Chicken x Pigeon Hybrid, Fact or Fiction?

[NatJ]

So, I know how absolutely ridiculous this sounds. Recently I came across a video on tik tok from a guy claiming he breeds chickens and pigeons. I highly, highly doubt there is any truth to this. He showed a brief video of them but it could have been from anywhere.

I tried looking around on the internet, and I did find several instances of people reporting breeding them, but again, highly skeptical. I think this is just a case of made up/fake creatures, but I wanted to ask if it's even remotely possible. I feel silly asking, but curiosity killed the cat .

Argh, now you've got me searching the internet too!

I'm finding some "pigeon-chicken hybrids" that are just odd-looking pigeons. (Quite a few are "Maltese Pigeons." I can see why people would think they are crossed with something, because they do look different than most pigeons, but they are really just another breed of pigeon.)

And I found one which was just a chicken (looked rather like a Japanese Bantam, but with a big fantail like some pigeons have. I wonder why we don't already have a bunch of fantail chicken breeds?)

And I found a thread on this forum, with a pigeon that THINKS it is a chicken:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/egbert-the-pigeon-chicken.1275116/

But I'm not finding anything that tells for sure whether they can actually cross.

I can find that pigeons have 80 chromosomes and chickens have 78.
But that still doesn't prove anything, because horses have 64 chromosomes and donkeys have 62 chromosomes but they can breed to produce mules.

I guess I'll just keep watching this thread, in case anyone comes in with an actual answer!

 

[RosemaryDuck]

Argh, now you've got me searching the internet too!

I'm finding some "pigeon-chicken hybrids" that are just odd-looking pigeons. (Quite a few are "Maltese Pigeons." I can see why people would think they are crossed with something, because they do look different than most pigeons, but they are really just another breed of pigeon.)

And I found one which was just a chicken (looked rather like a Japanese Bantam, but with a big fantail like some pigeons have. I wonder why we don't already have a bunch of fantail chicken breeds?)

And I found a thread on this forum, with a pigeon that THINKS it is a chicken:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/egbert-the-pigeon-chicken.1275116/

But I'm not finding anything that tells for sure whether they can actually cross.

I can find that pigeons have 80 chromosomes and chickens have 78.
But that still doesn't prove anything, because horses have 64 chromosomes and donkeys have 62 chromosomes but they can breed to produce mules.

I guess I'll just keep watching this thread, in case anyone comes in with an actual answer!

Ooo! Thank you for doing some extra research! Yeah, I did see several images of the maltese pigeons. I wonder if that's what the guy used footage of? Though I know there are a lot of unconventional hybrids in nature that shouldnt work, but do. So who knows!

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Not sure it's impossible, but I feel like theyre too different looking to work.

Zonkeys (zebra/donkeys) exist. Zebras have between 32 and 46 chromosomes while donkeys have 62, which is no where near close to even 46!

Camas (camel and lama) exist. They have the same number of chromosomes but for thousands of years they were separated by a continent

There are many, many crosses, but I chose to mention those two because they have the biggest geographical and genetic differences, and yet still produce viable offspring.

So many things are possible, and I believe this could be possible, but I also don't believe anyone needs to be experimenting with crossing a Pidgeon and a chicken.

 

[NatJ]

Ooo! Thank you for doing some extra research! Yeah, I did see several images of the maltese pigeons. I wonder if that's what the guy used footage of? Though I know there are a lot of unconventional hybrids in nature that shouldnt work, but do. So who knows!

I also found a Modena pigeon being described as a chicken-pigeon hybrid, although it looks quite different (short and round, instead of tall and stretched.)

You're right about odd hybrids that sometimes work! Although for chickens/pigeons, I do wonder what stage the baby would hatch at. Baby pigeons are helpless and need to be fed by the parents, while baby chickens run around and follow their mother.

The hybrids I know of all come from parents with similar baby-care requirements.
Either the babies can run around and follow their mother (mule, beefalo, chicken/guinea, chicken/pheasant, Muscovy/mallard). Or the babies are pretty helpless and need a lot of care (lion/tiger). But I cannot think of any where one parent species has a baby that needs lots of care, and another has babies that can run around from the first day.

So maybe that provides a clue that pigeons & chickens won't really cross?

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I also found a Modena pigeon being described as a chicken-pigeon hybrid, although it looks quite different (short and round, instead of tall and stretched.)

You're right about odd hybrids that sometimes work! Although for chickens/pigeons, I do wonder what stage the baby would hatch at. Baby pigeons are helpless and need to be fed by the parents, while baby chickens run around and follow their mother.

The hybrids I know of all come from parents with similar baby-care requirements.
Either the babies can run around and follow their mother (mule, beefalo, chicken/guinea, chicken/pheasant, Muscovy/mallard). Or the babies are pretty helpless and need a lot of care (lion/tiger). But I cannot think of any where one parent species has a baby that needs lots of care, and another has babies that can run around from the first day.

So maybe that provides a clue that pigeons & chickens won't really cross?

That is a super interesting perspective!

 

[RosemaryDuck]

I also found a Modena pigeon being described as a chicken-pigeon hybrid, although it looks quite different (short and round, instead of tall and stretched.)

You're right about odd hybrids that sometimes work! Although for chickens/pigeons, I do wonder what stage the baby would hatch at. Baby pigeons are helpless and need to be fed by the parents, while baby chickens run around and follow their mother.

The hybrids I know of all come from parents with similar baby-care requirements.
Either the babies can run around and follow their mother (mule, beefalo, chicken/guinea, chicken/pheasant, Muscovy/mallard). Or the babies are pretty helpless and need a lot of care (lion/tiger). But I cannot think of any where one parent species has a baby that needs lots of care, and another has babies that can run around from the first day.

So maybe that provides a clue that pigeons & chickens won't really cross?

Oh wow, duh! I can't believe I didn't realize that. Yeah, I would think the difference in care would make the baby not viable. Thank you for your insight on this! I love hearing other people's perspectives and learning new stuff (even if it is about something silly )

 

[KingD]

 

[chickentrains]

well those are odd

 

[RosemaryDuck]

I think these guys are Maltese pigeons. Still a very bizarre looking bird!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Aren't those just Maltese pigeons?