In this episode, we are talking with Dr. Rodrigo Gallardo about the practice and importance of biosecurity. Most Breeders don’t understand biosecurity and the importance of keeping your bird safe from the exposure of disease. Some of us have strains that we’ve been keeping for over 30 years. Losing our birds to disease would be a travesty. What we are going to talk about today, if you follow it, will save your flock, and protect those valuable and irreplaceable strains. There’s a lot of good information packed into this episode that I know you do not want to miss.
Ep167 – The Name Game and the Mongrelization of a Breed
The title says it all. The Name Game has been used for many decades, and for many reasons, but we are never going to improve our fowl, or the breeders who breed them, until we stop using old names of strains that don’t exist anymore. It’s also a big reason why many breeders play the Percentage Game. They use the Name Game and Percentage Game to place greater value to birds that no longer represent their breed. The sad truth is, it’s turning a great breed into nothing more than a mongrel breed. The Name Game and the Percentage Game is a peddler’s playground, and it’s holding back many Breeders, especially our beginners. The big question is, what can we do about it?
Ep166 – Breeding, Genetics, and Creating a Strain
Breeding and creating a strain is governed by 3 important laws, such as the environment, nutrition, and the traits they inherit. In other words, genetics. However, just the idea of genetics can be intimidating for many new breeders, and some veteran as well. Many even avoid genetics, mostly because it can seem confusing and difficult to understand, and they don’t know how to use it in their breeding programs. It is my hope that we can show you, not only why genetic is important, but also how to use it in the improvement and creation of your strains. Once you understand the basics, many other topics concerning breeding will become clearer.
Ep165 – Which Breeding Methods Are You Using?
In this episode of Bred to Perfection, we are talking about the various methods of breeding that exist, and the difference between breeding methods and breeding programs. Ask yourself, are you using the right method of breeding for the right purpose? If not, this episode is for you. Many breeders are not only selecting their brood fowl improperly, but they’re using the wrong breeding methods, at the wrong time. Their results are never what they expected, or they are short lived.
Ep164 – The Environment, and its influence on Genetic Inheritance
We’ve all seen it, strains change when they are moved to a different location. The question is, are these changes temporary or permanent? And, what can we do about it? The environment can have a direct effect on the phenotype of your strain. For example, nutrition can affect growth and development, disease can weaken the strain and kill important individuals, and poor management can cause disease and stress. But, none of these factors will have a direct effect on the strains genotype.