your own line?

[priszilla]

I think the lavendar project is wonderful-- gorgeous boy you got there no matter where it came form- and good luck on the project

and as to the OP's original question- I have wondered the same thing- sort of- at what point are you a real breeder? I htink your project sounds interesting as well. I have a project I wanted to work on- but I lost the cockeral I had planned to use just this morning. I'll have to find another- but the pullet is still a baby.I have time. Too many projects and chickens, never enough time ( or money)

 

[DutchChic]

Quote:
I agree with Jody on this. Whenever you gather foundation animals of any breed to start working with them, you are starting with someone else's lines. However, once you cross those lines and start making offspring, the offspring are then your lines because you did the breedings. Unless, you only gathered one breeder's animals exclusively, in which case you are only progressing their lines.

EXAMPLE: The split black/lav Orps I have from Jody will produce offspring for me, and until I bring in lines from somewhere else, they will be her lines.....I will just be progressing her lavender project.

 

[DutchChic]

Quote:
You are incorrect. Shaffer's lines crossed with someone else's lines equals Hinkle's lines. I have some of the Hinkle's lines....with Shaffer and the other breeder's birds as foundation birds to the Hinkle's lines.

 

[ginasmarans]

Hmmm. interesting discussion. For me,I am hesitant to claim I have a line,even though I have been breeding my marans for about 4 years. My reasoning on this is because I am bringing in new blood from different breeders in hopes of perfecting(or at least getting close to it) my breeding flock. Once I am satisfied that I have parent birds as close to the standard as I can get,I plan to only breed my birds to my birds. I know this will take several more years of buying,hatching and culling and I have to be careful to not get into a situation where in-breeding will be a problem. I don't expect to people to be talking about the "Rinks" line for several years. Right now they ae just Gina's marans.

 

[EweSheep]

I agree with Jody and sometimes I would like to know of the bird's pedigree in background so I dont get a mistaken identity of "hatchery" bird lurking somewhere...its possible but it does happen!

I use Gilbert and Blehm lines on my Blue Amercuana Bantams but I was pleased with the quality but didnt continue with the breeding program...would they consider "my" lines...no I dont think so.

I am not sure how I would use "Jody" line or Hinkle lines....would you please clarify it? I keep mixing you two up, as Wilds of Pa and hinjc ....... are you hubby and wife?????????????

 

[DutchChic]

LOL...the "JodyCharlieHinkle" line...

Hey Jody....what are you going to call your lavender line of Orps? You had a neat name for your buff Silkies..........

 

[KKluckers]

What I live by is five generations. You breed out all of what the breeder had done and are breeding what you want in a bird. I know when you go to a poultry show each persons bird has a unique characteristics about them and I can tell one persons line from the next. I in ten years from now will still tell people where my original line came from to start my breeding program. Most peopl ask this no matter how long you have been in it. I do. I still talk to some of the old timers that have been in it for 40+ years and they tell me who they got there starts from. Its very interesting to find out where birds were traced back to. Even if they have been working and it is their line. I know Buff Orpington mainly trace back to Dr Clevenger.......and most lines from this are the very best. I bet he would love to know people still talk to him to this day. Its really neat. I love to hear about how things came to be and what people do to create there line. You would be very surprised what some people have done or used. I use to breed rabbits, but have to admit I am more enthused about poultry.

 

[hinkjc]

I will give an example from my own perspective why I feel the way I do.

If someone buys a buff orp rooster from me and breeds it to hatchery stock hens, I do not want them claiming the resulting offspring to be "my" line. I have no idea what genes those hens carry and certainly wouldn't want my name solely attributed to something potentially defective that they may have been caused through improper selections. I am thrilled if that person is serious about improving their own line and more than happy to share experience in how to do so, but once that roo is out of my gene pool, his offspring are not mine.

It certainly is important to maintain records of how your line developed, but I feel that as soon as you introduce something different, it is no longer the breeder's line alone. Most experienced breeders feel this way.

My silkie line was built off of 5 different breeder's lines. If people ask me where they originated, I can happily share that, but they are no longer their line after I've decided how to breed them and who to cull and what genes crossed will produce my offspring. If I made poor decisions in what birds to breed, the defects are mine. If I made good decisions in what birds to breed, the improvements are mine. There is just too much variation made to the genetic makeup of the offspring to make claim to one breeder's line.

Jody

 

[ginasmarans]

I agree with you Jody, on not claiming other people's lines if you introduce other birds into the mix. I,too, tell people where my birds originate,if they are interested,but since I don't house them according to their heritage,I can't say exactly which egg may contain the bloodline of any particular breeder. It's like you said, I have some marans that originated from Cratty lines,but I could not tell you how many generations ago. I just am not ready to claim I have a line. Not until I quit bringing in new blood from other breeders.

 

[klf73]

Gina,
Don't all breeders bring in new lines every now and then to improve a trait (if they find a great line that carries that trait)? Also, isn't new blood needed so there isn't too much line breeding. If chickens are anything like dogs then too much of "your own lines" could come up with serious faults. i.e. I bought a "show dog" from the breeder of the #1 dog of this breed, she had great dogs. My dog was too tightly line bred and ended up partially lame because of a joint issue at 2 yo. I never could finish him because he was "down in his pasturns". He did sire a son before I knew of his problem, and I bred him to a loosely bred dog and the resulting offspring was gorgeous(I incidently didn't show because it turns out the dam has a genetic predisposition to cancer). So back on topic, isn't "new blood" necessary?