosses and to raise your own chicks, keep your favorite rooster(s) and let 'em breed whatever they want to. You will want to bring in some new birds every few years to increase genetic diversity, and one of the easiest ways to do that is to replace your rooster with one from outside your flock.

This article will explain the basics of poultry breeding to you. Beware, it's long! http://www.the-coop.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=28027

 

[girls and guineas]

Thanks for your replies! I have several different colors of silkies together, and when a hen becomes broody, I let her set. So, the babies are mixed colors. I was just wondering if I wanted to keep some of the babies in with the others. Some have very interesting and pretty markings!! Hate to have to sell any of them, it will be SO sad, but I have plenty!!