Cross breeding

[Froghorn]

I am sure everyone knows this except me. If I have a rooster and hen from the same parents, same batch of chicks, can I cross them for fertile eggs or should this not be done with brother and sister so to speak? This is probably a really dumb question but I have been told yes.

 

[mstricer]

I'm pretty sure you shouldn't breed siblings. mother to son or father to daughter. The bump might help others to look.

 

[BlackBrookPoultry]

Some people do breed parents to their offspring to get a desired trait but I personally don't think any related anything should be bred together.

 

[Fred's Hens]

It happens all the time. Eventually, if you're serious about breeding, you'll have to introduce some new blood, but trust me, the chickens don't care about close relationships, not at all.

 

[saladin]

It is called inbreeding. It is normally the way good breeders breed; provided the birds being used are of excellent quality. (You can define 'excellent quality' however you like).


Think about Nature. In nature the normal route to offspring is through Inbreeding: usually brother to sister, but also parent to child.

The rule of thumb that many breeders use is 3 times-in 1 time out. That said, with brother x sister matings many only do it once (if at all) every 7 generations.

 

[Froghorn]

Your right about natures way. I never thought of it like that. I would like to breed my own next year. The chickens I have are either from hatcheries as are the fertile hatching eggs. I would think that the fertile eggs I have received and or the chicks are not from the same mother in these hatcheries. I wouldn't think anyway. Possibly the same fathers. Just in case I ask this question.