What is it?

[Chris09]

You're not going to get a cross from a major hatchery. It might not be a good quality specimen, but it will be what they say it is. A hatchery wouldn't survive if they sent out random crosses instead of the breed you paid for.

What hatchery? I order from MMM and I've gotten a lot of different kinds of birds as my "free rare chick," and not all of them have been males. I've gotten a white-faced black Spanish hen, a Buttercup hen, an Easter Egger hen, a silver-penciled Rock rooster and a Lakenvelder rooster. I've also gotten extra female EEs and extra female Rocks as packing peanuts. I guess I've had better luck than many others. There's a lot of bitterness around about the "free rare chick" phenomenon.

Quote: That is wishful thinking! McMurry, Cackle, Ideal, Mt. Healthy, Town Line the list can go on and they all sell cross bred chickens.
Don't believe me, Sex-links, Production Meat Breeds, Production Egg Layers and Easter Eggers are cross bred fowl and are sold at nearly every hatchery also most hatcheries sell large fowl chicks that are sexed by day one feather growth and they are also a cross bred fowl.

Chris

 

[ESofVA]

That is wishful thinking! McMurry, Cackle, Ideal, Mt. Healthy, Town Line the list can go on and they all sell cross bred chickens.
Don't believe me, Sex-links, Production Meat Breeds, Production Egg Layers and Easter Eggers are cross bred fowl and are sold at nearly every hatchery also most hatcheries sell large fowl chicks that are sexed by day one feather growth and they are also a cross bred fowl.

Chris

I think they meant chickens that were from accidental breedings between two purebred chickens. Not the crosses from intentional breedings they list such as the Sex-links, Production Meat Breeds, Production Egg Layers and Easter Eggers.

 

[SD Bird Lady]

You're not going to get a cross from a major hatchery. It might not be a good quality specimen, but it will be what they say it is. A hatchery wouldn't survive if they sent out random crosses instead of the breed you paid for.

What hatchery? I order from MMM and I've gotten a lot of different kinds of birds as my "free rare chick," and not all of them have been males. I've gotten a white-faced black Spanish hen, a Buttercup hen, an Easter Egger hen, a silver-penciled Rock rooster and a Lakenvelder rooster. I've also gotten extra female EEs and extra female Rocks as packing peanuts. I guess I've had better luck than many others. There's a lot of bitterness around about the "free rare chick" phenomenon.

Actually I think it is possible. I have a Buff Brahma Roo that I got last spring from hatchery and he is Gold Laced (which is very rare in Brahmas) and he has a spikey pea comb most likely a GL Cochin Brahma cross....it only takes on hen or rooster to get through a baracade lol I dont think it is a very common occurence but he is handsome so I plan on breeding him to my BO just to comfirm or deny my suspicion

 

[Chris09]

I think they meant chickens that were from accidental breedings between two purebred chickens. Not the crosses from intentional breedings they list such as the Sex-links, Production Meat Breeds, Production Egg Layers and Easter Eggers.

Most if not all hatcheries sell Large Fowl chicks that can be sexed at day by there feather growth, it is a process called feather sexing and these birds are crossed in order to feather sex them.
Example,
A hatchery will have a fast feathering line of a breed and a normal feathering line of that same breed and they will cross a male from the fast feathering line over a female form the slow feathering line and the offspring are able to be sexed at day one, males will have normal feather growth and hens will have longer more developed wing feather growth.

picture from http://animalsciences.missouri.edu/reprod/ReproTech/Feathersex/sld006.htm

Chris

 

[ESofVA]

I actually think Faverolles roo is correct!! He has oo muck black but I do see the salmon on his shoulders, too much black on the back of his head and neck. BUT...I have had some purebred hens that had way too much black in her beards. I kept the ones that had the least and gave away/sold the others. I am hoping to raise a maybe 1 clutch next year and keep any of the lighter pullets. I only raise for meat, eggs and FUN and keep only a few of several different breeds including some bntams which I really LOVE!! LOL!

 

[Pele]

He's a bad quality Faverolle, and he's absolutely male. If you are inclined, Faverolles are known for having finely textured and high quality meat (they were developed to be dual purposed). He'd make an excellent table bird.

 

[WalkingOnSunshine]

That is wishful thinking! McMurry, Cackle, Ideal, Mt. Healthy, Town Line the list can go on and they all sell cross bred chickens.
Don't believe me, Sex-links, Production Meat Breeds, Production Egg Layers and Easter Eggers are cross bred fowl and are sold at nearly every hatchery also most hatcheries sell large fowl chicks that are sexed by day one feather growth and they are also a cross bred fowl.

