She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[frmboyinthecity]

Your posts the last two days are cracking me up. You get all girly when you come out of hibernation Your eggs are prettier, but I'll have some beautiful chicks from Joh... Never mind I understand what your saying, but until I start seeing ill effects from line breeding I'm not bringing anything else in. I want to learn what I have and what I'm throwing before I try and bring in different traits. I don't think the gene pool will go all to crap in just a couple of generations

I can see what you mean. I go back and forth on it.

 

[scflock]

I can see what you mean. I go back and forth on it.

Right now I have pretty birds, and I'm getting 6-7 eggs/day from 8 hens. I won't even start adding their offspring back to the pens until the summer, and probably wont get gen. 3 until next year, so I don't think I will see any ill effects any time soon

 

[frmboyinthecity]

Right now I have pretty birds, and I'm getting 6-7 eggs/day from 8 hens. I won't even start adding their offspring back to the pens until the summer, and probably wont get gen. 3 until next year, so I don't think I will see any ill effects any time soon

Probably not. I have read how people suggest having two separate lines and then periodically (ever 3 generations or something like that) cross a rooster over from the lines. I think I may have been getting ahead of myself on it.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Does it improve your hatch? How often do you turn them?

Absolutely it does... was getting maybe 20% successful hatch from lockdown using an auto turner... switched to hand turning and got 24/28 successful hatch at lockdown, 2 I was certain wouldn't hatch though but left them in just in case... I turn at least 3x a day, 5x if I remember enough...

I was going to get some of each and see who's are better!

SC's, no contest...

Your posts the last two days are cracking me up. You get all girly when you come out of hibernation Your eggs are prettier, but I'll have some beautiful chicks from Joh... Never mind I understand what your saying, but until I start seeing ill effects from line breeding I'm not bringing anything else in. I want to learn what I have and what I'm throwing before I try and bring in different traits. I don't think the gene pool will go all to crap in just a couple of generations

My eggs took a nice jump in improvement from last year... I'm happier with them, but I'm my own worst critic, lol... even my older hens eggs look bluer this year... You started with all of yours direct from PS, you're birds are fine... plus since you got chicks from multiple pens of his, your genetics should be just fine for a few generations at least... I started with mine from someone who was getting out of Am's... theirs were originally from JB, but they had been breeding them themselves for a few years... luckily, they did know what they were doing so they're good stock, but nowhere near the level of any of the current major breeders... plus I needed a new roo since I refused to breed their brother to them... after the last year and a half looking for a decent roo, getting one that turned out no good, I should be set now for quite a while as well... will see how this generation turns out and go from there...

Right now I have pretty birds, and I'm getting 6-7 eggs/day from 8 hens. I won't even start adding their offspring back to the pens until the summer, and probably wont get gen. 3 until next year, so I don't think I will see any ill effects any time soon

Nope, you shouldn't...

 

[Ravynscroft]

Probably not. I have read how people suggest having two separate lines and then periodically (ever 3 generations or something like that) cross a rooster over from the lines. I think I may have been getting ahead of myself on it. 

Either that or, if you split an order of chicks with someone then every couple years or so you swap a good roo with them... separate breeding will give enough diversity to refresh your stock without outcrossing to another line, which could bring in new and unknown issues...

 

[WalnutHill]

Quote:
I'm glad you find it entertaining

Actually, I do too. I had a nice week long getaway, and am now swamped at work, DH just took a new job in a different field and is vaccillating between "I can do this" and "I am going to ask for my old job back" so I am spending a lot of emotional energy dampening his extremes. Been fighting a nasty virus that is going around that took down everyone else in the household but while I have a symptom or two, I have missed the main event.

I'm having fun with breeding my turkeys for specific colors, it's like an artist's palette. That I can get a pure white bird from two strongly patterened parents, or that I can get a black and white bird from a bronze and a gray bird, is cool. Reverse engineering the parents from the offspring is essential, and so learning exactly how color patterns on down translate to adult plumage will save months off of selection time in future generations.

 

[frmboyinthecity]

Either that or, if you split an order of chicks with someone then every couple years or so you swap a good roo with them... separate breeding will give enough diversity to refresh your stock without outcrossing to another line, which could bring in new and unknown issues...

Yeah, I knew bringing in a new line could add an entire different level of complexity. I don't know that I will ever show, but obviously I want to have some quality blood lines.

 

[AmyLynn2374]

Absolutely it does... was getting maybe 20% successful hatch from lockdown using an auto turner... switched to hand turning and got 24/28 successful hatch at lockdown, 2 I was certain wouldn't hatch though but left them in just in case...
I turn at least 3x a day, 5x if I remember enough...
SC's, no contest...
My eggs took a nice jump in improvement from last year... I'm happier with them, but I'm my own worst critic, lol... even my older hens eggs look bluer this year...

You started with all of yours direct from PS, you're birds are fine... plus since you got chicks from multiple pens of his, your genetics should be just fine for a few generations at least...

I started with mine from someone who was getting out of Am's... theirs were originally from JB, but they had been breeding them themselves for a few years... luckily, they did know what they were doing so they're good stock, but nowhere near the level of any of the current major breeders... plus I needed a new roo since I refused to breed their brother to them... after the last year and a half looking for a decent roo, getting one that turned out no good, I should be set now for quite a while as well... will see how this generation turns out and go from there...
Nope, you shouldn't...

The two hatches I hand turned were my best hatches. I have always thought that hand turning had something to do with it, but I've said I don't know if it was that or coincidence, but it wwas enough that I decided not to go back to hand turning. I also turned at least 3 xs and 5 if I got my first turn in early enough.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Yeah, I knew bringing in a new line could add an entire different level of complexity. I don't know that I will ever show, but obviously I want to have some quality blood lines. 

I understand, and agree... I want mine to be the best I can get them... maybe I should have just scrapped them and gotten chicks straight from someone like PS like SC did, but honestly I love my original girls... and they're not junk so I have something good to work with... plus I am enjoying the challenge of breeding them up to higher quality myself...

The two hatches I hand turned were my best hatches. I have always thought that hand turning had something to do with it, but I've said I don't know if it was that or coincidence, but it wwas enough that I decided not to go back to hand turning. I also turned at least 3 xs and 5 if I got my first turn in early enough.

Always hand turning is better than an auto turner... keeps the eggs in more natural position and more even heating from end to end rather than one end and most of the way down the sides... but it's just not practical for large batches or most peoples schedules...

 

[chicapee]

Absolutely it does... was getting maybe 20% successful hatch from lockdown using an auto turner... switched to hand turning and got 24/28 successful hatch at lockdown, 2 I was certain wouldn't hatch though but left them in just in case...
I turn at least 3x a day, 5x if I remember enough...
SC's, no contest...
My eggs took a nice jump in improvement from last year... I'm happier with them, but I'm my own worst critic, lol... even my older hens eggs look bluer this year...

You started with all of yours direct from PS, you're birds are fine... plus since you got chicks from multiple pens of his, your genetics should be just fine for a few generations at least...

I started with mine from someone who was getting out of Am's... theirs were originally from JB, but they had been breeding them themselves for a few years... luckily, they did know what they were doing so they're good stock, but nowhere near the level of any of the current major breeders... plus I needed a new roo since I refused to breed their brother to them... after the last year and a half looking for a decent roo, getting one that turned out no good, I should be set now for quite a while as well... will see how this generation turns out and go from there...
Nope, you shouldn't...

That's good to know.