Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: foxi loxi on April 25, 2011, 11:46

Title: cockerel?
Post by: foxi loxi on April 25, 2011, 11:46

Hey guys
Yet  another silly question!
I was wondering if i was to hatch my own chicks, obviously some would be cockerels, could i use one of these for breeding or would i have to get an unrelated cockerel for mating purposes?
I know its a very basic question and i'm sorry to ask i just could find any info!
Many thanks

Title: Re: cockerel?
Post by: joyfull on April 25, 2011, 11:50

At a push you can mate father or grandfather to the hens but not brother to sister as their genes would be the same and could result in problems. So yes you would need to either swap your boy or buy another to mate with your girls.
You could always get the brother some unrelated hens of his own  ;)
Not a silly question at all  :)

Title: Re: cockerel?
Post by: foxi loxi on April 25, 2011, 12:00

Thankyou joyfull
I'm trying to find barred plymouth rocks at the moment without much success! So the idea of trying to find two suppliers is already giving me a headache! lol
Think i may have to choose another breed, maybe some buff orpingtons or rhode island reds!

Title: Re: cockerel?
Post by: joyfull on April 25, 2011, 12:06

ooh I think Grannie Annie keeps those - may be worth having a chat with her to see if she has any spare or even if she knows a man that does   :)

Title: Re: cockerel?
Post by: foxi loxi on April 25, 2011, 12:10

o0o0o0o thankyou joyfull, i shall try to catch her!  :D

Title: Re: cockerel?
Post by: GrannieAnnie on April 25, 2011, 12:41

We've only got the ones we bought for breeding, and the man we got them from is in Norfolk.

Title: Re: cockerel?
Post by: joyfull on April 25, 2011, 12:45

well I guess Norfolk would make them far enough away so the chance of them being related is very low  :D

Title: Re: cockerel?
Post by: GrannieAnnie on April 25, 2011, 12:48

 :D :D :D

Title: Re: cockerel?
Post by: foxi loxi on April 25, 2011, 12:49

Hi Grannie Annie
Will you be selling any of your resulting offspring?

Title: Re: cockerel?
Post by: GrannieAnnie on April 25, 2011, 12:56

Hi Foxi, I will, but they will be BLACK!!!!  :D

We bought some of this chap's breeding stock.  They may not be straight barred rocks, as the hens crossed with what looks like a tall RIR cockerel will produce the Shaver Black hybrid chickens.  We've got 80 eggs in the incy at the moment, can't wait for the next 14 days so we can see what hatches!!!!

Title: Re: cockerel?
Post by: foxi loxi on April 25, 2011, 14:36

Can i ask what the advantages are to cross breeding these and would you then breed the resulting offspring with a barred rock or a RIR?