My ultimate final breeding plan!

[joe17]

I have 2 dozen silkie chicks now from a great breeder and I want to breed them so I have to divide my coop into pens. I will have two 6x4 breeding pens and one 4x8 grow out pen with an attached run. Come spring, I will set up the matings in quads. I will hatch every egg I get from march through may. I should get about 50 to 75 chicks, right? I will probably cull to about 45. I will put them in the grow out pen and cull like crazy every week since I can only keep the best of the best. We have shows in January so I will show whatever offspring I have left. I the will re evaluate my breeding pens and replace any old breeders that aren't as good with the new offspring. I will probably do this for many years and bring in new blood every fall or spring. How does this plan sound? I will probably have to really decide and plan when the time comes. This is just a general outline. When I get tired of this, I will probably keep 10 hens and a roo just to keep as pets and show them every now and then.

 

[Rock N' Faverolles]

Why would you bring in new blood every year? That is no way to create a line. Start with what you have now and breed for five years or more and if you can't get a certain trait you desire then add in new blood. And when you do this, do a sample mating first and preferably with a hen as the new blood and not a male. If you do have all the basic traits you have, then there is no need to bring in new blood if you mate up the birds right and hatch out enough. There is a lot more I could say on this subject but I have to head to work.

David

 

[TK Poultry]

I would say if you have two different pens you should have to bring in new blood unless you've got something that is lacking. You should be able to switch the babies from each pen and keep them going like that for several years. Like pullet from pen 1 (parents are from pen 1) moves to pen two and same thing with the second pen. You really dont have to do that just retain daughters. You will reinforce great traits more with a breeding like that.

For example. I have this really nice blk bantam ameraucana pullet that I'm so proud of and a nice cockerel to go with her. I'm just going to keep their daughters and mate them back to their father to reinforce the good traits. The good trait being the nice thick beard and tail.

You could do the same with your silkies for even longer with two pens without ever adding new blood unless you had to for some reason.

 

[Sweetfolly]

I think it sounds perfect.

I was talking to a very experienced breeder a few weeks ago with an amazing show record, and I was SO refreshed to hear that he (like me) doesn't like line-breeding and inbreeding the birds for generations, working with the same, stagnant genepool - he brings in a pair of new birds every year (from well established breeders) - he told me: if you do it that way, you'll never run out of eggs, you'll never run out of healthy, vigorous chicks.

 

[SilkiesAndSuch]

I say go for it. I think you should try your method and see if it works out the way you want it to. I raise silkies myself and like the linebreeding/inbreeding method and many good silkie breeders use a similar method. However, some do not and everyone is going to try and sway you towards the way they do things, which will only end up confusing you more and more. Try your method and see if it works. If it doesn't give you the results you desire, try a new method. Best way to learn is from your own experiences. Enjoy yourself and laugh at your mistakes when you make them. Be proud of yourself when you do something right. Raising good quality birds can be taxing on your mental and physical health, but don't forget to have fun learning. What have you got to lose? Good luck

 

[TK Poultry]

Quote:
I love that! Those are words to live by! Great use of words it made me feel all fuzzy inside

 

[joe17]

I would say if you have two different pens you should have to bring in new blood unless you've got something that is lacking. You should be able to switch the babies from each pen and keep them going like that for several years. Like pullet from pen 1 (parents are from pen 1) moves to pen two and same thing with the second pen. You really dont have to do that just retain daughters. You will reinforce great traits more with a breeding like that.

I thought I had to bring in new blood that often since my flock was so small. I will do what you said and I will also do some father X daughter matings as well depending on the qualities they have because I know this sometimes brings out the bad traits but I guess its the price you pay to have have the good traits emphasized as well. I know I cant do sister and brother matings. I will try both and see how it works out. Im still pretty new and will see what works for me. I will use the money I get from selling my culls to buy the new blood if I need. I know that possessing new stock should be pretty easy because all I have to do is email a couple of breeders I know to see if they have something available and if not, they will probably know somebody that does!

About adding in new blood, how many and what sexes should I add in considering the size of my flock? I would at least get a pair. idk​

 

[SilkiesAndSuch]

FLTeen wrote:

I say go for it. I think you should try your method and see if it works out the way you want it to. I raise silkies myself and like the linebreeding/inbreeding method and many good silkie breeders use a similar method. However, some do not and everyone is going to try and sway you towards the way they do things, which will only end up confusing you more and more. Try your method and see if it works. If it doesn't give you the results you desire, try a new method. Best way to learn is from your own experiences. Enjoy yourself and laugh at your mistakes when you make them. Be proud of yourself when you do something right. Raising good quality birds can be taxing on your mental and physical health, but don't forget to have fun learning. What have you got to lose? Good luck

I love that! Those are words to live by! Great use of words it made me feel all fuzzy inside​

Thanks

glad someone liked it lol