Super stupid question....

[LALA13]

I know this will sound really dumb, but I have to know....can chickens be inbred??? I have a rooster and 2 hens from the same batch of chicks and now they're old enough to breed....soooo....do I keep removing their eggs if they go broody, or is that not a problem with chickens???

 

[lightchick]

That's not a stupid question. Yes, they can be inbred. First generation might be OK, but if their chicks start trying to breed you might have a problem on your hands. Do you have anymore chickens?

 

[LALA13]

Thankfully yes!!! I started out this spring with 6 chicks (4 ended up being roosters) now I ended up with 25!!!!! (rescues from 6 weeks to 2 years)

 

[lightchick]

So I think if they are mixed with all the other chickens you have it'll be fine.

 

[LALA13]

Awesome! Thanks!!

 

[lazy gardener]

I've heard that you should be ok for 3 generations, as long as you don't have any genetic weaknesses that show up in your parents or the succeeding generations.

 

[LALA13]

So other than super obvious things, what would I want to watch for??

 

[lightchick]

Well things like deformities.
Knock knees. Birds with leggs that bend inwards at the knee joint, when viewed from the front. This can be a key pointer to the bird having a poor body structure (confirmation). It is likely that such birds will be poor specimens that will not lay well or develop satisfactorily.
Pigeon toe. This condition is recognised by inwardly-facing feet. This can be a genetic problem.
Twisted toes. A condition where one or more toes grows at a strange angle. This can be inherited or it can develop with birds reared on wire mesh.
Wry tail. A condition that is characterised by a tail that is carried off centre, when viewed from above. Generally this problem is caused by a genetic disorder. This does not affect the ability of the bird to lay.
Squirrel tail. A condition where the tail feathers curve forward towards the head of the bird, instead of being more vertical or facing to the rear. Generally this problem is caused by a genetic disorder.
Twisted beak. A deformity that can give a bird serious eating difficulties. The upper and lower parts of the beak do not align correctly. This tends to be an inherited problem.
Split wing. Split wing is described as a gap between the primary and secondary feathers on the wing, a permanent gap caused by a missing feather.

 

[AmericanMom]

Never stupid questions, just stupid answers

Its called line breeding when you cross father/daughter and Mother/Son Grandfather/Granddaughter Etc... I would take the advice from the posters above, it is possible ( I am doing it now with my rabbits and plan to with the chickens next year) But only for a certain amount of generations ..I think if you change out the rooster every 2-3 years you will do fine.

 

[SkyWorld]

I really like it when someone asks a great "stupid" question. I learn sooo much.

Thank you!