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Like Chris, I'm not sure I can easily answer that either. There's no real definitive time limit. It has more to do with the genotype of the breed/variety bred. The best explanation I've seen is when Kenny Troiano explained it in the Poultry Press and talked about Gamefowl (I don't remember specifically what kind). He mentioned three or four different kinds of the same breed, and I think variety, by name. I think Hatrick was one. I think Sweater was another. They were unique names and I'm not sure if it was the breeder's name or not. Can't remember if those are even the names. Something like that but you get the point I'm sure. Anyways, these birds had all been linebred in a closed flock for so long that one could tell who they were from just by looking at them. There was some distinctive feature that set them apart from another. And the thing that makes them a strain is that they all look alike because they've been inbred to the point where all the offspring are pretty much coming out identical.
So if you couple that with what Don says in Chris' quote and what Chris said, I think you'd have a pretty good definition of "strain". I definitely think it is totally about what's in the blood or, in other words, is the makeup of the genetic pool.
To maybe illustrate this better. There are a couple of folks trying to develop a Blue Laced Barnevelder. I believe one person used a Blue Wyandotte and the other a Blue Rock. So, for the sake of example, let's say after 4-5 years they both have Blue Laced Barnies that are close enough to be acceptable to the APA but there is some feature that would distinguish them from each other. And I suppose even if you couldn't tell the difference between them, they would still be two different strains. The Genotype being completely different even though the Phenotype may vary very little.
That's the best I can do at trying to define it.
God Bless,