[foxi loxi]

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

[joyfull]

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 

[foxi loxi]

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!

[joyfull]

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   

[foxi loxi]

o0o0o0o thankyou joyfull, i shall try to catch her! 

[GrannieAnnie]

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

[joyfull]

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

[GrannieAnnie]

 

[foxi loxi]

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

[GrannieAnnie]

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

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!!!!

[foxi loxi]

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?