Linebreeding an extremely rare breed flock

[getaclue]

The purpose of spiral, and line breeding is to keep from outcrossing, so you don't have to introduce inferior genetics. Spiral breed, and start line breeding next year or the year after, then keep going. In several years, you will begin to have a consistently good line, breeding out defects, breeding for your best qualities. After several years, your line will have enough distant relative to outcross with, so you don't have to introduce a totally new line, and it's flaws.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Exactly, keep what you have. Selective breed (line breed) for few years to have the groups- pullets backcrossed to sire, cockerels backcrossed to dam, and so on. You'll have the sire and dams for few years to work with and make distinct matings.

These groups of birds you'd pen separately and spiral breed. Spiral breeding is a simplified line breeding type of program. It's where you rotate the cock birds from each pen. Cock in pen A would be in pen B, B cock in C pen and C in pen A. Following year rotate them again. You only replace the cock with a cockerel of equal or better quality from pen it was breeding in. Otherwise retain the cock until better bird is sired. Same with hens, keep them in original pen and only replace if better quality pullet.

Birds of good uniformity are maintained easily with spiral breeding. It's popular with gamebirds and varieties that don't require double mating. It's less record keeping and and easy way to keep genetic diversity and quality of stock up.

 

[CallieSFlock]

I thought the opposite...are you sure about that?

Nope. You do NOT breed brother and sister. They are closer genetically than parents and their offspring. I don't know about chickens, but in dogs, you breed back one generation of you have a desired trait that you want to keep. (Example:Grandfather to Granddaughter) That's the closest genetically you want to get. You need to check it out with someone who is more knowledgeable than me though.

 

[CallieSFlock]

Nope. You do NOT breed brother and sister. They are closer genetically than parents and their offspring. I don't know about chickens, but in dogs, you breed back one generation of you have a desired trait that you want to keep. (Example:Grandfather to Granddaughter) That's the closest genetically you want to get. You need to check it out with someone who is more knowledgeable than me though.

Oh ok, it seems like these other people know more about it.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Line breeding should be like this:

Exceptionally good unrelated pair: Parent Line1 is rooster, Parent line2 is Hen: F1 will be the product of P1xP2=F1, F1 males will be crossed with Parent line2(BC1b) and F1 pullets to be crossed with Parent line1(BC1a). these are the BC1a, BC1b should be separate.. You should cross BC1a line with BC1b when deemed necessary.

This might as well have been in French. Huh? LOL!

 

[Egghead_Jr]

You have-

Sire and Dam "unrelated"
F1 pullets and cockerels
group A pullets and cockerels
group B pullets and cockerels
* group A & B I'm calling the two "unrelated" eggs you obtained this year.

You are good to go for decades with what you have here.

What I would do is select the best two pullets from each group (A & B) and best cockerel from each. Wait for them to grow out before final decision and culling of birds. Also make sure they are banded so know who is who.

Next year put cock B in pen over the A hens (pen A) and other pen have A cock over B hens (pen B). In third pen (pen C) have best F1 cock over Dam and in fourth pen (pen D) have Sire over F1 pullets.

The easiest way to keep birds marked by pen is toe punch when chicks. This way they are permanently marked by pen and can all be raised together, only the best kept as breeders and put back in their pen for 3 weeks prior to breeding to ensure they are no longer fertile then put cock in pen for breeding. This ensures you always know parentage. I'd leg band cock birds as they will rotate annually. The hens go back to pen you collected eggs from. As in pen A pullets will always be bred in pen A when hens.

Following year you can have a fifth pen made up from best cockerel from Pen D and keep Sire in D. As for other pens much will have to do with resulting quality of birds obtained. In general you want to rotate the cock each year. There will be variables this year as to quality and decisions to make. Third year certainly rotate and keep the rotation the same every year after as in move up the pens, A to B, B to C...E to A.

If a resulting cockerel or pullet is not of equal or better quality than what is in the pen don't use it. You are working on improvements and standardizing your birds. So if the original Sire does not beget a cockerel of better quality then the sire moves to next pen the following breeding season (except the year you are making pen E of course). Hens always stay in same pen, replaced only by pullets of same or better quality from that pen.

I hope that rambling makes sense. This is how I'd set up pens, five of them. Then spiral breeding program of cock rotation to maintain for decades.

 

[nicalandia]

This might as well have been in French. Huh? LOL!

Not even close, you should see how the world of plant breeding works.

They have, P(Parent Line), F1(offsprings of the cross of parent line), F2(cross of the crosses), BC1F1(back cross to parent line), BC1F2(offsprings of the back cross to parent line). BC2F1(second back cross to parent line), BC2F2(offsprings of the second back cross to parent line)

 

[Ebony Rose]

Not even close, you should see how the world of plant breeding works.

They have, P(Parent Line), F1(offsprings of the cross of parent line), F2(cross of the crosses), BC1F1(back cross to parent line), BC1F2(offsprings of the back cross to parent line). BC2F1(second back cross to parent line), BC2F2(offsprings of the second back cross to parent line)

I'm too old to learn a new language

 

[getaclue]

IF you have to start your line by inbreeding siblings, it's not a big problem. It can be done the one time to get the line started, and the offspring needed. Breed offspring back to parents. Don't inbreed again in you line, rather line breed, and/or spiral breed.

 

[Ebony Rose]

Really enjoying this thread. I bought four (chicken) chicks this year that were supposed to be Kikiriki, but are instead what they call "fino" (bantams). I'm not overly bent out of shape about the breed mixup as all I was really wanting was SMALL chickens to eventually brood my quail eggs. I asked for and received one cockerel & three pullets. The cock finally started crowing yesterday, so I'm guessing eggs will be forthcoming within a month. I hope to incubate or have a bantam brood some of their eggs as well, with an eye towards GENTLE roosters (yeah, reverse engineering generations of Panamanian breeders going for morbid aggressiveness) and BROODY prone hens while continuing to reduce their size over the years, so this type of thread appeals to me. Thanks!