Breeding with same rooster

[delude07]

I want to keep just one rooster with my flock of 6 hens and breed for replacement hens and eating. How do I keep the blood lines clean with just 1 rooster? Will I have to keep swapping roosters? Does anyone have experience with this? Thanks

 

[Mrs. K]

well it won't matter for several years, and by then, you can either get a new rooster or use a son..... You need to examine and evaluate your hens and rooster carefully for size, growth and egg production. And should only breed the best birds or just hatch the best bird's eggs. With just 6 hens and a roo, you can probably just hatch eggs for a couple of years, grow them up and then make decisions about the quality of your birds. By then, you may need a fresh rooster to correct any problems that show up.

Roosters are always easy to find, often times people, have really nice roosters, that they hesitate to get rid of, and would love to have them in someone elses flocks.

Mrs K

 

[delude07]

So your saying that it doesn't matter if I breed father/ daughter & father/granddaughter together?

 

[Mrs. K]

It does not matter for a couple generations. Professional breeders do it all the time, because they are trying to get there birds to produce with less variety, more closely to the standard.

You will get live birds, but over a long term, a lot depends on how high of quality of birds you originally start with. If you want a closed flock then you really need to start with the highest quality birds that you can get. As generally, over time (we are talking LONG term, several generations most of the time) less desirable traits will start to make an appearance, such as less egg laying, or physical deformities.

If one wants to improve the breed, one needs to take very careful notes and measurements, and keep strict records as to the number of eggs, egg laying commencement age, and longevity of the birds, and adult weights at butchering.

However, one can just mate them and then see what happens too. Probably not going to make the SOP, but lots of people have raised mixed breeds and got darn good layers.

The other part of the problem that might occur, and HAS ocured often to me, is a predator gets in and readjusts all of your plans and great deal of your work.

Mrs K

 

[Bullitt]

I want to keep just one rooster with my flock of 6 hens and breed for replacement hens and eating. How do I keep the blood lines clean with just 1 rooster? Will I have to keep swapping roosters? Does anyone have experience with this? Thanks

I would just suggest replacing the rooster every two years.

Just curious, what breed or breeds are your hens and rooster?

 

[delude07]

Mixed breeds, not trying to breed the same variety of chicken, just worried about the outcome of breeding relatives.

 

[lazy gardener]

From all I've read you should be fine for 3 years. And, as Mrs K said, you can then get a replacement roo. If you are concerned about keeping a closed flock, on year #3, I'd get some straight run chicks, or some hatching eggs. That will minimize your disease risk. It won't totally eradicate it, but unless you keep your flock in a bubble, they are exposed to some risk from the wild species that wander through your yard anyways!

 

[AmericanMom]

Mixed breeds, not trying to breed the same variety of chicken, just worried about the outcome of breeding relatives.

Breeding Father/Daughter or Grandfather/Granddaughter is called line breeding, many do it with little to no adverse effects.. I have started doing this with my rabbits with really good results.. Of course at some point I have been told problems should show up... Within my flock I have a Blue Orpington Rooster that produced a couple pullets off of a BA hen...Those pullets are just coming into lay so I will be hatching their eggs this spring/ summer.. Roosters wont be kept, just the pullets...I am curious as to what I will get..

With the Bunnies I have I chose a very easy going male and put him with a female, I chose the best female out of that litter and have bred her back to her father twice and have gotten some really nice kits.. We don't breed for show this was just more economical for us. We sell the females and eat the males but everyone has said how laid back the bunnies are and that they are great mommas. When line breeding you want to choose the best, if you have an ornery male or female chances are your passing that gene along, choose the best and go from there.

 

[CrazyTalk]

If you're doing a pretty typical egg laying strategy, and raising pullets every 2 years or so, and culling in the 3rd - you'll get roughly 3 generations out of each rooster - 6 years is about all they're good for IMO. As long as you're bringing in roosters of unrelated bloodlines, I don't think you'll ever have a problem.

If you want a closed flock, you really need to keep a couple roosters, and track your bloodlines.

 

[LindaB220]

So your saying that it doesn't matter if I breed father/ daughter & father/granddaughter together?

True line breeding is just that. Start with one rooster and breed all daughters, granddaughters and the original hen back to him. In a couple of years keep one of the best roosters hatched and let him phase out the other. Every third year cull the rooster and original hens This is exactly what I'm going to be working for. Good job.

The only thing that you don't want to do when you replace the rooster is to breed him to his sisters. Aunts, cousins, Mother all ok.

Edited to add: During breeding season keep him separate with the Aunts, cousins, Mother in a pen for about 2 weeks. Gather their eggs and hatch. Or you can keep the females in the pen for another 2 weeks and get extra eggs.