Changing Roosters / Genetic Diversity in Closed Flock

[Skibum]

So for going on two years I have kept a closed flock. My decision was in part due to the fact that my first set of birds had some disease that eventually wiped out everyone by year two with my rooster being the only exception. So I restocked from a more reputable hatchery (Mt Healthy) and had them vaccinated for Mareks (supposedly the original batch was too but all of them had symptoms which could have been Mareks).

Anyways my OG rooster was a Polish which did not align with my breeding goals BUT he is what I had and he was apparently resilient against whatever illness had wiped out my original flock.

Last year was my first season with a broody. I hatched out from my flock. 3 of 6 eggs hatched. 1 rooster and 2 hens all out of different hens. All chicks survived 1st year.

I ended up replacing my OG with his son as his breeding is more in line with my goals:

Healthy chicks
Fun egg color and feathering
Moderate or better laying
Cold tolerance

My current rooster is Polish x EE

My gameplan for this year is to just hatch from my older hens. X1 Wellsummer, x2 OE, x1 EE. This will ensure all chicks are not genetically related to my new rooster (his mother passed this year). My “new” hens would be half siblings with my rooster. Currently I have 4 hens from my older batch. I know I should add more hens for better ratios my goal is to hatch at least 4 new pullets this year.

Questions:

Since there’s less genetic diversity due to starting with relatively few hens should I keep replacing the Roo each year from his chicks?

When should I consider adding outside genetics?

Adding Photos for fun.
1. New Rooster hatched from blue egg
2. The trio hatched last year
3. Frankie EE free agent roamer
4. New Roo Elivis
5. Wellsummer x Polish Pullet Priscilla
6. Darkness OE dark brown layer
7 + 8. Broody Floppy w chicks
9. Eggs from my flock

 

[LaFleche]

You could just buy some hatching eggs of different breeds to bring in new genetics.

 

[Skibum]

You could just buy some hatching eggs of different breeds to bring in new genetics.

Yes, I could. If I kept a rooster from that stock it would probably be the best solution long term.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You don't have many chickens so your diversity is kind of limited to start with.

One method used is to keep the same chickens and descendants for a few generations. Dad did this. He would keep a few pullets every year to keep the flock hen age young enough so they laid fairly well. He would keep a replacement cockerel every three years or so to keep his rooster young and active so eggs would be fertile. He had one rooster with 25 to 30 hens, an old rooster may not keep that many hens laying fertile eggs. Every four or five generations he's bring in a new rooster to reset the genetic diversity.

For this to work you need to be ruthless. Do not feel sorry for any chicken. Do not keep and breed any that have flaws. You do not want to purposely keep any defective genetics.

There are other methods that will not work for you. Most hatcheries use pen breeding. They may have 20 roosters in a one pen with 200 hens. The randomness of the breeding can maintain genetic diversity for a long time. Some breeders use Spiral Breeding. They divide the flock into three different flocks, A, B, and C. The best rooster in one flock is only allowed to breed he best hens for another specific flock. By carefully selecting their breeders they can keep their genetic diversity up enough that they can go a long time before bringing in any new roosters to reset diversity.

With your small flock I don't know how often you'd need to bring in a new rooster. You do not have much randomness to start with and I don't know if you have many "bad" genetics.. But I'd think a few generations if you want to.

Good luck!

 

[Mrs. K]

The thing about breeding is it seldom goes to plan for me, in my small flock of a baker's dozen. So while just recently I wrote out a long term plan for a kid, just getting started, I have never really followed one. I find I like mismatched hens and a pretty egg basket. Just kind of go with the flow and see what happens.

So I look at all my options:

• Hatch my own eggs
• buy day old chicks, raise up new pullets and cockerels
• Get a new rooster - easy to do

Once I got a new rooster, on the day I dispatched the old rooster, thought that might upset the girls, so I put him in a cage a ways from the coop. I was called to the house for something, and by the time I got back, he was out of the cage, and the hens were hanging on his every cluck.

But I have also brought in a new rooster, that perched on the bench for about 5 days, before he made the roost bar.

Personally - I think you could get by, with these birds eggs for 2-3 years...but something might come along better before then. Of course, if any deformities turn up - cull them, and breed differently.

Mrs. Knuppe

 

[Skibum]

The thing about breeding is it seldom goes to plan for me, in my small flock of a baker's dozen. So while just recently I wrote out a long term plan for a kid, just getting started, I have never really followed one. I find I like mismatched hens and a pretty egg basket. Just kind of go with the flow and see what happens.

So I look at all my options:

• Hatch my own eggs
• buy day old chicks, raise up new pullets and cockerels
• Get a new rooster - easy to do

Once I got a new rooster, on the day I dispatched the old rooster, thought that might upset the girls, so I put him in a cage a ways from the coop. I was called to the house for something, and by the time I got back, he was out of the cage, and the hens were hanging on his every cluck.

But I have also brought in a new rooster, that perched on the bench for about 5 days, before he made the roost bar.

Personally - I think you could get by, with these birds eggs for 2-3 years...but something might come along better before then. Of course, if any deformities turn up - cull them, and breed differently.

Mrs. Knuppe

Thank you! Plan for this year is to hatch from my stock one more year, only breeding to my older hens so I’ll have no genetic overlap. I really want my green egg layer to hatch her own young as she’s my reliable broody but her egg didn’t hatch last year. I think they have BCM in their background which I have read is harder to hatch on average. Perhaps keep a new rooster that has the potential to carry both brown and blue egg genes as my current Roo is most likely Hetero blue/white. Then the next year bring in new blood. I will see if the timing of picking up chicks lines up well with when my broody is broody and hatching. I don’t really want to raise indoors bc it means keeping them in the spare bedroom. I wish I had a garage but alas we aren’t all so fortunate.