Chicken flock inbreeding question?

Question

I've finally raised my first flock of chickens to the point where their hatchlings are almost grown also. I only have 1 breed and they run free with a locked hutch at night (we have a ranch.) I started with 9 hens, 2 roosters and now we have over 35 baby, grown and 1/2 grown chickens. Should I stop them from setting from now on? It seems like inbreeding would be a problem. We only eat the eggs and we'll sell or give away the surplus chickens (city girl) but I just wanted to ask if I should be concerned about inbreeding and stop them from reproducing from now on?

Answer 1

Eating the eggs instead of allowing the hens to brood has already stopped their reproduction, unless chickens have become a lot craftier in hiding eggs than they were when I was a child.  Another solution is to sell or give away the roosters and buy a rooster or two when you wish to replenish your flock.  The danger of genetic defects due to inbreeding, though, has pretty well been culled out of the popular domestic breeds.  There is always the danger of mutations, of which the harmful ones should be culled.