Why Use Line Breeding to Keep Your Stock's Traits Fixed?

Truth is, up to now, gamefowl breeding has remained more of an art than science. Breeding is all about fixing good traits, yes. But in the absence of a science that deals on how to fix good traits of a gamefowl, which means traits that contribute to good fighting ability, then the ability to select good game fowl or the art of selection, prevails. Important fights are broadcast on television and newspapers have dedicated pages to cockfights and the different trabas, the local name for gamefowl breeding grounds. Those dedicated to the breeding and training of fighting cocks are called galleros or traberos. To help clear up this breeding of the Pickets, they were bred as follows-the Pickets are a combination of the Black and Tans and the last living hen of John Hunter's strain, which were Black Brassbacks with yellow legs, red eyes and white feathers in wings and tail and their hackles when cut out, were snow-white underneath. Apr 08, 2019 As a gamefowl breeder, we can learn a lot through the scientific breeding of American Games. By understanding Dominant and Recessive Genes we apply this knowledge to our breeding programs. Hope you enjoyed the article, and thanks again for reading. Join us at the BREEDERS ACADEMY, and learn how to create a true strain, one that you can be proud of. Breeding is only one of the many factors involved, but it is an important one, so lets see what we can do to improve our chances in that respect. Chapter 2 Things to Avoid I abhor the term PURE as applied to game fowl. In my 45 years experience I never found such to exist. Not genetically pure. Cocker's manual, devoted to the game fowl, their origin and breeding, rules for feeding, heeling, handling, etc., description of the different breeds, diseases and their treatment F. 4.4 out of 5 stars 20. Only 13 left in stock (more on the way).

Old school cockfighters have preserved several different breeds of chickens for a long time. During that time they maintained type and vigor toan unparalleled degree. The methods of breeding to maintain a champion breed actually involve INBREEIDING to understand how to preserve a bloodline's traits.

A famous cocker, Tan Bark once said that “Good breeding is only a matter of intelligent selection of brood fowl…” (Tan Bark, Game Chickens and How to Breed Them, 1964, p. 27). The gamefowl breeder must ALWAYS select for vigor and type regardless of the breeding system in use. Old cockers always strove for prepotency. The goal of any system is to predict with reasonable accuracy the outcome of any particular mating.

For this reason, no gamefowl breeder worth his salt will consistently USE crossbreeding. Cross breeding is only a choice when the cocker has maxed out the potential of his Bloodline's traits and needs to infuse new traits that cannot be accessed except by cross breeding. Old records from breeders consistently indicate that when they do cross breed they do so using the same strain of fowl they were hoping to improve.

Gameness is always the top choice of traits. One method utilized by William Morgan, of Morgan Whitehackle fame, and some of the English cockers is called “3 times in and once out.”

This is actually a way of inbreeding to produce a “pure strain.”

The following chart will explain how the system works.

1. First Generation Hen Cock ½ hen ½ cock

2. Second Generation Hen to son Cock to daughter ¾ hen ¾ cock

3. Third Generation Hen to grandson Cock to granddaughter 7/8 hen 7/8 cock

4. Fourth Generation Hen to grandson Cock to granddaughter 15/16 hen 15/16 cock

5. Now in the 5th generation you breed the 15/16 hen to the 15/16 cock.

Then, choosing the best hen(s) and cock(s) you start over again from the top.

Sig sauer p938 serial number lookup. If the cocker chooses to continue line breeding these fowl were what they termed “seed stock” or broodfowl. Seed stock was never used as fighting gamefowl or battle fowl. Instead, they were crossed to a different strain to produce their “battle cocks.” Battle fowl are never used in breeding pens if this system were employed.

In this particular system of 'seed stock' line breeding you choose the three to five best hens and begin the clan mating system. You line bred your best pullets to one cock. Line breeding for experienced game cockers produce excellent offspring with no loss of vigor or gameness.

The Scientific Breeding Of Gamefowl (floyd Gurley)

Old school Gamefowl cockers were able to beat the system so to speak by loading the dice for the inbreeding process—all textbooks on poultry genetics will tell you that inferior results will result from an inbreeding system.

Several key answers can be pinpointed for the success of the inbreeding system.

• First, A cocker must inbreed only from his most vigorous specimens

• Second, weak or substandard offspring are culled ruthlessly.

