Rural Gardening: Chicken Raising 101 - The How To Thread, 1 by silkiechick

silkiechick wrote:
cat i totally agree with what u wrote. line breeding is inbreeding. yes u breed back to the best of the best from the generations to origional stock to improve the lines.

i band my breeders with different color leg bands and keep records of who the breeders are i obtained them from and my flocks r seperated by breeder pens. i try to keep to the standards as close as i possibly can because i do show. each has 1-2 colored leg bands and pda #' ed leg bands so they r easier to keep records of and so i know who is breeding with who in what pens. every 3 years or less i rotate a new roo or 2 in from other bloodlines with qualities i'd like to add into my flock. the older roos or hens get sold off as i gain better younger stock.

closed flock doesn't mean u don't add new lines in, it just means for biosecurity reasons u will not allow any birds in unless it is from like a npip flock to show it is disease free to protect ur whole flock. it doesn't mean we still don't hatch fetile eggs from private breeders to add more blood either to add new quality. most diseases r spread bird to birds not bird to egg so it is safer to hatch.


if u want to show or u want excellent stock. start with good stock not from the bottom up. don't buy from a hatchery, hatcheries breed for quanity and demand not health and quality usually they r pet quality with flaws and week stock. not like we private breeders do and try to breed out to get rid of. there is a big difference between exhibition and hatchery stock. if u ever buy stock from anyone always ask to see pics of the breeder flock or see them in person. if someone is not gonna show u parents and several generations don't buy from them because u don't know the potential of the stock u r getting.

here is an example to show u rather than explain. this is a pet quality hatchery silkie hen my friend has.