Inbreeding silkies

[Drivegirl54]

Dh and I were discussing our current predicament with having a male and a female silkie from the same hatch. We've been talking about buying some eggs and hatching our own silkies for a while and he actually mentioned making a separate place for them. He thinks it would be ok to breed the 2 we have together. I don't agree.
Looking for advice and suggestions please!
I don't want to get rid of my boy if I don't have to.
Thanks!

 

[Poultry Palace]

Usually you want to avoid brother-sister, and father-daughter, or mother -son matings. It's generally accepted to breed grandfather-grandaughter, or grandmother-grandson though. I hope that this helps. I would get a couple from another source, then breed. This would also give you two different blooodlines, that you could cross later.

 

[Drivegirl54]

That's what I was thinking. I had a super hard time finding these guys, now I don't know which one to re-home.

Thanks!

 

[speckledhen]

Actually, it's not as bad as most people think. When you breed closely related birds like siblings, you intensify the traits, both good and bad. I have bred brother/sister, half-brother/half-sister, mother/son, etc, with no ill effects. There are better ways, like Poultry Palace says, but you won't have terrible issues, unless, say, the brother and sister both have the same fault. I wouldn't be too concerned about it.

 

[Drivegirl54]

I also read through the searches and saw where it was recommended that if you do it, not to do it too often? I couldn't figure out why though. If that's the case, I would have a harder time trying to find them a new home later than I would now, for attachment reasons. I don't want to do anything that would potentially cause a problem with chicks though. These guys are only 7 weeks old so I don't need to rush to a decision anytime soon thankfully.
Ugh. Decisions!

 

[klf73]

I don't think it means those specific two....I think by too much it means to not take their offspring and do the same thing and so on.....
I would keep them both but get more eggs from another source to add diversity.....

 

[nzpouter]

get 2 more hens for the roo and another roo for the hen... problem solved..

 

[Drivegirl54]

Quote:
Lol I was wondering how long it would be before I heard from an enabler. I actually am considering that but we live in a subdivision and I think 1 roo would be enough.

Klf- Dh is thinking the same thing so we may stew on that for a while. I'm also thinking about just sticking the hen in with the buff girls and letting the roo go. If she wants to be broody, we may just get some eggs for her. I don't want her to be lonely though

 

[NYREDS]

Over 20 years ago I started raising RI Red Bantams. I got 3 dozen hatching eggs from one source, from these I hatched 33 chicks. 29 cockerels & 4 pullets. I culled down to 2 pair & thats where my Reds started.
I mated them & have line bred [father/daughter-mother/son] ever since. I have not added any "new blood" to this line.
My fertility & hatchability is good & more important, to me, these birds do very well in shows for myself & others who have bought birds from me.
So, don't let anyone tell you that close line breeding is not a good idea. They just plain don't know what they're talking about.
The best possible way to screw up a line of poultry is to indescriminately mate birds from different lines.

 

[Debi214]

I would imagine it is like breeding show dogs etc. You want to keep good traits even if it is father/daughter, brother/sister, mother/son. I know it sounds horrible for us to hear but I wouldn't hesitate to do it if I was trying to improve a breed.