How healthy are hatchery chickens?

[Amer]

Hybrids are almost universally hardier because they don't suffer from genetic bottlenecking. I personally try to avoid purebred animals out of compassion. So many chickens suffer from terrible inbreeding

Inbreeding doesn’t cause birds to “suffer.” The only common downside to inbreeding in chickens (after many generations) is slower growth and lower fertility but a less-fertile bird can still live a long and healthy life. At this point breeders will outcross to a distant relative and the cycle of inbreeding starts again. It certainly isn’t deformed and certainly doesn’t have a chronic disease. If defects turn up, an experienced breeder will breed them out. The inexperienced breeder will crossbreed because that will hide harmful recessive traits in the genes.
On the other side, some hybrids like Cornish Cross and Red Sexlinks do suffer due to either fast growth or high production.

 

[Amer]

I see a post was deleted but I will put this up anyway because I put a lot of effort into this.
Red Stars and Cx are called hybrids because they are not pure breeds, they are created by crossing two different inbred lines together, causing hybrid vigor.
Breed two red stars together and see what offspring you get. No two offspring will look alike.
Inbreeding doesn’t cause mutations. The mutations were already there. Genes that cause blue feathers, pea combs, feathered legs, and cross beaks are all mutations. Inbreeding just increases homozygosity of the genes present. You can pick and choose which ones you want. (Obviously no one wants cross beaks.)
I have found some studies that say inbreeding causes cancer but others say the opposite!
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/179...sociated with,of cancer in studied population.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/4079699
Anyway, it is possible that the OP is dealing with inferior genes from whatever hatchery it is. It does sound like they are taking good care of their birds, so I guess I would recommend just switching to another.

 

[Red Mangrove]

Inbreeding doesn’t cause birds to “suffer.” The only common downside to inbreeding in chickens (after many generations) is slower growth and lower fertility but a less-fertile bird can still live a long and healthy life. At this point breeders will outcross to a distant relative and the cycle of inbreeding starts again.

Interesting. Do you have any knowledge on how this functions differently in human beings versus chickens? Perhaps humans simply breed like wild animals without regard for genetics

If defects turn up, an experienced breeder will breed them out. The inexperienced breeder will crossbreed because that will hide harmful recessive traits in the genes.

Most breeders are inexperienced, are they not? I'd image that for every one that understands genetics properly there's twenty that have no clue what they're doing, and it's universally the chickens that suffer from this. Even in the educated professionals, when you say "breed them out" of the inbred stock this is a euphemism for murdering the sickly and unwanted animals

On the other side, some hybrids like Cornish Cross and Red Sexlinks do suffer due to either fast growth or high production.

This is unrelated to the topic of inbreeding versus outbreeding though. There are definitely pure breeds that also suffer from these same issues

I see a post was deleted but I will put this up anyway because I put a lot of effort into this.

I deleted my post due to being an uneducated peasant. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us