Inter-breeding --- ???

[Chicken Ma]

I now have two more roosters and two hens, though they still are babies. What I'm wondering, since I am new to this chicken stuff, is if I let my hens hatch out more eggs next spring, what happens if one of the roosters mates with a hen, who just happened to be his mother? Will the chicks be okay, or deformed, or something else wrong with them? I don't plan to hatch any more, but I know my grandkids will be bugging me for baby chicks!

 

[Griffox]

I've wondered about this too.

 

[shelleyd2008]

I have heard that it is fine as long as it isn't a straight match, like full brother to full sister type of thing. It just makes the coloring and other characteristics 'stick'.

 

[silkiechicken]

Parent child breedings is often referred to as line breeding. Inbreeding will bring out the good and bad. Diversity in genes is often the best for resistance and health reasons long term.

 

[shelleyd2008]

Yeah, I knew there was a word for it.

They do the same with dogs, though not as close. They call it 'typing'.

 

[LocoPollo]

So brother sister mating is really bad?

 

[jimnjay]

Generally Mother, Grandmother to son and visa versa is fine and is an established practice with many breeders.

Brother to Sister should be avoided. I avoid problems by trying to add the hens I hatch to the flock and keep the rooster for 2 years. I then try to replace him with a non related rooster. I now have two different lines going so I can take a new rooster from a different pen and swap them out that way.