Genetics and Production

[aShMaNv]

Today I found some old notes I made up for my Production Red flock I used to have so I thought I would post them. Hopefully someone can find these useful. Feel free to add things and/or change any mistakes I may have made.

What to look for when breeding.
Overall:

This very first one is very important and I feel stupid listing it because it is so basic but: Lack of vigor, health, and fertility should be culled.

Female size controls adult size of offspring.
Pullets that begin to lay at 6 months are typically healthier and more productive than those that start to lay at 8 or 9 months.
Look for long, deep, and broad bodied cocks with large, smooth combs. Large comb size indicates good egg production.
Look for large feet with thick shanks. This is a sign of vigor and good health.
Law of Ten. Keep only most productive offspring to breed for future stock.
Look for fertility in old age to increase fertility in flock.
Also, breeding from hens that are at least 2 years old with increase longevity.
Breed hens that lay before 10 a.m. This is a sign of good health and very good productivity.

Laying:
Look for large moist vent.
Look for hens with very quick molts that seem to drop feathers all at once and grow feathers back quickly. Also you want your hens to molt around September or October.
Width between legs.

With all that said, the one thing that I consider to be most important is keeping VERY DETAILED production records. I would only breed to the hens who were my very best layers.

Hope this can come in handy for someone. Like I said, feel free to add to this and make changes to any mistakes I made.

 

[aShMaNv]

I was hoping some of you guys would jump in on this

 

[emys]

Well, not being a serious breeder, I can not comment on all of your post. I completely agree with keeping detailed records.

One comment I have is that hens lay on a rotation of generally 26 hours or so, therefore will lay early in the morning one week and then late in the day another week - so gather eggs anytime.

 

[nzchicke]

I have also been told from a top breeder that when breeding for good egg layers- (this suits people with large flocks that do not know their individual hens like someone like me who has nothing better to do... haha)- Breeding early and late in the season rather than the middle and there fore you are selecting for the hens more likely to be better/longer season layers.

 

[aShMaNv]

Quote:
Im one of those people that has nothing better to do as well

But that does make clear sense. That is a great tip.

 

[trudigale]

I was just coming to the forum to ask the question ---- does the rooster or the hen control the size of the offspring! Thanks for posting!

We lost our rooster at the end of the winter...... right when I wanted to start hatching eggs...... I incubated until the eggs were no longer fertile. We got a "replacement" rooster that is a little bantam silkie..... bless his little heart, he tries but is just too small for most of our big girls ----- BUT I did put a couple of eggs in the incubator a week ago and darn if they aren't fertile! We do use the excess roosters for meat birds and I wanted to make sure that before I hatch very many that the offspring will be the bigger size and not the bantam size.

Who controls color/feathering (feathered foot vs smooth leg)?

Trudi

 

[punky rooster]

Quote:
This is generally true: Males set color and hen sets size. To let you know, This would not hold up when crossing breeds (at least male part).

 

[aShMaNv]

Quote:
Yes the males usually control color typically. As for the feather footed or clean legged, feathered feet is a dominant gene so if you breed a hen and rooster and one is feather footed and one is clean legged, the offspring should be feather footed.