Recommendations for breeding from limited stock

[AinaWGSD]

I have 2 Malines cockerels and 6 more straight run on the way. My main reason for wanting Malines is to cross the hens to buckeyes for sex linked chicks with an eye to meat production. But I'm planning on keeping one malines rooster and breeding malines as well.

But I will be working with a limited number of birds. I'm not concerned about initial breedings, but after a few generations everyone is goin to be pretty closely related. Looking for advice for long term breeding management to maintain the healthiest population with a small number of birds.

 

[Chicken_Obsesser]

@Amer

 

[Amer]

I do advocate for inbreeding but I am no expert on the best breeding methods so I'm afraid I can't be of any help here...

 

[Sic]

Look into clan mating, I think that method will work best for you.

 

[Slothinc]

I am nothing of an expert on this but if I wanted to do a similar small breeding project I would just try to replace the rooster with a new line every few generations. Like maybe when ordering chicks every year or two, include a couple of Malines on the order to add in and replace the older roo with them when the new ones get bigger. I am not familiar with the breed so this might not be feasible if they are a very rare or hard-to-get breed.

 

[Amer]

Look into clan mating, I think that method will work best for you.

I'd agree with this.

 

[AinaWGSD]

I am nothing of an expert on this but if I wanted to do a similar small breeding project I would just try to replace the rooster with a new line every few generations. Like maybe when ordering chicks every year or two, include a couple of Malines on the order to add in and replace the older roo with them when the new ones get bigger. I am not familiar with the breed so this might not be feasible if they are a very rare or hard-to-get breed.

They are. As far as I know, all of the ones in the USA originated with the greenfire farms import. I got mine from chicken scratch poultry, they got theirs from greenfire.