How does a "line" get started?

[farmgirljen]

I see alot of reference tovarious people's lines of eggs or birds- I am curious how a line gets started.... for example- is it as simple as Joe blow buys some chicks from a hatchery, grows them up, breeds them, hatches them, and then has "joe blow" line of chicks? I am curious about this...

 

[2txmedics]

hello and Welcome...sorry I popped in to read, Im hatching as we speak....Im thinking its more like if you buy good pure Buffs for example...hens...and then you buy from another guy the same but roos...you start to build your line up, but not sure...

you buy to mix your colors to get what you want...

 

[FenDruadin]

Yup, that's pretty much it.

But usually when someone talks about a "line" they're talking about something more deliberate than that. Some folks who "breed" just want more chickens, ducks, whatever, and don't pay much attention to what they are breeding "for" and those folks don't usually develop "lines" per se.

Folks who talk about developing a "line" of animals are usually breeding for a particular goal or goals--they want larger birds, better layers, more color, larger combs, sweeter temperaments, etc. Once the breeder has at least partially accomplished their set goals, so that the birds in the "line" have distinctive characteristics, then he or she begins talking about their "Jill Blow Line" of animals.

I think that's it--someone's bound to correct me if I'm wrong, but I think I'm pretty close.

 

[2txmedics]

yup, thats what I meant...you build to what you want to carry...like my Ma, she gave me eggs to hatch this time...which they are...they are delaware mixed with a plymouth rock roo, so she doesnt want them...she was just testing if they hatch...

she has Australorp that a Jersey Giant is the roo...those are hatching...Im doing it for her...

and then I have my EE's that I wanted bred with my roo...but next hatch...Ma is wanting her Buff orp hens that the roo is a Buff orp also...to start her "line"

 

[DTchickens]

A line pretty much is just something to describe where they come from EG: my Silver duckwing old english game bantams came from the Herman woody line (indirectly though).. Which is the most best known line basically (Not saying it is the best, but one of).

However, many people who say "This descended from this line" use it as a "It's good quality" but buyers need to look into that, just because it has the name attached and it came from that line doesn't mean it will be good... Once it leaves the breeders hands, and is in yours. The offspring are then your line because you bred/selected them...


You could start with a hatchery too, doesn't necessarily have to be a breeder. A line is a line, regardless of show quality or pet quality..

 

[farmgirljen]

Thank you for all your wonderful responses- makes perfect sense! I know how it works with horses/registrations/etc... just was not sure on poultry,lol!

 

[MAllen]

Interesting thread. Now that "line" has been explained I wonder if someone can explain how to go about creating your own breed of chickens??

 

[Highland Moongazer]

To create your own breed you need a specific standard in mind. Comb size, color, feather pattern, weight, height, all that jazz.
Then you take the breeds that exemplify that trait and do your best to smoosh them together to get the rough copy of what you want. After that it's just refining it and sometimes bringing back the original breeds to strengthen your genetics and such.

 

[Akane]

Making a breed is far more complicated and time consuming than your own line. For your own line you just need to take an established breed and breed them. Preferably while breeding for quality and possibly a unique trait so your line is different from others.

To make a breed you need to have very strict goals. You need to know what you are breeding for. What do you want the end result to be? What do you want to concentrate on most? Then you need to find birds that are as close to what you want as possible. Now breed them for at least 5 and more like 10+ years until you have something that is different from every other breed and every generation is the same. Getting every generation the same is the difficult part. You have to breed out hidden or recessive genes while trying to preserve what you want so that you don't get random birds popping up that look nothing like what you want. Once every generation is coming out at least close to what you want you have to promote them. Get other people to start raising them. Increase the genetic diversity and let them spread. When enough of them exist and enough people are interested you can start calling them a breed.

 

[speckledhen]

One thing to throw out is how long it can really take to establish a line. For instance, you have all these standards for a breed. It's difficult to breed for all the traits at one time. You may cull for great leg color, but the combs are odd. When you get one trait right, you may start on another, then when that one is satisfactory, you may work on color pattern. As you can imagine, that can take a lifetime of breeding.