So we're starting this crazy process that is chicken keeping, and are incubating our first round of chickies. But I'm already obsessing over the spring and what we'll do when they're of breeding age and all.
We are planning on having ~12-20 birds, including a couple of roosters. Although we're *not* planning on letting all the fertile eggs that are laid hatch, I do plan on letting a few birds be born every year (that whole predation and "stuff happens" thing), but I'm worried about genetic diversity. I plan on, depending on how many babies we get out of this hatch, picking up a few non-related birds in the spring to add to the mix, but, these chickens are the result of a fairly closed system (mutts) on a friend's farm (I'm sure that she introduces some outside stock, but not much, 3 roosters and probably 15-20 hens, and I think that everything she currently has was born on the premises of other birds that were born on the premises, etc.).
Now, looking at dogs (and European Royal Families of the 18th and 19th centuries) too much inbreeding can be a bad thing in terms of health (even if good for show quality genes), so how much should I worry? If I start with potentially very close genetic relationships in the original 8-10 birds, and introduce 2-4 more hens in the spring, will that introduce enough outside oomph to balance things, or should I aim for more? Right now we're not worrying much about breed purity, I just want to make sure that my birds are healthy, handsome, winter hardy and sweet.. Their parents seem healthy, and they've been bred for winter hardiness and good dispositions, but I want to make sure that things stay that way, and I am very new to this.
I hope that makes some sense.. *grin* Thank you guys in advance!
Pei
(Of course if we get a high hatch % and 50% or better pullets this will make things more complicated, but we're assuming right now that we'll be doing good if we get a 75% successful hatch out of our 24 eggs, and hoping for 50% gender split, which will give us ~9 hens, and we'll keep the sweetest and handsomest two roosters.)
We are planning on having ~12-20 birds, including a couple of roosters. Although we're *not* planning on letting all the fertile eggs that are laid hatch, I do plan on letting a few birds be born every year (that whole predation and "stuff happens" thing), but I'm worried about genetic diversity. I plan on, depending on how many babies we get out of this hatch, picking up a few non-related birds in the spring to add to the mix, but, these chickens are the result of a fairly closed system (mutts) on a friend's farm (I'm sure that she introduces some outside stock, but not much, 3 roosters and probably 15-20 hens, and I think that everything she currently has was born on the premises of other birds that were born on the premises, etc.).
Now, looking at dogs (and European Royal Families of the 18th and 19th centuries) too much inbreeding can be a bad thing in terms of health (even if good for show quality genes), so how much should I worry? If I start with potentially very close genetic relationships in the original 8-10 birds, and introduce 2-4 more hens in the spring, will that introduce enough outside oomph to balance things, or should I aim for more? Right now we're not worrying much about breed purity, I just want to make sure that my birds are healthy, handsome, winter hardy and sweet.. Their parents seem healthy, and they've been bred for winter hardiness and good dispositions, but I want to make sure that things stay that way, and I am very new to this.
I hope that makes some sense.. *grin* Thank you guys in advance!
Pei
(Of course if we get a high hatch % and 50% or better pullets this will make things more complicated, but we're assuming right now that we'll be doing good if we get a 75% successful hatch out of our 24 eggs, and hoping for 50% gender split, which will give us ~9 hens, and we'll keep the sweetest and handsomest two roosters.)
