cockerel mating question

[MontanaDolphin]

Not sure if this is the right area to post, but it is about chicken behaviors.

Does anyone know the "rules" when it comes to breeding relatives? Lemme explain why I ask.

I have a new Chocolate Orpington bantam cockerel I got last week. Today I picked up a female to match, from the same person. So, since she hatches her own, I am not sure if they are siblings or not. I know not father/daughter because they are a week apart in age.

Is it taboo in the chicken world to breed brother/sister or father/daughter? Even if they aren't siblings and her eggs are fertile, I'd like to hatch some...but would I have to start a new flock with them since the roo will be their dad????

LOL, I'm so confused!

 

[brahmabreeder]

Doing mother and son, father and daughter, and half siblings is the closest you should go with breeding. Sibling to sibling is advised against because it can destroy genetics pretty quickly. You will need more birds because with just a pair your genetics will get close quickly.

 

[donrae]

Can you ask the seller? She should be able to give you an idea how closely related they could be.

I've had brother-sister breedings, all the chicks were fine. By fine, I mean healthy, active, no deformities, the pullets made good layers. These were mixed breed birds, so no breed standard or anything like that. It was "Cool, a broody hen! Find some eggs and put under her!"

Even if they are full sibs, IMO you'll be fine breeding them for a generation. Not sure I'd put the offspring back to a parent, that just seems to be closing things up too much. Line breeding is commonly accepted in the animal breeding world, it's how you lock in the good traits you want in a line. Of course, it also emphasizes any faults in said line, so you need to take a good look at your starter pair. Any faults are going to be magnified in the offspring.