Chris

Sex links and Cornish X are not "cross-bred chickens." They're intentional hybrids, and it's not like they're trying to fool you that it's a purebred chicken. Heck, the name Cornish X tells you in the name that it's a hybrid and the description of the sex-links in the catalog acknowledges that it's a hybrid. Production Reds aren't really crosses--they're their own breed. Not a recognized show breed, but they breed true. Easter Eggers, I'll give you--when they are sold as Ameraucanas. However, Meyer has them labeled as "Easter Eggers" in the most recent catalog, so the tide is changing.

As far as the feather sexing, I've never gotten any day-old chicks that showed any feather development at all, so I don't think I was sold any crosses that were made for the hatchery's convenience in sexing. And even if I was, it's still not a cross-it's a trait they developed within that breed.

A cross bred chicken is an unintentional cross, and would be fraudulent to sell as the specific breed. If you think you can prove that you were intentionally sold a cross-bred chicken instead of a the breed you ordered, then I'd encourage you to seek legal action.

 

[Ralph Moyer]

You do get many surprises from hatcheries. Last spring we ordered 25 Ameraucanas pullets and one was a Guinea. They all looked alike for the first few days. He still thanks he is a chicken. I do have guineas, but he stays with the Ameraucana hens.

 

[hdowden]

Sex links and Cornish X are not "cross-bred chickens." They're intentional hybrids, and it's not like they're trying to fool you that it's a purebred chicken. Heck, the name Cornish X tells you in the name that it's a hybrid and the description of the sex-links in the catalog acknowledges that it's a hybrid. Production Reds aren't really crosses--they're their own breed. Not a recognized show breed, but they breed true. Easter Eggers, I'll give you--when they are sold as Ameraucanas. However, Meyer has them labeled as "Easter Eggers" in the most recent catalog, so the tide is changing.

As far as the feather sexing, I've never gotten any day-old chicks that showed any feather development at all, so I don't think I was sold any crosses that were made for the hatchery's convenience in sexing. And even if I was, it's still not a cross-it's a trait they developed within that breed.

A cross bred chicken is an unintentional cross, and would be fraudulent to sell as the specific breed. If you think you can prove that you were intentionally sold a cross-bred chicken instead of a the breed you ordered, then I'd encourage you to seek legal action.

sorry but hybrid and cross bred are used interchangeably in chickens...as in i made a hybrid with my silkie's and d'uccle's (but in reality they are my cross-breeds that i am working on developing, i did it on purpose though so that makes the my hybrids)

you look at the pin feathers when feather sexing not the development of the feathers big difference there. that trait was introduced into said breeds so yes in a way they are cross breeds but the crosses took place a long time ago so most of the traits from the original crosses should be out but still pop up in present day chicks. its one of the reasons that off typed birds are produced from "pure" lines. if you get a chick that is supposed to be clean legged but develops feathers on its legs (say a buff orp) it is showing traits from its past crosses when developing the wing sexing in the breed.

now any ameraucana bought from a hatchery is an ee however 2 hatcheries have started selling pure ameraucana at $18.00 per chick...


now this is not the place to really be discussing this though....


as i said before yes cockerel yes Faverolle

 

[Chris09]

Sex links and Cornish X are not "cross-bred chickens." They're intentional hybrids, and it's not like they're trying to fool you that it's a purebred chicken. Heck, the name Cornish X tells you in the name that it's a hybrid and the description of the sex-links in the catalog acknowledges that it's a hybrid. Production Reds aren't really crosses--they're their own breed. Not a recognized show breed, but they breed true. Easter Eggers, I'll give you--when they are sold as Ameraucanas. However, Meyer has them labeled as "Easter Eggers" in the most recent catalog, so the tide is changing.

As far as the feather sexing, I've never gotten any day-old chicks that showed any feather development at all, so I don't think I was sold any crosses that were made for the hatchery's convenience in sexing. And even if I was, it's still not a cross-it's a trait they developed within that breed.

A cross bred chicken is an unintentional cross, and would be fraudulent to sell as the specific breed. If you think you can prove that you were intentionally sold a cross-bred chicken instead of a the breed you ordered, then I'd encourage you to seek legal action.

You can believe what you will but I will let you know that every bird you named in your post are cross breds. You can candy coat a name by calling it a Hybrid but it it still a cross bred.
Anybody can call a cross bred chicken a Hybrid but it will not make it anymore a breed,

ETA -

cross·breed ​

v. cross·bred, cross·breed·ing, cross·breeds
v.tr.
To produce (an organism) by the mating of individuals of different breeds, varieties, or species; hybridize.
v.intr.
To mate so as to produce a hybrid; interbreed.
n.
An organism produced by mating of individuals of different varieties or breeds.
Crossbreed
Verb
To produce a hybrid animal or plant by breeding two animals or two plants of different species or varieties. For example, crossbreeding a male donkey with a female horse will produce a mule.
Noun
An animal or a plant produced by breeding two animals or plants of different species or varieties; a hybrid.
​

Chris​