[Rosemary]

Our cockerel, Hobbes, was killed last night by a fox. I have three of his sons and three of his daughters - all the females are at least half-sisters to the young cockerels and our Light Sussex hens may be their mothers. Do you see where I'm going with this?

If I keep one of Hobbes' sons as a replacement, am I going to get two-headed chicks (three legged ones would be good, then we could all have one!) as a result of in-breeding?

If so, anyone in Central Scotland want to swap a Light Sussex cockerel for an unrelated one?

[pigsatlesrues]

I have had a google moment and found this website

http://poultryone.com/chickens.php

It has endless info on keeping poultry and also has a contact section to ask questions so perhaps you could use the facility to get your answer.

I was amazed to read that a chicken in designed to live for 30 years and is able in the right conditions to lay for 18 years. I deffinately need to revise this subject. The general thought seems to be that after 2  - 3 years of laying they are finished - how wrong everyone is!!

Hope it helps.

Kate