Long Term Sustainability - What's the best combination?

[sandspoultry]

Quote:
The "old timers" used to say that 7/8's was about as close as you wanted to get inbreeding. Past that problems would start to really show- low fertility, low hatchabilty, genetic defects.

Steve in NC

 

[PacsMan]

digitS' :

Your Barred Rock hens can be used for producing sex-link chicks. It is the solid colored rooster (like the RIR) and the silver (like the Barred Rock) hens that can be used and you will know from hatch which is a male and which is a female. There will also be some hybrid vigor in these birds...
Steve

Can you explain hybrid vigor just a little more?

Will any roo produce sex link chick with the Barred Rock hens?
What would the best roo to use with my Barred Rocks? Will the sex-linked hens be good layers? (and the sex-linked roos be good meat chickens?)

Marty​

 

[digitS']

"The term heterosis, also known as hybrid vigour or outbreeding enhancement, describes the increased strength of different characteristics in hybrids; the possibility to obtain a genetically superior individual by combining the virtues of its parents. Heterosis is the opposite of inbreeding depression . . . " All I know is what I read in Wikipedia, Marty

.

Not every sire will have sex-linked offspring when mated with a Barred Rock. The rooster must be solid color, the folks in the Breeds forum tell me. The RIR is commonly used with the BR for Black Sex-links (Black Stars, Red Rocks). Other reds will work. In fact, the people in the Breeds forum tell me that Buffs and Black Australorp roosters will work also!

That Barred Rock white dot will show on the top of the heads of the little hybrid cockerels right out of the shell. And, that dot won't show up on top of the pullets' heads.

Probably, the sex-linked roos would be every bit as good or better for meat as either of the parent breeds.

Steve