The Power of a Previous Mating There are breeders who believe that the parent of one sex has more influence on one particular trait or a combination of traits, […]

DOES LIKE ALWAYS BEGET LIKE? “Like Begets Like,” is a common phrase used by many breeders. It simply means that there is a strong similarity be­tween the pare […]

THEIR FUNCTIONALITY DETERMINES THEIR FORM “It is therefore very desirable, before any man commences to breed, that he should make up his mind to the shape and qualities he […]

Natures Influence on Domestication How we can use the Mechanisms of Evolution to Improve our Selective Breeding Practices Our Special Guest is Rick Coste, Author of […]

Mutations are not the result of Selection Occasionally there may be indi­viduals that show characteristics that differ quite noticeably from those expressed by their parents […]

PURE LINES VS. GENETIC VARIATION One thing I have learned from the best breeders in the world is that – they are not afraid to inbreed or line-breed to produce or […]

WHY VARIATION IS IMPORTANT! As we know, the domestic chicken possesses numerous characteristics and traits, this point must be emphasized. For instance, I have a […]

KEEP’EM PURE AND KEEP A CLOSED FLOCK As we all know, a chicken inherits a large percentage of its traits from its direct parents. Although they only inherit a small […]

WHAT SELECTIVE BREEDING IS ALL ABOUT? Breeding, in the case of domestic fowl, refers to the reproduction and inherent improvement of breeds, varieties and strains. […]

Things to Lookout For when Purchasing Fowl If you are like many who have decided to purchase mature brood fowl, it is a good idea to select them in person. This allows you to […]

Are changes produced by the environment inherited? There has been quite a bit of discussion these days about acquired characteristics – “Are changes produced by the environment […]

Is There Such Thing as a Perfect Bird? Let me begin by saying that purchasing fowl through the mail is similar to playing the lottery. You hope for high quality fowl, but […]

Gregor Mendel's Second Law of Inheritance, and how it applies to breeding gamefowl and chickens Developed by Gregor Mendel, “The Law of Independent Assortment,” also known as “Inheritance Law,” is the second of two major […]

What to Start With (Eggs, Chicks or Mature Fowl)? Once you know the kind of fowl you want, and who you are going to buy them from, the next step is to decide whether to purchase brood […]

Gregor Mendel's First Law of Inheritance – The Law of Chromosome Segregation Gregor Mendel, who is known as the “father of modern genetics,” studied variations in pea plants. Between 1856 and 1863, Mendel […]

Best Sources for Good Fowl – And, Never Settle for Second Rate Feed stores and mail-order hatcheries do a great job marketing and selling layers and meat chickens, not to mention general purpose […]

Improving Traits and Genetic Diversity through Crossbreeding INTRODUCTION: The mere mention of the word “hybridization” tends to bring out a very negative reaction from many […]