Starting a flock and genetic diversity

[Knighstar679]

IF you wanted to start a flock of any one breed of duck, how many different sources would you get your starting ducklings from?

Is three enough?

As in three different breeders with different flocks.
one with say 40 hens and 8 drakes
one with 12 hens and 2 drakes
one with 20 hens and 3 drakes

Would this be enough diversity to start out a flock without problems for a while. Yes I know that you can technically interbreed ducks for one or two generations to themselves but I do want to avoid that if possible. A friend has a flock and her flock now has infertility problems because of massive inbreeding.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

I am very interested in the answer to this. I can't help but

 

[Knighstar679]

I am very interested in the answer to this. I can't help but

I am so very curious about it as I am looking at trying to do a rare breed next year. But I don’t want to cripple it as a breeding ground before it even gets off the ground.

 

[Isaac 0]

@Pyxis @learycow Are both breeders, they may have some tips.

 

[TomCahalan]

The more initial diversity, the better. However, the real challenge is in maintaining that diversity. Full pedigreed mating would be best, but the clan mating system can keep a flock going for a few decades before you need to bring in reinforcements. Whichever system you use, the key is to keep selecting the best birds. Hatch out a bunch and ruthlessly cull.

Inbreeding depression (which your friend's flock suffers from) is cured in a single generation. If you get a bunch of weak and sickly inbred ducks and mate them with a weak and sickly drake from an unrelated line, the ducklings will not be inbred at all. Your friend should get rid of all of her drakes and bring in outside drakes and set up a clan mating system.