# Breeding siblings?



## valleychicks (May 26, 2013)

This doesn't seem right to me, but I've read about it..?? I have two silkies and I've grown attached to both, but I have a feeling they are hen and cock.  Would you breed them? And if not, would you sell the hen or cock?


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## BuckeyeChickens (Jul 11, 2012)

valleychicks said:


> This doesn't seem right to me, but I've read about it..?? I have two silkies and I've grown attached to both, but I have a feeling they are hen and cock.  Would you breed them? And if not, would you sell the hen or cock?


Breeding brother to sister is commonly called "inbreeding" (most people understand this) but father to daughter is considered "line breeding" and is more acceptable in the poultry world! Yes, some folks do breed brother to sister and generally speaking I would avoid it unless I had no other choice. The ONLY reason I would do it is if they were extremely rare fowl.

Since Silkies are NOT rare, why not buy another pair of Silkies and mate up two pairs?!?!? That way you don't have to get rid of either that you have become attached to!!!


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

If you're not hatching the eggs it doesn't matter one way or the other.


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## valleychicks (May 26, 2013)

If I bought two unrelated how do I know the chicks are the correct pairs mating? IE. Not the brother and sister pair?


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## WeeLittleChicken (Aug 31, 2012)

Make sure the two new ones are a different color or if you're really set on the same you can buy leg bands to differentiate them. When they're old enough you'd obviously have to separate the two pairs when you're collecting hatching eggs so you know whose partnered up with who.


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## BuckeyeChickens (Jul 11, 2012)

WeeLittleChicken said:


> If you're not hatching the eggs it doesn't matter one way or the other.


Good point and I assumed the valleychicks wanted to breed them since the title said "breeding sibs"?!?!?


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## BuckeyeChickens (Jul 11, 2012)

valleychicks said:


> If I bought two unrelated how do I know the chicks are the correct pairs mating? IE. Not the brother and sister pair?


If it were me I would want another brother/sister pair from another breeder or another line of Silkies (they can be the same color).....this gives you two unrelated pairs! As Wee pointed out, BAND the two pairs with different color bands....your old pair can be "blue" and the new pair can be "red"

1.) Take the cockerel from the new pair (red band male) and place him in a pen with the hen from your old pair (blue band female). 
2.) Put your favorite cockerel (blue band male) with the hen from the new pair you purchased(red band female).

You now have two families mating together and can start a third family with the first generation offspring! You could band the offspring with "green bands" if you like but you need to ID them all.


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