Inbreeding!?!?!?

[Harry1]

I have australorpes bought as chicks i have a couple of roosters (for Now )and four hens I like the breed and the eggs they produce and wanted to hatch some eggs to make more hens but does it matter that the roo and the hens are probably bro and sis ???

 

[mstricer]

I don't think you will have a problem.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Chicken genetics is far more complex than mammalian genetics. No, it won't matter. What makes you think they were hatch mates? Where did you get them? The only way they are brother/sister is that you got them from someone with a single rooster over a single hen.

 

[mstricer]

That was my thought.

 

[Harry1]

these birds were bought from tractor supply in a set of six chicks all the same age as far as the ma and pa issue who knows

 

[chasinglights27]

Most likely the chicks came from a Chicken Farm, meaning the Hatchery has about a dozen roosters and 50 hens. So the chance of them being related is 25:1

Plus if they were, you can breed Sisters & Brothers, I do it breed them for 5 generation at the most before introducing new blood.

Good Luck with Hatching Eggs!!!

 

[sunnyvera]

I agree with the previous poster - you will be just fine. I have read somewhere you can do 3 generations of breeding back to relatives before it is a good idea to bring in some new blood. Those chickens are probably not related at all.

 

[20736]

Assuming that both chickens have characteristics you wish to pass to future generations, then it is OK. However, continuous line breeding can lead to lower fertility and other problems. Just be aware of the need to out breed in a couple generations. But if you just want more chix that are like the ones you have now, and you don't plan a continuous breeding cycle, then yeah, you're OK.

 

[NYREDS]

I bred a line of SC RI Red Bantams for 25 years w/o adding any "new Blood". If I hadn't decided to get rid of them I'd still be breeding them w/o any changes. I started with 2 pair from the same source. WIth good record keeping & an understanding of breeding principles you van breed a strain of birds indefinately. The notion that you need to add "new blood" every 2 or 3 years is just wrong.

 

[mstricer]

That's good to know thanks.