By Kenny Troiano
Copyright © 2019 by Kenny Troiano/Maximus Troy Publications
A breeder, who starts with high quality fowl, which I like to call “Seed Fowl” or the “Adam and Eve” of any strain, is one with a huge advantage over those who don’t. By starting out with high quality seed fowl, and using proper selective breeding practices, along with hard culling, it’s not only a huge advantage, but it is the road to a successful strain.
A breeder who starts with low quality or mediocre fowl is one with a huge mountain to climb. I won’t say it is impossible, but this breeder will spend many years of selectively breeding and heavy culling before seeing any real improvement, and many more years to reach the quality of that of a well-bred foundation line. The reality of most that start with low quality fowl, or fowl with many faults is that they usually never amount to much, and remain somewhat mediocre at best.
Even if you are fortunate enough to acquire high quality fowl, your troubles are not over. Unless you are using proper selective breeding practices, such as a well-planned and proven breeding program, which consist of multiple breeding methods, used at the proper time, you really have nothing. You cannot maintain or improve a strain if you are only breeding the best to the best, or breeding haphazardly. Every year that you do not selectively breed towards a specific result, you are essentially falling backwards two or three generations.
It doesn’t matter who or where you acquired your birds, or how good a family you think you may have, if you do not use a proper breeding program, your strain will not improve!
When selecting a strain, make sure to select wisely. Ask yourself these questions:
- Are the birds healthy and vigorous?
- Do they have any defects?
- Are they the breed and variety that you desire most?
- Are they good representatives of their breed and variety?
- Are they uniform and consistent, throughout the family?
- Are you completely happy with the cock(s) and hen(s) that you are purchasing?
- Do you see a future with these fowl?
These are important questions to ask. Knowing the answers, and planning ahead will allow you to begin breeding at a much higher level, and as a result, you will achieve better results, and much faster.
