Mating Family????

[newchickens2009]

I have heard that you can mate sister to brother, father to daughter or mother to son with chickens and it has no side affects like other animals do. I've also heard that it should be avoided at all cost. Can someone on here please give me some advice on this subject? I have a sister and brother Marans that someone gave me and would like to produce a few chicks from them to add to my dark egg collection. Is this ok or should I not do it?

 

[pdsavage]

Line Breeding Made Simple
http://happyhenhouse.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=babies&action=display&thread=11401

Line Breeding, Inbreeding & Outcrossing
http://www.the-coop.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=28027

 

[punky rooster]

I would not breed a brother to sister for more than two generations. After that I would go get new blood. In your case I would hatch from your birds, take the sons breed to the mothers, Daughters breed to the father again and again. You can do this for 3 - 5 years without getting new blood if I remember correctly.

 

[newchickens2009]

Thank you both so much for the great info! It will be put to good use in the years to come.