Since this is my first year breeding chickens I am trying to make sure I have good, genetically diverse stock for breeding. After that, line breeding in one form or another will help me keep healthy stock for as long as I want to keep doing this. While chickens are different, my understanding is that nature tends to come after any plant or animal that is too genetically "narrow." So, I am working to establish foundation stock in each breed where at least there is some diversity. Since I am only breeding birds from the ALBC list (excepting Bresse and BLRW - both of which are by definition also somewhat inbred) it is important to me to avoid breeding from too small of a gene pool.
Homeworkin,
We've had this discussion on other threads, most notably the Heritage Large Fowl thread.
One of the principles you need to keep in mind is that genetic diversity equals variation. If you want everyone to look different, then genetic variation is the way to go. If you want them to look the same, then genetic variation is your enemy. The purpose of standard breeding is to reduce the genetic variation and to set a type so that at either extreme, there is very little difference between individuals.
Genetic diversity has a benefit in natural selection because it creates a varied gene pool that can respond (as a species, not as individuals) to sudden or unexpected changes in the environment. However, some species with very low genetic diversity appear to be very robust when it comes to survivability of individuals. An example of this is the cheetah which is probably one of the most narrow gene pools in the natural world, yet they are a surprisingly robust species.
Animal husbandry is ARTIFICIAL selection, not natural selection. It is successful because the conditions under which the animals live are highly controlled. We don't toss our chickens out in the wild to fend for themselves, otherwise we'd have landrace chickens like the Icelandic, Maradunna, or Hedemora. And you will note that color and type for those breeds are all over the map. If you want uniform color and type, the key is the reduce genetic diversity, not increase it. You are correct that nature can eliminate "narrow" lines, but since our chickens are not living "in nature" but in our back yard and they have access to antibiotics, veterinary care, and our responsible oversight, nature isn't the problem it is for landrace varieties.
I used to feel as you do when I got started in chickens. I come from a dog breeding background and have no kind words in my vocabulary for puppy mills and irresponsibly bred dogs. If you want to see me on a soapbox, just ask my opinion on the hunting American Cocker Spaniel. If it were within my means to do so, I would establish a hard-hunting line of Cockers that would put some Springer lines to shame, but that's just me. Popularity in the 60's killed that breed, but it wasn't done through "inbreeding" or "linebreeding" but by irresponsible breeding and puppy mills.
I would recommend that you look at various Buckeye lines. Go to some shows and see what's out there. Surf the web and the forums and look at LOTs of pictures of Buckeyes to see ones you like. It's overwhelming at first, but after you do it for a while (I was over six months web surfing before I bought my first chick) you begin to figure out what it is that you are looking for and who has it. Once you know what you want and where to get it, place a couple orders from the same breeder, cull rigorously, and give it a go. If you need "new" blood, order from your original source (because you picked a good one to start with, right?) and add them to your flock. As I said to Chris, I don't know what the advantage is to buying from two lines IF you are able to start with a good line of spiral bred Buckeyes to begin with. Just continue the closed flock breeding program that they had started. After all, that's what the original breeder is likely doing. Right? Why mess up a good thing with an outcross?
