Karen, I am LOVING all the information!!! And I am so excited!!! I have already been working with Mr. Albritton to get a shipment next year in the spring!!!
What is a "strain" and what is "line-breeding"?
Would I be able to take my chicks and select mating pairs/groups to try to maintain the SOP?
(I hope I am not asking stupid questions!!! I know I still have more reading to do on proper terminology and all!!!)
Thanks!
Hi
Sunflowergirl ,
The only stupid question is the one you don't ask .
Well I am very excited for you! Mr. Albrittion is a fine place to start out! Next thing you do is buy the SOP.
The 1st 40 pages are so educational! Including a wonderful glossary from which came the definitions below.
What is a "strain" and what is "line-breeding"?
1. Breed: An established group of individuals possessing similar characteristics , and when mated together
produce offspring with those same characteristics. A breed may include a number of varieties of the same
general weight , distinguished by different color plumage, or different types of combs, or a comb and color
as in Dorkings, and in some cases by bearded or non-bearded.
2. Variety: A sub-division of a breed. Differentiating characteristics include plumage color, comb type
or presence of beard and muffs.
3. Strain: Fowl of any breed or variety that have been bred as a closed population for a number of years
and which reproduce uniform chracteristics with marked regularity.
-----------------------------------------
From a separate source:
4.
Types of breeding:
1.
OUTCROSSING: Breeding together unrelated animals or animals that are less related than the average animals of a given breed, variety or strain. Outcrossing or crossbreeding is often defined as "The mating of animals that are members of the same breed, variety or strain but which show no relationship close up in the pedigree." Breeding together animals of different breeds or species is often also referred to as outcrossing or crossbreeding, but we are not really concerned with crossbreeding in that respect so much in this discussion. Sometimes simply crossing to another family line within the same strain (that is somewhat related but not as close) is referred to as outcrossing, and this is the safest way to add new blood while causing the least amount of retrogression in what you have accomplished in linbreeding.
2.
LINEBREEDING: Breeding closely related animals, based on multiple pedigree crosses to a single exceptional animal. Linebreeding, is often defined as a breeding method usually directed toward keeping the offspring closely related to some highly admired ancestor, such as sire to daughter, son to mother, brother to sister, half-brother to half-sister, grandfather to granddaughter, grandson to grandmother, unlce to neice, nephew to aunt, cousin to cousin and so on. Technically linebreeding is just a systematic usage of inbreeding. ( Karen: in the early part of last century this was called "Outbreeding", obviously not the same as "outcrossing". Makes things clearer tho, if you are reading vintage books).
3.
INBREEDING or CLOSE BREEDING: Breeding animals that are more closely related than the average animals of a given breed, variety or strain, such as sire to daughter, mother to son, full-brothers to full-sisters. Although it is a form of linebreeding, 'inbreeding' is often defined as "the mating of closely related individuals, such as sire to daughter, son to mother or full brother to full sister." Inbreeding is defined by some as a much closer cross between the "mating pair" than is linebreeding: son to mother, father to daughter or brother to sister. Some breeders would consider it inbreeding, others linebreeding, when crossing an animal to a half-brother or a half-sister or to one of the cousins, aunts, uncles or grandparents. Technically, there is a continuum from inbreeding to linebreeding just as there is a continuum in degree of relationship between animals of the same breed. As a result, it is sometimes very difficult to give the perfect definition.
INBREEDING ALSO BUT NOT CLOSE: Grandfather to granddaughter, grandson to grandmother, uncle to neice, aunt to nephew, cousin to cousin, half-brother to half-sister.
VERY CLOSE INBREEDING: Breeding daughters back to their sire for successive generations, sons back to their mother for successive generations, or full-brothers to full-sisters out of full-brothers and full-sisters for successive generations.
-----------------------------------------
4.
Strain-Cross: Crossing different strains within a breed or variety.
Would I be able to take my chicks and select mating pairs/groups to try to maintain the SOP?
Yes . Tell Tony that is what you want to do and he will provide you with the birds to do it. Ask him to show
you how to set up the 1st 2 years breedings. Much less stress and much more surety of outcome that way.
You just get to enjoy the birds and getting to know your new flock. By the 3rd year, you will know the birds
and strain, be ready to make your own plans. Run them by Tony to double check.
Best,
Karen
