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Actually, non-broody birds are awesome. Also, they're rarely totally non-broody; still, having all one's birds collapse repeatedly into broodiness isn't all it's cracked up to be. Indeed, it decimates egg-production. Truly broody strains go down three times a year, effectively spending most of their time out of lay.
A good combo is a smaller broody meat flock and a bigger non-broody egg flock.
Thoughts on an adequate set-up for a strong breeding program? One often thinks of a great big coop, but a great big coop is much more useful divided into multiple smaller pens capable of housing multiple pairs and trios. Then, it's about having the space to house the growing cockerels and pullets both sufficiently and separately. One can't run a strong breeding which incorporates strong selection principals out of a one room set up; progress will be random, and the genetics will eventually collapse. Cockerels run with pullets will cause stress which retards development.
Breeding good birds is a bit of a dance, and having the right set-up let's you make each move cleanly. Another thought, though, is that breeding good birds is a discipline; it's really a profession. The fact that it's been rendered unprofitable by corporate food doesn't reduce its nobility or precision any more than that which enfolds woodworking, marquetry and all of the other products that arose to their apex of quality during the decades when work of the hand was valued for its intrinsic artistry and skill. That it's now more of a hobby doesn't mean that results can come from a free-for-all. Only the discipline and methods that led to mastery lead to mastery. Between 1850 and 1950 almost every breed of chicken we know today hit its note and pitch. The best were not the simple regurgitation of yearly flock matings. Very frequently they came from pedigreed lines that were known for specialization and in which were frequently spotlighted exceptional specimens that had proven themselves not only in egg laying and breed-appropriate muscling but through the "peer-reviewed" sanctioning that is success at an APA show of repute.
Improving egg production requires intentional pairings, toe-punching, protecting the strain by using multiple cocks, and raising enough to be able to apply effective selection pressure. Before this was understood, the strong breeds for home production could be counted on one hand, and the vast majority of chickens laid under 100 eggs a year.
A good combo is a smaller broody meat flock and a bigger non-broody egg flock.
Thoughts on an adequate set-up for a strong breeding program? One often thinks of a great big coop, but a great big coop is much more useful divided into multiple smaller pens capable of housing multiple pairs and trios. Then, it's about having the space to house the growing cockerels and pullets both sufficiently and separately. One can't run a strong breeding which incorporates strong selection principals out of a one room set up; progress will be random, and the genetics will eventually collapse. Cockerels run with pullets will cause stress which retards development.
Breeding good birds is a bit of a dance, and having the right set-up let's you make each move cleanly. Another thought, though, is that breeding good birds is a discipline; it's really a profession. The fact that it's been rendered unprofitable by corporate food doesn't reduce its nobility or precision any more than that which enfolds woodworking, marquetry and all of the other products that arose to their apex of quality during the decades when work of the hand was valued for its intrinsic artistry and skill. That it's now more of a hobby doesn't mean that results can come from a free-for-all. Only the discipline and methods that led to mastery lead to mastery. Between 1850 and 1950 almost every breed of chicken we know today hit its note and pitch. The best were not the simple regurgitation of yearly flock matings. Very frequently they came from pedigreed lines that were known for specialization and in which were frequently spotlighted exceptional specimens that had proven themselves not only in egg laying and breed-appropriate muscling but through the "peer-reviewed" sanctioning that is success at an APA show of repute.
Improving egg production requires intentional pairings, toe-punching, protecting the strain by using multiple cocks, and raising enough to be able to apply effective selection pressure. Before this was understood, the strong breeds for home production could be counted on one hand, and the vast majority of chickens laid under 100 eggs a year.
