What do people think about hybrid or mixed breed chickens ?

[EM Squared Farms]

I'm actually more curious of the opinion of a chicken judge on this topic....I know 2 with opposing opinions (one likes, one doesn't)

What do all of you think about this ?

Thanks,

 

[Kavellion]

sometimes its good. when trying to add an unknown color, feather pattern to a breed mix out then mix in. if you only keep them as pets why not. i think americans are more pure breed. if you go look at englands ebay they have tons of hybred hatching eggs and seem to enjoy it. here we like our pedigrees.

 

[Okie Amazon]

I like my mutts. Hopefully my mixed breed LF Cochins/Buff Orpingtons will lay larger eggs than the pure Cochins. Of course, I don't show and my chickens are just for pets/eggs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

What are your goals? If hybrid or mixed breed chickens fit your goals, then they are great. If they do not fit your goals, then they are awful.

 

[suzettex5]

LOVE LOVE LOVE my one mixed breed hen. She's over 2 years old now and lays a nice medium sized egg nearly everyday, goes broody for me at least 2 times a year and has a nice temperment. She's pretty too- white with black spots here and there and a crazy hairdo from her polish daddy.

I think mixes can be like dogs- a good mix weeds out genetic anomalies that are bad and can incorporate hardiness and healthy traits. Not always, but often. She's a lifer here for sure!

 

[hawcer]

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I'd have to agree with that

 

[Kassaundra]

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Since you mentioned "opinion of a chicken judge" I'm assuming your question is about mixes in shows?

If that is the case I think shows are for specific chickens, bred specifically, meeting very strict physical criteria, that mixes don't have.

As a chicken owner that doesn't show, and totally loves my mixes and plans to mix even more, I love mixes.

I also think you should be up front and honest about what your chicken is, not call it something it isn't to sell it, or sell it for higher.

 

[EM Squared Farms]

Hi everyone ! Seems we have a consensus of opinion here, which is very nice. I was hoping it wasn't a controversial topic.

I guess we were more or less encouraged to breed pure from the chicken judge friend we know.

I remember how fun we all thought the mixed breed AmerauCochin was at the Fair. And it was fun to see some baby chickens running around that must have had the Polish rooster as their father (they were black and the Polish rooster was Golden-Laced).

I would love to see some pics of mixed breeds (as would my son I'm sure - to try and figure them out).

Does anyone of you want to post any ?

Maybe we should start a thread: Guess this Hybrid ?

That would be fun to try and figure out which two breeds were the parents ?

 

[cackleberrycoop]

I work very, very hard on my pure breeds, to breed towards the standard. Sometimes it's not so fun. Without the pure JOY of playing with mixed breeds and the funny surprise chickens the broodies hatch out for us, I think that I would burn out pretty fast on the breeding towards the Standard part of it.

 

[cackleberrycoop]

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Absolutely right.