• Third, in any form of line breeding the youthfulness of the stock used is crucial.

• Fourth, the same mating is maintained (One cock to one hen) for four or five years. Therefore in 20 years it is possible to have only produced four or five distinct generations. If cockers chance upon a cock and hen mating that produces winners in the pit, then they are mated year after year.

• Fifth, keep accurate records of every mating and practice just single matings.

• Sixth, only attempt close inbreeding on free range coops. Give the birds every advantage of producing constitutional soundness and vitality

Many cockers practice variations of the line breeding systems. When practicing the rolling-mating, cockers often include side matings of line breeding. When using the clan system the large breeders often kept five to seven clans. (called “yards”). With clan matings, a matriarchal system is used. “New” clans are created or yards of full sisters when a particular hen within the clan produces exceptional sons. That one hen becomes prepotent in the new yard with her daughters.

Scientific Breeding Of Gamefowl

Of course there will be ridicule and dismissal of these methods by modern experts. But for serious preservationists and small flock owners, gamefowl line breeding methods are tried and true as well as the surest ways to turn simple matings into serious breeding and systematic flock improvement. Traits of winning birds are FIXED or maintained over generations despite the books telling you that the traits will lose gas.

The most awesome thing about raising gamefowl is that the breeder can choose his own system of breeding to create your “own strain” which is a finely tuned mix of inbred fowl with the best traits of that line as the system will permit. And you can even experiment!

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For successful poultry farming, learning about classification of poultry is a must. In ancient time all poultry birds lived in forest. India and middle area of east Asia is considered as the original homeland of chicken.

Jungle chicken of prehistoric era first raised as domestic bird in some area like Malay and Java of south east Asia. Then people used to hunt bird form jungle for meat and raise them at home for chicken fight as a source of entertainment.

It is thought that, modern chicken originated from red jungle chicken of that time. About class, breed, variety and strain of chicken are described below.

Classification of Poultry

• Kingdom : Animalia
• Phylum : Chordata
• Class : Aves
• Sub-Class : Neornithes
• Order : Galliformes
• Family : Phasianidae
• Subfamily : Phasianinae
• Genus : Gallus
• Species : G. gallus
• Subspecies : G. g. domesticus
• Scientific Name : Gallus gallus domesticus

Class

Chicken originated from a certain place with same or similar characteristics are of same class. For example, Asiatic class, European class, American class etc.

Breeds

Under class, chicken with same size, shape and characteristic similarity with each other are of same breed. Like, Leghorn, Minorca etc.

Variety

Variety is detected by feather color, heat crest or other physical characteristics within a breed. For example, white leghorn, black minorca etc.

Strain

Strain are made for a certain purpose by internal insemination of at least five generation. For example, star cross white, star cross brown, star brow etc.

Hybrid

The Scientific Breeding Of Gamefowl

Hybrid chicken are produced for increasing quality and production by inseminating with same or other breed strain. Hybrid chicken become more productive than their parents.

Layer Hybrid

Layer hybrid are made for producing more eggs by inseminating with same or other selected breeds.

Broiler

Broilers are 6-8 weeks of aged chicken weights between 2-2.5 kg which are used for only meat production.

Growing Chicken

Chicken aged between 9-20 weeks of age are called growing chickens.

Classification According to Origin

According to origin the chicken are of four types.

• Asiatic: Brahma, longson, cochin, asil etc.
• English: Austrolorp, cornish, dorking, orpington etc.
• Mediterranian: Leghorn, minorca, ancona, fayoumi etc.
• American: Road island red, new hampshire, plymouth rock etc.

Classification On the Basis of Production

On the basis of production chicken are of three types.

Layer

Layer is for egg production. Some popular layer breeds are Leghorn, Minorca, Ancona, Fayoumi, Isa Brown, Babycock, Star Cross, Lohman etc.

Broiler

Broiler chicken are only for meat production. Plymouth rock, Cornish, Sussex, Dorking, Cochin, Brahma, Asil, Star Brow, Hi-line etc. are popular broiler breeds.

Egg and Meat

This types of breed are used for the purpose of both egg and meat production. Rhode island red, New Hampshire, Plymouth Rock etc. are popular breeds for both meat and egg production.