Breed Preservation *small rant*

[EweSheep]

Raising or breeding sex links are not the goal of a preservationist unless there is a market for sex links.

I know of the Delawares waaaaaaay back in the beginning were cross bred but it takes several generations to get the color and type consist so the future generations can breed true.

I have to say no to this guy if he is really preserving the Delaware breed. If he is making his own, he has a long ways to go.

 

[Rosalind]

I am acquainted with a lady on another forum who insists that hybrids have better "hybrid vigor" and will, in the event of the dreaded Bird Flu, have the magical survival genes spread throughout all sorts of other characteristics, thereby enabling the genetics from other breeds to be simultaneously preserved in mutts. And then you'd be able to get the original breeds back by, you know, the traditional method.

I pointed out that there was an equally good chance of diluting the flu resistance gene past usefulness, and that finding and confirming resistant flocks would be that much more difficult if it had to be done by genetic testing rather than by looks, and that in the event of Teh Bird Flue!!!11!!!! we could breed many more (resistant breed) quickly using existing breeding stock rather than trying to figure out what type of hybrid was OK and which was not.

To be fair, though, of all the breeds I keep, the Easter Eggers appear to be the most indestructible. They don't seem to have any problems with egg binding, evading predators, flying like very' eagles, or the sniffles that the other chickens seem to pick up. So I can see the point of hybridizing, to some extent.

 

[wegotchickens]

I find it ironic that the canine mutts of my childhood are now 'designer breeds' that go for hundreds of dollars!
But it makes sense that some people would try for that same 'designer' label for their mutt chickens.

My EE's are definitely hardier and better layers than my BO's. And they just overflow with personality

Mutts generally are hardier and (IMO) more intelligent, for the most part. But I wouldn't use this as an excuse for crossing breeds. Good feed, good care, and good hygeine will trump illness better than any DNA combo.

 

[speckledhen]

With a breed as critically endangered as a Delaware (a real Delaware, not the kind with Columbian Rock blood crossed in), why wouldn't he just raise Delawares? A sexlink is nothing special, just a good egglayer. He needn't post that article because he's doing NOTHING to preserve the Delaware breed.