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Using your chickens as an example, you are doing it for a PURPOSE right? You take birds that are healthy and breed to meet a need - more eggs, better meat production, more resistant to heat/cold, whatever. That is the point of hybrid vigor - crossing the best with the best to hopefully put the best of both in the offspring.
Of course, you also have to be very strict on culling because, by default, you are going to end up with a few who show the WORST of both bloodlines. You don't want to hatch eggs from a hen that has constant sickness issues or a poor track record of laying. Or hatch meat birds that take 3 years to get to a decent size to butcher, that would defeat the purpose.
Now, to use the poodle example above, you are talking a whole different ball of wax. Except for a few exceptions, the breeding is completely random. No thought is given to health, purpose, or future, only the $$ that can be gained quickly. With dogs/chickens/cats you aren't technically creating a hybrid. The majority of dog diseases aren't limited to a certain breed. Hip dysplasia, eye problems, etc are found in almost every breed so you can't just cross a poodle with a lab and declare the dogs to be healthy. Unfortunately, those are the sellers you usually see promoting those breedings.
So, yeah, those people I have a problem with. They are playing on people's lack of genetic knowledge and old wives tales to make money while actually sitting them up for heartbreak and a ton of expensive vet bills.
It's simply a case of a few bad apples tainting the barrel.
If you have a plan, are using healthy animals, and not deliberately trying to mislead buyers to line your pockets, then cross away!
Of course, those exact same rules apply to anyone breeding "pure" animals as well.
