The Official Forum of the Ameraucana Breeders Club > Breeding
Out Crossing: Good or Bad?
Jess:
Good evening,
I’m kind of at a low point in trying to get a wheaten line of birds started.
I have ordered live chicks and eggs that I hatched out from reputable
Breeders from here on this forum. Out of over two dozen eggs ordered, I have culled down until I have 2 pullets. 3 of these didn’t have any sign of beard or muff.
Out of 20 chicks that I ordered I have culled down until I have 4 pullets, now that they started laying, 2 of those lay white eggs.
My question now is: does out crossing to other breeds really help, just to fix one show defect? Why not just take the breed and selective cull out the bad traits instead of trying to breed to other breeds to fix the problem?
I now am wondering how pure is the breed of wheaten that is being sold here as pure bread wheaten. To me, I think some have been out crossed now until they are no more than just mongrels.
I guess that the best thing for me is to hatch and cull until I can get blue egg laying ameracuna wheaten that have beards and muffs that meet the other breed standards.
I guess now I will be running my incubators and hatchers 365 days a year.
I want be out crossing to other breeds, but I think I may be able to get a line of wheatens that I want have to cull 95% and sell as Easter eggers.
I think some breeders have out crossed their birds until they are no more than mongrels that are the right color. The offspring apparently don’t matter.
I would like to hear what other breeders have to say and why they think breeding a wheaten to something else is a good thing.
Depressed
Jesse
John:
--- Quote ---does out crossing to other breeds really help, just to fix one show defect? Why not just take the breed and selective cull out the bad traits instead of trying to breed to other breeds to fix the problem?
--- End quote ---
I\'m not sure about the \"show defect\" you are asking about, but will try to give some thoughts on the out-crossing subject. At this point in the develop of the LF wheaten and all the other varieties of Ameraucana I don\'t think we should be cross breeding at all. I don\'t know of any reason to make a cross to another breed of chicken as we did in the past to bring in genes that were needed to produce the different varieties. Out-crossing which is crossing to other strains and varieties within a breed is still something to consider with some varieties. The LF wheatens in my opinion don\'t have as good Ameraucana type and size as the LF blacks and for that reason I think an out-cross to blacks is a good way to improve the size and type of the wheatens and then continue with the selective breeding and culling you mentioned. Egg color may also be improved by this cross since some lines/stains of wheatens aren\'t pure for blue eggs.
--- Quote ---I now am wondering how pure is the breed of wheaten that is being sold here as pure bread wheaten. To me, I think some have been out crossed now until they are no more than just mongrels.
--- End quote ---
Mongrels are what we started with and we\'ve come a long way. I\'ve always said that it is just about impossible for any chicken to by \"pure\" for every trait, but that is still the goal. More out-crossing may be beneficial, but it\'s not for everyone.
--- Quote ---I guess that the best thing for me is to hatch and cull until I can get blue egg laying ameracuna wheaten that have beards and muffs that meet the other breed standards.
--- End quote ---
Yes. Don\'t get discouraged, Jesse. Breed from your best. Hatch a lot. Cull a lot. And, do the same thing year after year.
Jess:
Evening,
This is what my chicken yard looks like ans a shot of my breeding pens.
Also is a picture of the white eggs That I got from 2 of my wheaten hens.
Thanks
Jess
Mike Gilbert:
Could not help but notice those \"white\" eggs were in hatching trays. It\'s not a good idea to hatch them. Like John said, breed only from the best. With a little luck and perseverance you will soon have a fine flock of wheatens. That egg marked number 5 looked real good.
Jess:
Thanks Mike,
I just put those white eggs there so you could see them, they will be breakfast in the morning. The egg from pen 5 is from my black and splash pen.
I plan to hatch only the blue eggs. some of them I cull because of size and light color.
Thanks
Jess
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