Breeding Bantams Pt 1 from
Starting with Bantams - by David Scrivener
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An extract from the book Starting with Bantams by David Scrivener
published by Broad Leys Publishing Ltd This excellent book is written
by an experienced bantam and large fowl poultry breeder and show
judge.
This part of the article covers in-breeding, closed flocks
and line-breeding
Hens like to lay when they see an egg. (Traditional
saying)
Breeding Bantams
So, you buy a trio of bantams and breed some more
from them. What next? Most people have heard of ‘in-breeding’, ‘line
breeding’ and similar terms but have only a hazy idea of their
meaning. Also, societal taboos of incest are carried over into livestock
breeding, not necessarily appropriately.
In-breeding
In-breeding or maintaining a closed flock keeps a
high level of genetic uniformity. You pretty much know what you
are going to get from a closed flock: more of the same. Following
the old engineer’s saying, "If it ain’t broke don’t
fix it!", successful exhibitors are reluctant to introduce
unrelated stock into their strains because they fear, correctly,
that although the birds so bred may be more vigorous and fertile
than their in-bred birds, they will be much less perfectly marked
or much too big to be an acceptable show bantam.
In-breeding depression or in-breeding degeneration
is the inevitable result of many generations of close in-breeding.
It is where there has been a great deal of mating between close
relatives. Most breeders of Sebrights, for example, have to contend
with poor egg production and fertility, and the few chicks hatched
are very delicate. But, a Sebright is a very precise bird. The lacing
of the feathers, the comb, and the size and type of the bird all
have to be correct, otherwise it is not worth having. Luckily, some
European bred Sebrights are now available here, so our breeders
at last have some suitable fresh stock to use. Even so, I am sure
they will wing-tab and/or leg-ring all chicks very carefully so
they know which are original strains and which are from the new
stock.
Most of the harmful genes causing problems are recessive,
as distinct from dominant. In other words, they tend not to manifest
unless they are inherited from both parents. In populations where
birds (or animals or people) which are not related are producing
young, then it is very bad luck indeed if a mating pair has the
same harmful, recessive genes. The harmful genes of each parent
are usually prevented from operating by the good, dominant genes
of the other. In closed populations there is a greatly increased
risk that both parents will be carrying the same harmful, recessive
genes (but masked and therefore undetectable), thus producing 25%
with the faulty genes operating, and a further 50% with a single
faulty, recessive gene to carry on to future generations.
Closed flocks
Closed flocks can be perpetuated for an extended
period - even decades or more - by keeping as large a flock as possible,
and with good organisation, taking care to mate cousins rather than
siblings. In an ideal arrangement, as might be employed by a commercial
operation, there would be six or eight breeding pens of a strain,
with the cockerels from pen A being bred to the pullets from pen
B, and so on. Hobbyist breeders will usually have to make do with
three or four pens, and keep as many cockerels as possible in order
to maintain as wide a genetic pool as possible within the strain.
This is why most of the famous names in our hobby are specialists.
They understand why it is necessary to keep a large flock of nearly
identical birds. This is often lost on beginners who, after visiting
an expert, are probably thinking,
"That was a bit boring. I’d rather
have lots of different kinds, with just a few of
each".
Line breeding
Line breeding is a form of in-breeding where maximum
use is made of one outstanding individual. The rotational mating
of a large, closed flock is what is necessary to keep a very good
strain going. Line breeding is what went on before. Imagine if you
have bought a trio, have bred a good bunch and one of the cockerels
has won some Best in Show awards. The obvious next step is to breed
from him, and the following year to breed from him and his daughters.
If he lives that long, continue with his grand-daughters and great
grand-daughters. You will gradually be building up the numbers so
that by the time the original champion goes off to the great free-range
in the sky, you will have enough birds to switch to the rotational
system above. This, with careful selection and some luck will be
the foundation of a succession of future champions. The aim of breeding
for the shows should not be a Holy Grail style quest for the perfect
specimen, but rather many years of regularly being ‘in the
cards’ at the shows.
Starting with Bantams
© 2004. David Scrivener
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