Expanding breeding groups

[MrJudeRaw]

without buying more hatching eggs is it possible for me to expand my breeding groups out in a way that doesnt create complicated lines of breeding. I have 11 hens and want 5 groups. I can imagine doing (4,1)-(4,1)-(3,1) organizing for smaller roosters and then expand out (5,1)-(5,1)-(5,1) pretty easily but how do i get to add entire new groups staying diverse? Should I just hang onto the extra roosters now with the intention of using them later? I guess that would fix this but then i would need more housing lol

 

[Gigachad poultry]

without buying more hatching eggs is it possible for me to expand my breeding groups out in a way that doesnt create complicated lines of breeding. I have 11 hens and want 5 groups. I can imagine doing (4,1)-(4,1)-(3,1) organizing for smaller roosters and then expand out (5,1)-(5,1)-(5,1) pretty easily but how do i get to add entire new groups staying diverse? Should I just hang onto the extra roosters now with the intention of using them later? I guess that would fix this but then i would need more housing lol

If you get sexed chicks or pullets of the wanted breeds you can select the nicest looking roo as a roster for them. Or you could hatch hens from one of the unrelated breeding groups and use one of the unrelated roosters.

Inbreeding isn't the same with chickens like mammals btw. It's completely fine as long as you get new genetics after generation 4 or so.

 

[Nabiki]

You can try spiral breeding. Take a male from one group and add it to the second group, take a male from the second group, add it to the third, etc. If you do that once every couple of generations you can keep a pretty healthy group of quail for quite some time.

 

[MrJudeRaw]

You can try spiral breeding. Take a male from one group and add it to the second group, take a male from the second group, add it to the third, etc. If you do that once every couple of generations you can keep a pretty healthy group of quail for quite some time.

Yea i was thinking doing a spiral with 3 and just expanding out from there. This is my smallest batch of chicks so it will just get easier from here.

If you get sexed chicks or pullets of the wanted breeds you can select the nicest looking roo as a roster for them. Or you could hatch hens from one of the unrelated breeding groups and use one of the unrelated roosters.

Inbreeding isn't the same with chickens like mammals btw. It's completely fine as long as you get new genetics after generation 4 or so.

That is good to know. these birds are all from myshire farm and they told me the genetics should be more than diverse enough to expand the groups. i just wasnt finding info on the best practice in doing so. I will just establish it quickly so there is less comingling first.

 

[Gigachad poultry]

Yea i was thinking doing a spiral with 3 and just expanding out from there. This is my smallest batch of chicks so it will just get easier from here.

That is good to know. these birds are all from myshire farm and they told me the genetics should be more than diverse enough to expand the groups. i just wasnt finding info on the best practice in doing so. I will just establish it quickly so there is less comingling first.

If you are looking for a good design for your breeding pen here are two I've thought about making.