Bred to Perfection – Episode 21
Welcome to the Bred to Perfectionpodcast, a show for the serious breeder. Join Kenny Troiano, and his wife, Nancy, as they talk about the breeding and raising of gamefowl and chickens, and the issues that affect breeders like you.
Whether you are breeding and raising Hatch, Sweaters, or Kelsos, or you prefer Reds over Greys, or pure vs. crossed, we can help you to advance your strain and your fowl to the next level.
Breeding gamefowl and improving our foundation lines has become both an artform and a science, and knowing genetics and the law of inheritance has change, not only the way we think about breeding, but how we breed our fowl.
It is our hope that the Bred to Perfectionpodcast will motivate you to take the next step in creating higher quality strains, and hopefully you will create the fowl of your dreams.
To learn more, go to: www.breedersacademy.com
Episode 21 Show Notes:
In this episode of Bred to Perfection, we will talk about the 6 matters of importance all breeders need to know before beginning their breeding programs.
In this episode, we will talk about the importance of:
Knowledge of Breed Characteristics – Why you should know:
- The history of the breed?
- The process of Selection – what to select for and why and when?
- The defects and faults that exist within the breed, and maybe your strain?
- What are your fowls Common Defects?
- Why you must be a student of the standard?
What it takes to Create a sound environment – Such as:
- Secure housing that is:
- Weather Proof
- Predators proof
- Maintaining genetic integrity
- Secure tops, sides and bottom of housing
- Preventing drafts
- Having a combination of both shade and sun (never full sun)
- Proper litter management – deep litter – dry
How to practice good Biosecurity
- Why it’s a good idea to wash hands, clothing and shoes after visiting feed stores
- Why it’s important to keep a closed yard – such as:
- No new birds
- No visitors
- Do not visit others farms
- No return birds
- Quarantine new brood stock for 30 days (use the 30/30 rule)
- Feed the youngest birds first – oldest last
- What to do about:
- Wild birds
- Rats
- Mice
How to keep the strain Healthy
- Select breeders that are healthy
- Brood fowl should never be sick
- Only breed the healthy
- Cull the sick
- Breed towards good constitutional vigor
- Never rely on medications or vaccinations – they are not reliable
- Maintain a healthy environment
How to provide proper Nutrition
- Pros and cons of mixing your own feeds
- Good balance of proteins (animal and plant), vitamins (water soluble and oil), minerals, carbs, supplements, and amino acids (22)
- Provide Calcium
- Why the first 12 weeks of life are the most important
- Treats – use the 90/10 rule
- Keep your pens and waters clean
- Fresh feed always
- Keep the water temp 10 degrees below outside temp
- Maintain proper weights (no overfeeding)
- A hungry chicken is an active chicken
The Importance of Good Genetics
- Must have a good understanding of genetics and the laws of inheritance
- Having a good mentor is imperative
- Health and good constitutional vigor
- Zero defects
- Desirable traits
- Which variations are desirable or undesirable
- Seed fowl must be good representatives of their breed and variety
- Foundation fowl must be uniform and consistent throughout the strain
- New fowl must come from good ancestry
- Mutations (good or bad)
Breeding principles and practices
- Selection and culling
- Mating methods
- What is the proper cock to hen ratio
- Breeding methods
- When to add new blood
My Breeding Programs:
- Founders Program (creating a strain),
- Improvement Program (replicating a strain)
- Transformation Program (changing a strain)
- Preservation Program (maintaining a strain)
Breeding can be a challenging undertaking, but with the basic knowledge and understanding of the principles and practices of selective breeding, not to mention lots of patience, progress can be made.
Special note of interest: I cover this information in greater detail in The Breeders Academy Membership Website.
I encourage you to join us, and I can help you take your strain to the next level, or help you create a new strain that you can be proud of.
Come check it out!
Thanks for listening.
Join us at the Breeders Academy, and make sure to listen to our podcast, “Bred to Perfection.
Just go to www.breedersacademy.com
Kenny Troiano
Join Kenny Troiano and his wife, Nancy, as they talk about important matters all breeders should know before beginning their breeding programs. For more information go to: www.breedersacademy.com
