Future Breed Creation Project

[Alex_Zurago]

I am currently at University and want to live on a larger more rural property in the future as my current suburban house cannot accommodate my project design. I have raised chickens previously and after intensively studying their genetics I would like to create my own new breed in the coming decades. How many roosters and hens will I need to do this project and avoid the defects of inbreeding?

 

[DarJones]

Nobody can entirely answer your question because it does not include enough details about the breeds that would go into the breeding program. However, a good generalization is to start with at least 20 birds of at least 2 (preferably more) different breeds. I started with a dozen Blue Egg Laying Brown Leghorns and 8 Silver Laced Wyandottes of which 3 were roosters. I brought in 8 more SLW later in the breeding program as I needed to backcross to stabilize certain traits. Today I can look at my chickens and see little or no evidence of inbreeding. I deliberately kept the population under 50 birds for the first 6 years. This year I have expanded quite a bit raising about 450 chicks so far with nearly 100 more due to hatch over the next 2 weeks. Why expand? Because the traits are close enough to stable that I need a lot more birds to select for desired traits. Before, all I needed to do was carefully select the best 4 or 5 roosters each year.

 

[CNJ]

I am currently at University and want to live on a larger more rural property in the future as my current suburban house cannot accommodate my project design. I have raised chickens previously and after intensively studying their genetics I would like to create my own new breed in the coming decades. How many roosters and hens will I need to do this project and avoid the defects of inbreeding?

You should check out the breeders academy.........

 

[Alex_Zurago]

Nobody can entirely answer your question because it does not include enough details about the breeds that would go into the breeding program. However, a good generalization is to start with at least 20 birds of at least 2 (preferably more) different breeds. I started with a dozen Blue Egg Laying Brown Leghorns and 8 Silver Laced Wyandottes of which 3 were roosters. I brought in 8 more SLW later in the breeding program as I needed to backcross to stabilize certain traits. Today I can look at my chickens and see little or no evidence of inbreeding. I deliberately kept the population under 50 birds for the first 6 years. This year I have expanded quite a bit raising about 450 chicks so far with nearly 100 more due to hatch over the next 2 weeks. Why expand? Because the traits are close enough to stable that I need a lot more birds to select for desired traits. Before, all I needed to do was carefully select the best 4 or 5 roosters each year.

I am hoping to use Ayam Cemani's, Black morphs Jersey Giants, Indio-Gigante, Black, bearded LF Silkies ( UK variety). I am hoping to create a silkie feathered completely Fibromelanistic, Bulkier version of gamefowl over 3ft tall

 

[CNJ]

There is a misconception with Jersey Giants. They say it takes longer to grow which is true, but in comparison to other heritage breeds, at 5 months they are all about same size and at one year they are much bigger.

I working on multiple Bresse/heritage crosses for my ABCD meat bird experiment. I will have a better understanding of hybrid vigor upon completion. This is a good article about creating meat birds parents. https://fareasternagriculture.com/live-stock/poultry/broiler-breeders-and-their-management

I have Black Australorps, Black Jersey Giants, Black Cornish, White Plymouth Rocks, White Cornish, Buff Orpingtons, Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons, and White Bresse. The Bresse Chickens are my foundation birds, they reach mature weight the fastest and the hens start laying about one month before the other heritage breeds and the size of their eggs are unusually large.

 

[Alex_Zurago]

There is a misconception with Jersey Giants. They say it takes longer to grow which is true, but in comparison to other heritage breeds, at 5 months they are all about same size and at one year they are much bigger.

I working on multiple Bresse/heritage crosses for my ABCD meat bird experiment. I will have a better understanding of hybrid vigor upon completion. This is a good article about creating meat birds parents. https://fareasternagriculture.com/live-stock/poultry/broiler-breeders-and-their-management

I have Black Australorps, Black Jersey Giants, Black Cornish, White Plymouth Rocks, White Cornish, Buff Orpingtons, Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons, and White Bresse. The Bresse Chickens are my foundation birds, they reach mature weight the fastest and the hens start laying about one month before the other heritage breeds and the size of their eggs are unusually large.

My breeding project will be ornamental. What is your ABCD meat bird experiment?

 

[cubalaya]

seems like a waste of time. plenty of real breeds already out there that need dedicated breeders that will stick with a breed for decades. i picked the cubalaya as i love this breed. i also have pakistan asils and brazillian gamefowl. the good thing about chickens is you can always eat your culls and you will have plenty if you actually try this

 

[Alex_Zurago]

seems like a waste of time. plenty of real breeds already out there that need dedicated breeders that will stick with a breed for decades. i picked the cubalaya as i love this breed. i also have pakistan asils and brazillian gamefowl. the good thing about chickens is you can always eat your culls and you will have plenty if you actually try this

Tried looking for that in Malayoid Breeds, Cornish, and Cubalayas but mostly I just see hatcheries or people who don't breed to to standard so it was nearly impossible to find seed fowl that wasn't junk

 

[cubalaya]

You never should start from hatchery mutts

 

[JacinLarkwell]

seems like a waste of time. plenty of real breeds already out there that need dedicated breeders that will stick with a breed for decades. i picked the cubalaya as i love this breed. i also have pakistan asils and brazillian gamefowl. the good thing about chickens is you can always eat your culls and you will have plenty if you actually try this

Not everyone is a fan of the breeds that need more breeders or they fancy breeds that are in need ofndedicated breeders but those breeds are unavailable to them.