Stupid question?

[MavisMama]

If a white crested black polish hen breeds with a polish rooster of another type, will the offspring be mixed or one or the other? Will the chicks be mules? Needless to say, I'm new to chicken breeding -
Thanks for your help!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They will contain genes of both parents so be mixed. They may look more like one or the other but won't breed true. They won't be mules. A donkey (Equus africanus asinus) and a horse (Equus ferus caballus) aren't the same species. Hence the sterile offspring.
All chickens are the same species, gallus gallus domesticus. Any chicken can breed with any other chicken and produce fertile offspring.
To answer your first question, male offspring may resemble the mother, female offspring may resemble the father but their offspring will carry genes of both varieties of the grandparents.

 

[MavisMama]

Thank you! I took zoology many years ago, but obviously didn't retain the knowledge too well I appreciate your thorough explanation. Is genetic testing done to ensure a pure breed? If so, where would that be done?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I doubt it. Probably too expensive. Many breeds/varieties have been outcrossed over the years which may be one reason sports crop up in a supposedly pure flock.

A simple explanation is that breed is the shape of the bird. Variety is the color.
Some breeds only come in one color or variety. Some breeds, like Plymouth Rocks and Polish come in many varieties.

 

[MavisMama]

So, by shape of bird, do bantams differ from "chickens?"

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Bantams are chickens. Just smaller versions of their large fowl/standard counterparts. Some breeds only come in a bantam form, some only come in standard but most breeds come in both. A bantam should be the exact same shape as the standard version, only smaller.

 

[MavisMama]

That helps clear things up- for example, I see Sultans listed with & without the "bantam" identifier - do you know if there is also a standard version of the breed? I could look that up, but thought I'd ask since you're so knowledgeable!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Houdans come in both LF and bantam.
This handy dandy breed chart lists whether the breed comes in one or the other or both (second column) with the weight range of each.

http://www.sagehenfarmlodi.com/chooks/chooks.html

By the way, there are no stupid questions. If you don't know, you don't know.

That is, unless it's something you should know like the sun rises in the east and sets in the west which is caused by the earth revolving on it's axis.

ETA
Sorry, I internalized your question as Houdan. Sultans come in both as well.

 

[MavisMama]

Thanks for all your help have a great Independence Day!

 

[MavisMama]

Looking for a conformation guide for sultan chickens - thanks for guidance.