Is there anyone that likes hybrids?

[pheasant24]

Just woundering if anyone along with me likes hybrids....?

I know there is a lot that dont.

 

[arherp]

HYBRIDS are cool... CROSSES, INTEGRADES, and ETC are NOT. HYBRIDS are infertile 99.999% of the time, so they don't cause anyone all that much of a problem. CROSSES, like mixing two species from the ruffed pheasant family, for example, is horrible and pointless.

But hybrids are cool.

 

[pheasant24]

ohhh....so a goldherst is a cross...not a hybrid?
then whats a hybrid?

 

[arherp]

Goldens and Amherst are in the Ruffed Pheasant family.. so they are just crosses. But if you were to, for example, cross a Reeves with a Amherst.. that would be a hybrid and is sterile.

 

[arherp]

And BTW.. if you make crosses, you are only harming the birds. You ruin the genetics that nature has worked thousands of years to perfect. You will also make it to where years down the road, the bottom might fall out of the goldens market, because everyone is afraid they are buying a cross, and the prices will be driven down to next to nothing. Oh, wait a minute...

 

[casuarius]

I have yet to see a cross as pretty as the original between red goldens and amhersts. If people want the cinammon goldens, yellow goldens, salmons, etc, then they should preserve that breed and not continue to cross and destroy the originals. But the biggest issue are people that sell crossed birds claiming they are the pure strain, some may look like the real deal, but their chicks come out with the impurities of the crossed birds, and it screws up the genetic lines. Pure blooded Red Goldens and Lady Amhersts have become so hard to find, that if you can find them the prices are actually $100/pr and up. I have F2 Amhersts, and most others I see anywhere have very noticeable differences, telling me they aren't pure. Likewise, my friend has F1 Red Goldens, and they are unrivaled in beauty by any other Red Goldens i've seen yet. The red on them is so bright and flawless, along with the other colors being defined so well. Most reds i've seen have a slightly yellow hugh or tint to their chests, or too much brown on the wings.

 

[arherp]

I agree. I have a friend with F1 goldens, and they are truly amazing. DEFINATELY worth preserving.

 

[pheasant24]

what does F1 and F2 mean exactly?

 

[mossfamilyfarm]

I was wondering the same thing!

 

[arherp]

F1 means it is the baby of a wild bird. F2 means it is the baby of a baby.