Farmers who would like to upgrade or improve their backyard chicken flock would do well by selecting the best breeding rooster.
The logic is simple.
A rooster could breed with as many as a dozen different hens which in turn could produce as much as 10 eggs each before brooding.
That means over 100 chicks whose genetic traits are heavily influenced by the outstanding rooster.
A good hen, on the other hand, could only produce at most 10 chicks per breeding cycle thus her influence on the genetic improvement of the flock is limited.
Besides, recent studies showed that the male side gives greater genetic influence on the traits and appearance of the offspring.
In my farm, where I developed the Manok Pinoy breed for the last 10 years, I focus on tje selection of good breeding roosters.
Some may not believe it but I personally handle the rooster selection by feeling the body conformation of the prospective breeders.
I choose those with wide shoulders and full breasts and discard those which do not meet my standards.
The prospective breeders are also weighed to select those which grow and gain weight faster.
This morning I selected about 200 prospective breeders who at 85 days old already weigh between 950 grams to 1.2 kilos.
The outstanding ones even weighed as much as 1.4 kilos in less than three months.
These fast growers will be segregated and used in a special breeding program to be mated to outstanding hens.
The simple rule to follow in improving your chicken flock is Choose the Best and Cull the Rest.
Happy farming Sunday everyone!
(These photos were taken today in my farm in Kidapawan City where I breed Manok Pinoy.)
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