Ob
Both de wet and Tony.... I respect you both. Always have. Anyone willing to pay 200+ on a single bird that requires like 20ft per bird... Well that's someone dedicated to resurrecting a breed.
But you guys have to pick your fights.. And this is not one you should've picked. Think of it this way. Do mules destroy horse breeds? No. Even though some 10% of female mules are fertile, how often do you see:
Mule for sale!
Father was an Arab, Mom a mule (Appaloosa x Belgian)
$2,000
I mean, really?
I highly doubt that cheasents are going to be a marketed breed, they aren't destroying a breed. Like its been said, probably around 90% of cheasents will be infertile. And then, will a chicken be able to breed with ALL pheasants? Some may have odd genes that don't correspond with chickens, thus breeding near impossible.
Is a geep (sheep x goat) destroying goats or sheep? No. (Although breeding near impossible)
You guys can breed the purest of the pure of these rare pheasants.. Anyone willing to put that much into a bird is highly unlikely to breed them with other pheasants or chickens. If so, then your more likely to have to worry about @$$holes selling cross breeds (pheasent cross breeds) as pures then you'll have to worry about cheasents.. While these bird resemble pheasants, the fact that they have chicken shows obviously...
So you guys can talk about being a BYC educator or call us 'kids' because we don't believe a mule is going to destroy an entire species of pheasent.
Is breeding an Ohiki w/ a austrolorp going to destroy the entire breed of chickens? Course not! Label them as backyard crosses then sell them, butcher em, keep em as pets but just because the accident happened your entire gene pool isn't ruined.
Like I said, you have to worry about @$$holes selling known cross breeds as pures then some cheasents who are likely infertile.[/quote
Obviously you have never checked into the genetics of the birds you have bought wanting them to be pured......that's why those other that Tony who say "we are raising the for re-introduction...." "to save them from extiction..." are false...does it matter...yes....look at the IUCN protocols....
Clint