The Heritage Rhode Island Red Site

[Wyandotte96]

What do you guys think about the width on this bantam cockerel? He is a May hatched bird.

 

[Matt1616]

What do you guys think about the width on this bantam cockerel? He is a May hatched bird.

The width looks fine on this K.

 

[JanetMarie]

I have a few questions for breeders, please:

In conserving a particular line how does establishing the breeding stock work, since they will be full brother and sister to start with?

Approximately how many chicks are raised to choose the birds that conform to the standard of that line?

In conserving a particular line, adding new blood is out, so how is vigor maintained?

 

[cmom]

I have a few questions for breeders, please:

In conserving a particular line how does establishing the breeding stock work, since they will be full brother and sister to start with?

Approximately how many chicks are raised to choose the birds that conform to the standard of that line?

In conserving a particular line, adding new blood is out, so how is vigor maintained?

My birds are all descendants of the same line. I got my original birds from one breeder (one family) and later bought another quad from another breeder with the same line (my second family). You can breed mothers to son and father to daughters. I try not to so I try to maintain 2 families. I just put a male from one family into a pen with females from another family. I am hoping to get another male from a breeder with the same line at the Lake City Poultry Show in January to put with some females that do not have a male with them because I don't want to breed brothers and sisters. I think last year I only hatched around 100 eggs give or take a few of my SC RIRs. The females that I want to cull from my breeding pens go in to a general population pen and I sell some to people who are either looking for birds as pets or just as egg layers but not for show. I keep the best to put into my breeding pens. That is just what I do. Other may do things differently. I am practicing line breeding not in-breeding. My birds all get good higher protein feed.

 

[JanetMarie]

My birds are all descendants of the same line. I got my original birds from one breeder (one family) and later bought another quad from another breeder with the same line (my second family). You can breed mothers to son and father to daughters. I try not to so I try to maintain 2 families. I just put a male from one family into a pen with females from another family. I am hoping to get another male from a breeder with the same line at the Lake City Poultry Show in January to put with some females that do not have a male with them because I don't want to breed brothers and sisters. I think last year I only hatched around 100 eggs give or take a few of my SC RIRs. The females that I want to cull from my breeding pens go in to a general population pen and I sell some to people who are either looking for birds as pets or just as egg layers but not for show. I keep the best to put into my breeding pens. That is just what I do. Other may do things differently. I am practicing line breeding not in-breeding. My birds all get good higher protein feed.

Thank your for your reply. Even though your birds are from the same line and you had bought your second family from a different breeder, wouldn't they still be very closely related? Almost brother and sister?

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I would say more like distant cousins.

 

[JanetMarie]

I would say more like cousins.

That makes sense. I wouldn't want to breed full brother and sisters together.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I do that with my other breeds too. I want to keep line breeding but don't want to in-breed.

 

[JanetMarie]

I would have to find two breeders that have the same line. Your information helps. I am researching what breed to raise for conservation. I currently have three RIR hens, and don't know if I want to tackle keeping that line, or possibly choose another breed that has more diverse genetics that I can add possibly unrelated blood into.

 

[cmom]

I would have to find two breeders that have the same line. Your information helps. I am researching what breed to raise for conservation. I currently have three RIR hens, and don't know if I want to tackle keeping that line, or possibly choose another breed that has more diverse genetics that I can add possibly unrelated blood into.

Just be careful if you are intending to preserve a specific line. I think you are going in the right direction. I did a lot of research before I got mine. I started out with RC RIW's. I had gotten some eggs and was told what they were supposed to be but when they hatched out I knew right away that they were not.