Hybrid vs. Purebred

Hi all,
i was discussing this with my go to gal at the local feed store, and wondered what you thought. it is a two part discussion really. As far as hybrid vs Purebred, have you noticed that one or the other has more health issues in general? the reason i ask is that for the last two years, i have had to put down one 1 year old red sex link hen each year. the first hen developed sour crop, then a bad case of EYP. The second hen was just two weeks ago, had ascitis, and heavy breathing that developed really fast. Her issue was cancer polypse on the intestines. I now have another rsl that i am suspecting of internal laying. But purebreds, so far, no issue.

the second part of the discussion was this, do you think that these birds now days are being too genetically messed with in order to be high producers? I know that the RSL's are destined for a short life because they are such high producers. But, i was simply interested in any thoughts that you might have to add to this.

Red sexlinks are hybrids.

In general, hybrids will be hardier, but it all depends on the parent stock in either case. Some people over inbreed their purebreds. Other people cross breed unhealthy birds.

As far as being too genetically messed with to be high producers, a chicken is not meant to be a high producer. It is the breeding that makes them so. A chicken that is less "genetically messed with" through breeding or whatever means, will tend to be a lower producer and more likely to go broody.

SunHwaKwon said:

Red sexlinks are hybrids.

In general, hybrids will be hardier, but it all depends on the parent stock in either case. Some people over inbreed their purebreds. Other people cross breed unhealthy birds.

As far as being too genetically messed with to be high producers, a chicken is not meant to be a high producer. It is the breeding that makes them so. A chicken that is less "genetically messed with" through breeding or whatever means, will tend to be a lower producer and more likely to go broody.

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I know that rsl's are hybrids ;-) but thanks for your thoughts. I never put two and two together that the lower yield producers were more likely to go broody.

Colorado Chick said:

I know that rsl's are hybrids ;-) but thanks for your thoughts. I never put two and two together that the lower yield producers were more likely to go broody.

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Sorry if I insulted you a lot of people seem to think sex links are an actual breed. You were indicating you've experienced a lot of health issues with them, which is generally encountered with purebreds sure to lower genetic diversity in a lot of cases. Of course you can also have similarissues with cross breeds since it's about the size of the generic pool, but in theory it will take longer for issues to arise since you are starting with individuals that are more distantly related. With sex links, there is no line breeding since they don't work that way. So any generic issues are somewhat luck of the draw or the two parent populations each have issues going on that when brought together make a bad mix.

ha ha, no worries.
Just thought that i would also add that i am not breeding my own birds. I have 7 hens in town, no boys allowed
I agree in that the next time i get birds, i will be more selective about who i get them from. I will try to be able to inquire about the generations before and check on health issues. These all came through the feed store via a place in arizona i believe. With the large scale breeders like that it is impossible to check health records i know, but if i wind up finding a local pure breed breeder (Wouldnt that be awesome) ill be sure to check them out.
I sure love the nature of the RSL's though. i may still have to have those in the flock even though i know that they may be a crap shoot as far as health and longevity.

Agreed, the general health of birds are dependent on the parent stock for either hybrids or "pure" breeds. Back when we raised hatchery birds the only problem I had with them was death in second year. I don't do autopsies but attributed it to internal laying issues. It's common for uber high egg production birds to have issues and there is a significant mortality rate in second year. All hatchery birds are bred for egg production and no "pure" breed from them is going to be matched to the Standard of Perfection. They are not in this light "pure" rather hatchery birds bred to resemble a breed.

We breed to the SOP of a particularly broody variety. Was not my intent to get a variety quite so broody but it is what it is. In reality they lay the right amount of eggs for that breed. Where the problem lies is they are so frequently trying to brood you don't get as many eggs from them. Can take over a week after breaking them before they start laying again and by then a few more are attempting to set. Spring to early fall is a perpetual rotation of birds to brood buster. That trait was bred into this variety and not really indicative of the breed as a whole.

ok, thank you. I knew that in reality that both pure and hybrid were going to have health issues and egg laying issues. But thanks for calming my fears in that neither is more prone to health issues because they are pure or hybrid. and broody birds..... you have more patience than me! my one BO went broody one time, (a really bad time, i mean head rotating demon possessed bird!) and i thought, nope, no more broody birds for! maybe ill change my mind when im able to have a rooster and raise chicks then. Thanks again!

Once you learn how to break a broody it's easy. Takes up to three days in a cage or in my case I put them in the grow out pen and keep the small coop door closed so they've no place to nest. By three days of not being able to maintain heat on butt in a nest they break the hormone craze to brood and can go back with the flock.

High egg production birds, aka sex links for example, are prone to internal laying issues. That's what I said.

Egghead_Jr said:

Once you learn how to break a broody it's easy. Takes up to three days in a cage or in my case I put them in the grow out pen and keep the small coop door closed so they've no place to nest. By three days of not being able to maintain heat on butt in a nest they break the hormone craze to brood and can go back with the flock.

High egg production birds, aka sex links for example, are prone to internal laying issues. That's what I said.

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No i agree with you about the RSL's and laying issues. I guess i didnt make my original post clear in that i was asking about pure versus hybrid, does one have more health issues than the other NOT including laying issues. The laying issues i knew about in birds bred for high egg numbers.
Thats what i wound up doing with my BO when she went broody again a few weeks later. I have an old parrot cage that i put a roost in, and elevated the cage off the ground. Her head spun for about two days and then all was normal

Egghead_Jr said:

Once you learn how to break a broody it's easy. Takes up to three days in a cage or in my case I put them in the grow out pen and keep the small coop door closed so they've no place to nest. By three days of not being able to maintain heat on butt in a nest they break the hormone craze to brood and can go back with the flock.

High egg production birds, aka sex links for example, are prone to internal laying issues. That's what I said.

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Meanwhile mine go broody in the fall then go into a molt. I want spring chicks so I incubate the eggs. This year I decided it would be easier to let a broody do it but unfortunately no one is going broody. Everyone wants to break a broody, I would just like them to go broody.
I do have bantams and some mixed breeds that have gone the distance.....in the fall. Maybe May will be the charm. have hatched some then.