Is breeding half-siblings together (same mother, different fathers) too closely related? When is too closely related, and when are they unrelated enough to breed safely without health worries etc?

I'm not quite sure, but I have successfully bred the following relations without trouble:

 

Mother and Son

Father and Daughter

Uncle and Niece

 

I have also had a brother and sister pair have chicks with no problems, but as they only had one clutch I can't truthfully say if this was luck or not. I did have a set of twins pair up while I was away once, but their chicks stopped developing at about ten days and eventually died when they were three weeks old still looking like ten-day-old chicks.

 

I think other members would know much more about this than me, but for now, here's my experience.

It is done, but you would have to know any hidden traits or health issues that may accentuate with close breeding.

I dont breed that close myself at all.

Persistent inbreeding can affect the fertility of your birds, that is if you do it regularly over a number of generations. You also see a problem with feather development: cysts and tail feathers not growing.

 

I would recommend you stick to Uncle x Niece, Aunt x Nephew, Grandparents x Grandchildren. :rofl:

Persistent inbreeding can affect the fertility of your birds, that is if you do it regularly over a number of generations. You also see a problem with feather development: cysts and tail feathers not growing.

 

I would recommend you stick to Uncle x Niece, Aunt x Nephew, Grandparents x Grandchildren.

 

I agree

I have done it but it is the christmas tree thing for example half brother half sister this year bring in an out cross for next mating then go back to the line again for example cousin to cousin, aunt to nephew ect.

But to do this for starters the half brother half sister need to be very good birds with gentics in the back ground that you want to come out and it's like Kaz said you need to know what what's behind them because it could turn out not what you were hoping for.

The christmas tree is in out in out with the blood line you are working on.

Okay, well, I have no clue what their background is other than their parents..so not a good idea then huh. Was just wondering (as they have paired up--not nestbox--and I know they'll have the colour babies I'm looking for) but if it's too close I won't let them breed.

Thanks anyway.

Okay, well, I have no clue what their background is other than their parents..so not a good idea then huh. Was just wondering (as they have paired up--not nestbox--and I know they'll have the colour babies I'm looking for) but if it's too close I won't let them breed.

Thanks anyway.

 

Very wise decision ~ Well done!

 

Remember that YOU are the one that ultimately decides who breeds to who, and when.

I breed brother to sister, mother to son, father to daughter if I see the need to try and fix features within my stud. The issue you have is that you are concentrating genetic material. What the end plan is, is to produce a family of birds that bear similar features and breed true i.e. that breed on likes of themselves. What the risk is, is that you are also concentrating unseen maybe deteramental features as well. You can concentrate fertility as much as you can concentrate infertility but you often don't know what it is you are concentrating if you can't see it.

If you are trying to breed a certain color, and these two would make it, could you partner them with other birds, and then breed the children together? That would be cousin-cousin, which would be okay.

Well it depends on your opinion of too close.

 

If it were me I'd give the brother to sister pairing a go and keep an eye on what comes out. If there are any deteramental results - dwarfs, straw feather, popping hips - don't put them together again. If the results are okay then re-pair the chicks to the right coloured outcrosses and then use THOSE 1/2 brothers and sisters together. Hey but that's just me