From http://vshbreeders.org/forum/showthread.php?tid=160
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Goals for the 2013 VSHBreeders Breeding Plan

1. Develop a practical plan for the dissemination of high expressing VSH 
breeding material
to groups/individuals who will produce queens from it, mate them in 
their region and track them for one season,
select the most desirable based on pre-determined selection methods, 
make virgins from these and return some
for the 2nd round.

2. Selection data will be kept in records on each "local" queen to 
include economic performance, mite resistance and any other valuable traits.

3. After the "selection period" has elapsed, breeders will determine if 
any of the "local queens"
are desirable and arrangements will be made to rear virgins from any 
desirable ones.

4. A portion of the desirable virgins (some may be traded freely as long 
as accurate records are kept) should be shipped to the designated 
participants to inseminate them with verified high expressing VSH semen 
and ensure their health. Virgin daughters from these "1st round 
breeders" will then be returned to the original individual/group 
breeders to begin the selection cycle again.

This rough plan has many discussion points. Let's work those in this thread.


Ground Rules

1. Participants/Groups need to be proficient in rearing quality queens.
If you're just starting out, there are many ways to contribute to this 
project, but queen rearing skill is essential to the stock evaluation 
portion.

2. Participants/Groups need to be on the VSHBreeders.org map so others 
can see where you are and how to contact you.

3. Participants/Groups need to agree on and adhere to selection methods 
and metrics we develop from this discussion: standardized tests for what 
we're seeking is the only way we can make any progress. If you have a 
problem with adhering to a selection protocol, that's fine and 
understood, but that doesn't have place in a cooperative breeding program.

4. Participants/Groups need to agree on and adhere to record keeping to 
include:
Marked Queens. If you have unmarked queens, part-way through the test, 
they should be dropped from the testing. A small amount of certain 
breeding information is much more valuable then a large amount of 
uncertain breeding information. Marks wear off, queens are 
superseded--no problems. Marked queens need to be used to rear virgins 
for round 2.

5. Mite load
Participants/Groups need to develop how we'll maintain these colonies. 
Untreated is the best selection scenario, but losing a colony to mites 
isn't good. Perhaps we'll arrive at a threshold mite level and anything 
over that will be dropped from the test? Up for discussion.

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