By Kenny Troiano
One of the things I like about breeding American Games is the scientific side of the hobby. I’ve always been amazed by the influence of selection, and the awesome power of selective breeding. I get a lot of enjoyment watching my fowl improve every year, and I’m sure you do too.
There are some breeders who say – “all you need to do is to breed the best to the best.” However, I do think there is more to Breeding Gamefowl than that. Is there something to be said about breeding fowl in this manner? Yes, in some cases it is. I will explain how a practice such as this can work in your favor.
When starting out, it is best to obtain the highest quality cock and hen possible. My advice to you is to never settle for second best, and if you’ve done your job right, they should have all the characteristics you desire. Look for fowl that carry very unique and specialized characteristics, ones that are limited to certain inherited qualities, such as:
- Physical: conformation of body and color of plumage
- Mental: temperament and intelligence
- Function: performance and production qualities
Here is where breeding the “best of the best” becomes a good practice: It goes without saying that the longer you breed from birds carrying an abundance of favorable genes, especially of the desirable qualities, the better they will become. But it is also important to know that you must continue to select birds that show the same desirable qualities, over and over, to achieve uniformity of the strain.
In time, all the offspring should show the desirable attributes. If done properly they will all be uniform and consistent as a family or strain.
How is this accomplished? This is possible through the process of selection and breeding, and mating the best cock to the best hen, and testing the progeny. Only by breeding a given hen or cock, and observing his or her sons and daughters, can one select those spectacular breeders, the ones that will improve the strain.
It is important to know that, the offspring will always show you the value and quality of their parents. As a friend and mentor of mine, once told me, “Kenny, the offspring never lie.” If their offspring show the desirable characteristics it proves the value and worth of the parents. It also shows that they have the right genes needed for good reproduction.
Look carefully for defects and disqualifications, and any faults that are not representative of the breed. It is best to cull any and all birds that don’t measure up to your idea of a proper cock and hen. Remember, defects are usually recessive, and recessive traits are very hard to eliminate from an established family or strain.
Having discovered the few individuals who are good representatives of the breed, and are best at transmitting their genes to their offspring, you should make sure to concentrate your efforts on these relative few, and not waste time on the others. And above all, resist the temptation to breed from someone else’s strain, even if it is a spectacular bird. As his contribution as a breeder may introduce hidden and maybe unfavorable genes that you didn’t know existed and will never eradicate.
There are some characteristics that are considered faults, which are almost impossible to get rid of. In this case, it is best to cull and just start over again. In short, avoid contamination of outside blood.
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. I will help you to increase your knowledge of breeding, advance your skills as a breeder, and help you to improve the quality and performance of your fowl. I’m confident that if you follow my advice, your fowl will improve. So, check it out – https://americangamefowlbreedersacademy.com
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Yours truly, Kenny Troiano
Author of the Gamefowl Breeders Manuals
Owner of theBreeders Academy Membership Website
And, Host of the Bred to Perfection Podcast
Visit us atwww.breedersacademy.com
