What defines a breed?

[olinorfolk]

This is a general interest question, rather than a practical one, (although how many of you haven't dreamed of breeding a new line combining your favourite chooks!)

At what point do hybrids become distinct 'breeds'?
I'd assume the taxonomical distinction would come a little before registered breed status, and I assume there's many breed standards groups in the UK and worldwide / chicken's councils (?) - sorry complete newb....



Some other thoughts:
If it depends on whether ancestral traits can be recovered by inbreeding, how would you conclude that these traits are certainly no longer present? after how many generations?

And how many generations on average would you see a distinct breed emerge (I know it's hard to put a number on it, but someone must have done a study in the past!)?

look forward to your thoughts,
(Happy new year!)

Oli

 

[Twistedfeather]

The American Poultry Association goes into this as they have to be purebred birds to be accepted. In the APA standard it says about breed:

An established group of individuals possessing similar characteristics and when mated together produce offspring with those same characteristics.

Variety is things that vary like combs, color, bearded or non bearded. But sometimes crossing variety with another variety can ruin the quality off the color most likely.