Is there such a thing as a patent for chicken breeds?

[Debbie292d]

Getting the true parent stock would be the hurdle.
Their recipe is as secretive as the Colonel's.
I'd guarantee if somehow you did and then started selling first generation "Isa Browns" that you'd get shut down.

I just googled and saw three hatcheries and other folks selling them so they must not have 100% pure Isa Browns then?

 

[The Moonshiner]

Not sure what they're after as I stopped going to the Silkie site on Facebook as there are about a dozen women in there who would dare tell me my satin silkie, bred from two silkies, was not a silkie any longer. Somehow they think only that particular feather type removes the breed, yet the frizzle, paint, cuckoo, or no other feather type does.

I know a master breeder a couple hours from here I spoke to about this and he told me they're cuckoo themselves. It'll never happen.

How did you get a "satin" from two silkies?

 

[The Moonshiner]

I just googled and saw three hatcheries and other folks selling them so they must not have 100% pure Isa Browns then?

They're either buying the eggs to hatch or they're in a contract with the ones that own the rights and were supplied the parental stock.

 

[Debbie292d]

How did you get a "satin" from two silkies?

Must've been in the genes of one of them. That happened in my backyard flock, not in my show quality silkies. Those were all hatchery birds I think. We started out rescuing a few, none were satin, but every so often, one would pop out.

We started with her, a white sister, and white rooster, then....



She was one of their chicks.


I was appalled that someone would say she's not a silkie anymore!

Then on that silkie site I posted this one, a mottled satin silkie. I bought eggs from a silkie exhibition breeder.
Nope, not a silkie according to them. They don't get silkie is a breed. Silkie is a feather type too, but it's a breed.

 

[Pipsnchicks]

It is absolutely possible to get a patent/protection on the genetics and crosses behind a breed, or a trademark for the name. That's why you only have Cornish Crosses from hatcheries - the lineage is protected legally, so unless you pay for permission from the people (I think it's a company?) that created the Cornish Cross, you won't be able to make the same cross and sell them as Cornish Cross.

The same thing kind of applies to the hylines. Some of those are different breeds, but I think most of it is trademarked names for the specific crosses (that's why some places call them Cinnamon Queens while some call them ISA Browns, etc. when they're all basically the same breed).

Because the name is trademarked, it relies on the company to enforce it. Most don't care enough to go after all of the little farmers or backyard breeders selling "Cinnamon Queens". The lawsuits aren't cheap.

So while you could trademark/patent a breed, it's really not worth the huge expense (several thousands of dollars just to apply for a patent) and the headache of paperwork. Plus to actually make it effective, you have to spend money to enforce it.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Must've been in the genes of one of them. That happened in my backyard flock, not in my show quality silkies. Those were all hatchery birds I think. We started out rescuing a few, none were satin, but every so often, one would pop out.

We started with her, a white sister, and white rooster, then....

View attachment 3947640

She was one of their chicks.
View attachment 3947647

I was appalled that someone would say she's not a silkie anymore!

Then on that silkie site I posted this one, a mottled satin silkie. I bought eggs from a silkie exhibition breeder.
Nope, not a silkie according to them. They don't get silkie is a breed. Silkie is a feather type too, but it's a breed.


View attachment 3947651

Isn't non silkied feathers a disqualification for Silkies?

 

[MysteryChicken]

No one's gonna be able to replicate my Chameleons, but me, or unless they get a few from me, & breed from them.
But anyways, if a specific chicken breed leaves your hands, & they now own it you have no control over what they do now that it's their bird. So, I don't think patenting a chicken breed is necessary, or makes much sense due to this.

 

[Debbie292d]

Isn't non silkied feathers a disqualification for Silkies?

I don't show mine but pretty sure that it is.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Isn't non silkied feathers a disqualification for Silkies?

Yes, it's also dominant to silkied feathering.

 

[The Moonshiner]

I don't show mine but pretty sure that it is.

I'm sure it is too hence the they're not silkies thing.
Some people need the APA to tell them what/how to think.

Beyond that the satins are just a hard sell to a lot of people.
I don't believe in them being Silkies myself but that's because I can't wrap my head around a non silkied feathered bird being a Silkie. I mean "Silkie" is their breed name.