Raising Brothers and Sisters

[stumpff farm]

I am raising my first batch of chicks from our own eggs. I am considering keeping one of the roosters as well as the hens and want to know if there will be physical or genetic issues if the sisters and brothers breed together?

Thanks in advance for any wisdom you can offer!

 

[effie]

I have been wanting to ask this same question. Can you use the same rooster for the babies that hatch from him to fetilize those hens eggs for hatching as well. I hope i w orded that to be understood. In essence can you breed him to his babies for more hatches???

 

[stumpff farm]

Yes...that is my exact question.

 

[Fred's Hens]

It is best to breed Father/daughter or son/mother.

Siblings aren't the very best match-up. So say most folks.

 

[Lollipop]

Eventually you will have to add new blood to the equasion. Easily done with a new rooster. Defects could start to show up in as little as 3 generations, or it could be more. The defects could be as simple as smaller size birds, or as much as any number of things. Problem is, the first generation, that you now own, could be closely interbred, depending on where/who you got them from. Ya just gotta try it and see. If things start getting funky, get a new rooster. Good luck.........Pop

 

[stumpff farm]

Thanks for the quick replies. I really appreciate the help. Hard to let the new roosters go since these are the first "babies" I helped momma raise!

 

[elmo]

If you start with stock that has good genetic diversity to begin with (the parents of the birds you start with are completely unrelated), there should be no problem.

The original five birds we started with were all siblings or half siblings (same rooster as the father), but were otherwise completely unrelated....to the point of being different breeds, even. One of the five chicks we raised was a roo, and we mated him to his sisters. All of these offspring were fine and we got a nearly 100 percent hatch rate. Half of this batch of chicks were pullets that we kept, and they all grew up healthy and strong.

One generation of inbreeding like this is unlikely to give you problems, but if you keep doing it, it's risky.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Here's a good article. Easy to understand. It's good to read from expert, experienced breeders on this subject.
http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/1/1-2/Craig_Russell.html

 

[Emptywagon2]

I was just wondering the same thing. I have four hens & 1 roo. I plan on setting eggs this week from them & keeping some hens & 1 roo from the hatch. Thanks for asking this question & thanks to the ones who answered it too.