WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A "MUTT" CHICKEN, AND A "HIBRID" ?

A breed is a chicken bred to the Standard for that breed, accepted by the American Poultry Association.

A hybrid is an intentional, often highly researched, blend of parent stock to achieve a specific goal in the offspring. For example, the highly specialized hybrid commercial broiler, commonly called the CX meat birds.
Other specialized hybrids are intentionally bred to be super high production egg layers.

A mutt is just a barnyard cross, often a random cross of birds and the result is just a bird. Fun perhaps, interesting maybe, but the result is just a mutt.

Those who are passionate about carefully breed outstanding examples of bred to Standard birds may view any bird not up to a Standard to be a mutt. Sometimes also referred to as scrubs.
 
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I was taught that a hybrid is a cross between two species. Examples being a Liger (lion x tiger) or a mule (horse x donkey). There are other contexts in which the term is used. To me a cross between a poodle and a Golden Retriever is a mutt. Some people may consider them hybrids because they are intentionally bred for certain characteristics. I guess it just depends on the context of the conversation.
 
I was taught that a hybrid is a cross between two species. Examples being a Liger (lion x tiger) or a mule (horse x donkey). There are other contexts in which the term is used. To me a cross between a poodle and a Golden Retriever is a mutt. Some people may consider them hybrids because they are intentionally bred for certain characteristics. I guess it just depends on the context of the conversation.

Yes, in other areas, what you say is very true. The term hybrid is also used when crossing various strains of plants, when technically, such a cross isn't between species either.

In the chicken world, these various breeds are NOT species, but breeds or varieties within those breeds and so the nomenclature is tweaked a bit. The poultry commercial genetics and development groups, large businesses, basically applied the term and it has stuck. In poultry, an intentional, purposeful cross of varieties is called a hybrid and that's fine. The dog world may have its own use of terms that may or may not apply. Each field uses its own unique terms and applies them within that community of interest.

Terms only have meaning if they are commonly held and commonly agreed upon and useful to communicate.
 
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And, I might add... to the AVERAGE back yard chicken keeper, it becomes a moot point. Often when I ask a chicken keeper what kind of chickens they have, the response is: I have some red ones and some white ones. There are so many reasons why people keep chickens, and there is so very much room for varying interest levels and pursuit of education. I am thankful for the folks who diligently work to perfect the SOP with the many varieties of eye candy in the chicken world. I am also enamored with the possibilities presented by keeping a mixed flock and breeding to provide the perfect bird for the individual's climate and conditions through selection of the most hearty and best layers. My one hybrid produced from a local BYC egg is a RIR x PBR, resulting in a BSL. She's a beautiful little girl with black feathers that absolutely glow, and over all, she is my best layer. (hybrid vigor?) Will she quit early, and die early? Time will tell.
 
Thanks everyone for the info, I sure needed it. I was always confused about it. Anyway, I am going too TRY to make a turkey HYBRID, for a few reasons, 1, I have never heard of one lol (but they probably exists), 2, I want too try to make a more egg prolific turkey, ( I know that they only lay eggs when they are trying too have a clutch of poults but, I'm just going too TRY like I said) Even though Turkeys aren't the best egg layers in the world lol. But since the father is a Royal Palm ( I heard they lay the most of any turkey breed ), they will lay more then just 40 eggs a years. 3, I just love bourbon Red and Royal Palms, I think there so beautiful, so I thought the offspring might make a pretty ornamental bird. 4, I love the broodiness and mothering abilities of Bourbon red hens, and am hoping, just hoping that that gene will stay strong in their offspring. 5, Just too create something that hasn't been known of, and since there are not nearly as many turkey breeds as chickens. I also want to do some experimenting with chickens. I am planing on a polish/Phoenix blend, (2 of my favorite types of chickens lol). So I'm going too breed a silver phoenix hen, too a buff laced polish Rooster. any thoughts?


P.S. If i go threw with the turkey breeding thing, What should I name the strain? I was thinking maybe "Royal Reds" lol.
 
If you want to have fun crossing turkey breeds to experiment with feather color genetics you really need to check out Porter's. They have the largest selection of rare breeds I know of. They also have a page on turkey color genetics

http://www.porterturkeys.com/feathercolorgenetics.htm

For chicken color genetics there's the chicken calculator

http://kippenjungle.nl/kruising.html

Of course that just covers feather color. Crests, skin color, comb type, extra toes, etc are not included.
 
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Hope that goes well, my bourbons are racist and only like bourbons. My bronze turkeys wanted to be everyone's friend. Show us pictures of the results, I'd bet the coloring would be interesting too.
 
Hope that goes well, my bourbons are racist and only like bourbons. My bronze turkeys wanted to be everyone's friend. Show us pictures of the results, I'd bet the coloring would be interesting too.
I will definitely post some pics of the results.
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