do chickens inbreed?!

[bentenmanfann]

i read in a article that chickens breeding with their brothers/sisters, or parents could cause infertility in roosters, and i an fixing to buy a large flock of ayam cemani and i would like to know if i should worry about my roosters going infernal and if i can grow my flock with their off spring. when i was young we always had chickens and we let the hens set on their eggs and those chicks grew up and they became part of the flock no problem but that was a long time ago, and these are expensive birds and i love these birds and want them to have the best life possible. thanks for any reply's and help!!

 

[sourland]

It all depends upon the degree of inbreeding. I had a friend who bred a flock of WCB Polish that he started with one pair. He got to many generations before he started having fertility and viability problems. You may want to maintain separate flocks or rotate different roosters through your flock. Identify birds by their fathers and limit inbreeding. Good luck with your birds.

 

[MysteryChicken]

i read in a article that chickens breeding with their brothers/sisters, or parents could cause infertility in roosters, and i an fixing to buy a large flock of ayam cemani and i would like to know if i should worry about my roosters going infernal and if i can grow my flock with their off spring. when i was young we always had chickens and we let the hens set on their eggs and those chicks grew up and they became part of the flock no problem but that was a long time ago, and these are expensive birds and i love these birds and want them to have the best life possible. thanks for any reply's and help!!

4+ generations is when problems can start showing up. Especially with continued sibling breedings without breeding back to a grandparent, or Father, or Mother.

Adding new blood will help, especially in severe cases.

 

[bentenmanfann]

It all depends upon the degree of inbreeding. I had a friend who bred a flock of WCB Polish that he started with one pair. He got to many generations before he started having fertility and viability problems. You may want to maintain separate flocks or rotate different roosters through your flock. Identify birds by their fathers and limit inbreeding. Good luck with your birds.

ok thank you, do you think if i split the flock in half and had one rooster with one and one rooster with another and just switch out the every month would work? or would i have to switch them out more often or less?

 

[bentenmanfann]

4+ generations is when problems can start showing up. Especially with continued sibling breedings without breeding back to a grandparent, or Father, or Mother.

Adding new blood will help, especially in severe cases.

so if i bred them to a grandparent would that make it longer before problems show up?

 

[sourland]

I'd do something like that but for longer periods of time.

 

[sourland]

4+ generations is when problems can start showing up. Especially with continued sibling breedings without breeding back to a grandparent, or Father, or Mother.

Adding new blood will help, especially in severe cases.

Friend got to 10 + generations before viability problems arose. Cockerels would lose fertility their first or second year, and most/many chicks would require assistance at hatching. Hatch % were low (I did most of his incubating), but typiness of birds hatched was high, and he consistently won with these birds.

 

[bentenmanfann]

I'd do something like that but for longer periods of time.

ok thank you

 

[MysteryChicken]

so if i bred them to a grandparent would that make it longer before problems show up?

Yes. You can also go:

Father + Daughter

Mother + Son

Son + Daughter

Grandfather + Granddaughter

Grandma + Grandson

 

[bentenmanfann]

Yes. You can also go:

Father + Daughter

Mother + Son

Son + Daughter

Grandfather + Granddaughter

Grandma + Grandson

ok thank you!!!