When to add new blood and how

[Hooligan Farm]

So The Rookie has been a little silent lately cause I'm training for a tournament but while I was up late cutting weight, the question popped in my head when to add new birds to my blood line and how? I read one here that some do it every year. Is there an exact science? I'm interested to know how all the big dogs are doing it.

 

[Stellar]

I add blood when I need to, every 6 months, yearly. Right now I am content with my birds. Great bloodlines. When you are happy with your stock, no need to ruin it. Someones birds could carry a color you don't want. Especially if you house birds in separate color pens.

 

[Hooligan Farm]

@ Quail Lady - I got all my originals from the same guy and all seem small. I would say a good majority of the ones I hatch are bigger than any of my first 15. Could it be the fact the he didn't feed them properly?Back when I originally started he suggested feed them layer pellets I feed my chickens. Does the size difference mean they have good genes somewhere in them?

 

[Robo]

I have four bloodlines in mine, I go eight generations and then add more blood.

 

[Hooligan Farm]

Quote:
Just curious, how long does it take you to get to 8 generations?

 

[Robo]

Well 8 weeks till all of them are laying good, then about another 10 weeks for each additional generation. Throw in a few weeks off and it should be about a year and a half per pen.

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
Just curious, how long does it take you to get to 8 generations?

every 6 weeks you CAN have a new generation for this to work all year you need lights and heat I did 4 east this past year pushing a little I probably could have done 5-6

 

[Robo]

What about the two weeks to hatch?

 

[Rainwolf]

I change out the roos....
and cull hens if I have better coloring or size from a hatch.

So every year or so I cull all but a couple very good roos.
I will match the old roos with new stock and older hens with new roos.
Each generation is tagged a specific zip tie color as well as individually tagged
(each bird can have up to 2-3 colored ties per leg thus giving me a specific identity per bird)
I track bloodlines, generations and of course male/female.

I bring in new blood stock all the time and mostly only keep a few from each line/hatch that meet my needs based on color and size. I sell or eat the rest.

 

[Rainwolf]

Quote:
thats a new hatch not a new generation


F1 parents
F2 children
F3 grandchildren
etc etc

you can hatch every day but until that generation has started laying eggs that hatch you won't move to the next generation.