Broodys all over the place!

[NH Homesteader]

Silkies are great broodies. And that is such a funny picture, silkie attacks! I debated getting a few because my birds were not into brooding... Well now I am concerned I'm going to have too many chicks so I'm all set on the broodies lol.

 

[sumi]

It's a hilarious mental image! Silkies are so darn cute.

 

[NH Homesteader]

So... I have a weird question. Is linebreeding a big deal in poultry? I don't mean repeatedly, but I do have a couple of hens that are the daughter of my roo and we didn't separate them out before all this broodiness happened. I won't repeat that, obviously, but should I consider all offspring chicken soup? Or is it ok for one generation like it is with goats? They're backyard mutt layers, for the most part (except my Dominiques)

 

[tortoise]

I don't have a good answer for that. I'm intentionally linebreeding my meat mix chickens.

 

[NH Homesteader]

I'm guessing since they aren't show birds it shouldn't be a big deal.

 

[Hinotori]

Even with showbirds, careful linebreeding isn't too bad. Treat like your goats

 

[NH Homesteader]

Cool thanks. I'll try to replace the roo with a new line (hey... An excuse to cull my mean roo? Yes!) and keep any hens that look decent.

 

[lcertuche]

I want to get some roosters with more meat. Maybe a dark cornish or dixie rainbow rooster. Keep the girls as long as they lay and just have a new rooster or two every spring/summer.

 

[Beekissed]

So... I have a weird question. Is linebreeding a big deal in poultry? I don't mean repeatedly, but I do have a couple of hens that are the daughter of my roo and we didn't separate them out before all this broodiness happened. I won't repeat that, obviously, but should I consider all offspring chicken soup? Or is it ok for one generation like it is with goats? They're backyard mutt layers, for the most part (except my Dominiques)

Line breeding is done all the time with poultry...even seems easier to do that with poultry than with other animals. My current male is breeding his mother, his aunt, his sisters and now his daughter.

We'll see how that all turns out. So far I'm getting excellent traits being passed along and we'll see how it pans out in the long run. I don't have room nor the inclination to keep two roosters here all the time, so no matter what male I have, he'll be related to his harem in all ways.

 

[Beekissed]

I let the new broody mamas out today with their babies. They have joined broods and are brooding them together, which I love to see....that's twice the protection for each family.

Now I still have a broody sitting on empty in the coop, that I need to transfer soon, I just want to get the right eggs to put under her.