Clan Mating Questions—Off-topic Lapse Into Breeding Methods

[Wickedchicken6]

....

 

[Kiki]

Ok Ice princesses....Favourite is following too.

 

[BantyChooks]

Ok Ice princesses....Favourite is following too.

Hey, crazy. Thanks.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

How's the clan mating going? @BantyChooks

 

[BantyChooks]

How's the clan mating going? @BantyChooks

Oh, haven't set it up yet. They're still only a few months old. I'm still not entirely sure if I'm going with clan... Makes it harder to track which birds are producing the best offspring. What I might do is clan mate until I have enough birds to pick the best pairs I can from and then line breed in an attempt to not start with fixing in bad traits. I dunno... I'm still researching.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Well knowledge IS power. At least that's what the smart peoples say.
Um...keep us posted. I like to soak up knowledge if it spills out.

 

[BantyChooks]

Well knowledge IS power. At least that's what the smart peoples say.
Um...keep us posted. I like to soak up knowledge if it spills out.

I definitely will... If I can ever manage to decide.

Maybe writing down the pros and cons of each will help me figure it out... I'll fix the thread title and then I can post my train of thought here without feeling off-topic.

 

[Fire Ant Farm]

Random thoughts/comments (NOT an expert on any of this, just rambling) - I know that some folks have a trait that they really want to eliminate, in which case, you really need pairings (to identify who is throwing the offending characteristic). Some argue that you need parentage on both sides as background info when you start getting into multiple generations (e.g., say one hen in a clan ends up with a problem, vs. one who lays eggs until she's really old or something - might make you think differently about using their offspring). When breeders get really complicated with explicitly fixing problems (crest size, etc.), that's also where full parentage helps.

However, if you are starting with a given population of birds, and you wish to propagate them to have a healthy flock with diversity, and the things you are selecting for are easily observed (and don't hide until later, etc.), clan is a less complicated way to still get diversity.

I was thinking it might work to have "clans" of a rooster and several hens, but then try that food-coloring-in-the-vent thing to see who laid which egg, just for my records. (Anyone try that, BTW? Does it work? Do you just put a drop IN the vent, and do you have to do it every night?)

 

[BantyChooks]

Random thoughts/comments (NOT an expert on any of this, just rambling) - I know that some folks have a trait that they really want to eliminate, in which case, you really need pairings (to identify who is throwing the offending characteristic). Some argue that you need parentage on both sides as background info when you start getting into multiple generations (e.g., say one hen in a clan ends up with a problem, vs. one who lays eggs until she's really old or something - might make you think differently about using their offspring). When breeders get really complicated with explicitly fixing problems (crest size, etc.), that's also where full parentage helps.

However, if you are starting with a given population of birds, and you wish to propagate them to have a healthy flock with diversity, and the things you are selecting for are easily observed (and don't hide until later, etc.), clan is a less complicated way to still get diversity.

I was thinking it might work to have "clans" of a rooster and several hens, but then try that food-coloring-in-the-vent thing to see who laid which egg, just for my records. (Anyone try that, BTW? Does it work? Do you just put a drop IN the vent, and do you have to do it every night?)

Thanks. Sorta what I was thinking.... All my birds have flaws in one dept or the other, not super serious but enough I think pairing and line breeding with just these could be disastrous with my inexperience. Maybe my idea doesn't work out at all and I hatch and hatch without getting any chicks half worth keeping---so what? I cull the offspring and try again.

 

[Kiki]

Do not give up, you are not a quitter. (just remember this for the future)