how many breeds do you think someone my age (15) can have without help just me. I want to breed nice SQ birds that win. I'm on my way but I want to know how many breeds I could handle. I already have: Blue and Black Swedish Ducks Mottled d'Uccles BBS Bantam Ameraucanas Reserved going to go and get: White Bantam Ameraucanas Tossing around getting: Lavender Bantam Ameraucanas some kind of Faverolles Some kind of Silkie Call Ducks do you think I can handle all of that or do I need to dial it down? All opinions welcomed, I won't be offended
I think its best to focus on one or two breeds and some different colors out of those breeds....OR 3 different coloring/breeds at a time if your wanting to focus on showing and breeding... I say stay working on what you got for right now atleast for another year and get a good handle on what you have for a good full year before adding something else onto your plate for breeding (now pet would be different if your not planning to devote all the time and energy to keeping them up and hatching/brooding chicks and culling less than show quality)
I'm already talking to a call duck breeder....but they wont be a problem. I was actually just thinking maybe at the beginning of next year adding silkies or faverolles. do you think it would be too much?
Only you can decide how many is too many. One thing to realize, though, is that the more breeds and varieties you have, the more pens and coops are needed, all of which take extra space and time. At 15, while working towards a goal with clear objectives is fantastic, you also need to take time to be a kid and take advantage of all the other sorts of opportunities that come with being young. A question to ask yourself is whether having fewer breeds or varieties and really focusing on their quality would take you farther than having a wider assortment.
This is a hobby....and I know but I have a feeling I will be in the poultry world for a while. I still talk to friends, go to football games, go to movies, and stuff like that. But in my spare time I show/breed/raise poultry. I run a website and have breeding goals for all of my breed except my mottled d'uccles which I haven't started breeding yet because I'm still trying to aquire stock. I have a goal one ultimate goal from all of this and that is to be one of those breeders that people go to to get foundation stock from. Like Mike Gilbert or John Blehm in Ameraucanas. I just don't want to be overwhelmed, and I'm to much of an over achiever to realize when enough is enough. I was just thinking d'Uccles (1 variety), Bantam Ameraucanas (3 varieties), Swedish Ducks, Call Ducks (2 varieties), Silkies (1 variety). I just don't know... I want to be able to have great quality birds without being spread too thin, but I don't want to just be a one breed wonder.
I honestly say you got two ways to go about figuring out what works best for you... 1. like i said earlier - stay where you are now and go ahead and get the white ameracauna you're planning on - and wait a bit and focus on those, then see if you're ready to take on more the next year or whever... OR 2. get the full load you want and work on seperating them out, getting together the good stock of each breed, and try working on them. my only thing is you're 15 - so what do your parents have to say about adding a bunch of breeds, coops, and pens? Are you going to have the money to keep each variety/breed seperated out put the money into buying the best stock you can of each breed/variety? How about space? pens, coops, incubators, brooders, etc... I believe to achieve and be able to produce a nigh number of quality chicks especially in the first couple years as your establishing your lines (as this is your goal) then you'll be needing to hatch and breed up as many babies of a breed/variety as possible. Honestly your young, you still have a few more years of school left, and from personal experience it only gets more hectic the longer you're there...I honestly just don't want you to try and burn yourself out with taking too much on too soon. I believe taking too many on too close together before atleast establishing your stock and breeding programs with what you already have isn't going to allow you produce as good a representation of the breeds as your looking to achieve. I'm just saying focus on what you have now, and so getting your breeding programs for them straight, and making sure you've got the best breeding stock as you can afford, and thus you'll the best available to work with breeding off of. Then we you get your current (and white ameracauna) good and settled with before adding another breed. I just worry with a bunch too early on you're not going to be able to pay as much attention to the type and quality of each breed and will be spread too thin. Anyway hun, good luck and I hope everything works out for you. Just remember your young and you'll have time to get where you want to me, theres no need to rush!
Well thank you all for the advice I think I'm going to stick to my plan and add the whites and the calls this year and work on those for a while....my BBS Ameraucanas have good quality I just need to breed them to reenforce some qualities. Then I think I'm just going to add Silkies sometime Spring or Fall 2011 when I have some time to devote just to them. I think your right that I don't want to get burnt out. Thank You so much, and I guess mothers are always right. This is what my Mom says to do. She likes the birds (not like I do, but just to look at) and she doesn't mind a couple more coops. Thank You once more for making me see "the light". It doesn't help I'm SO impatient!
