When would it be considered a breed?

[wolfy-hound]

I have to point out that if there is another species in the mix, it's still a hybrid. That's one of the reasons that some people oppose hybrid snakes in things like carpet pythons, because after you get a few generations away, you might not be able to tell the mixed from the pure and no matter HOW little the percentage is, it's Not a pure. So no matter if it's 5th generation away from the wild cat, it's still a hybrid, it's just a low percentage hybrid. (like wolf-dog hybrids with the 10% or 50% or 90%... it's still a hybrid).

That said... I understand where they're coming from because they are talking about fixing the breed characteristics... not eliminating the wild genes. So it's a "breed" because the kittens produced will look like 'This and this and that', no matter which two you breed together. That's the "breeding true" part.

With chickens, you may have "throw backs" that continue to pop up in clutches of eggs for up to 10 generations. "Fixing" the breed characteristics can be difficult unless you are ruthless in how you choose your breeders and which animals you cull from the breeding program(not necessarily kill them, just don't use them to breed).

With the "semi-wild" chickens running about in my family's town of Mayport, you generally had a very distinct "look" of chicken. The hens were small, brown with touches of black. The roosters were bright colored, small, black with red hackles and gold saddle hackles. BUT.... you'd see the odd chickens in the same areas, produced by the same hens/roosters. So would they be considered a "breed" if they still produce sports and throwbacks? I myself don't think they are a "breed" although I'd say they are a "type". If I took those chickens and bred them a few more generations, being careful in what makes it into the breeding program and what is eliminated... I could produce a very consistent breed within perhaps 10 generations EVEN though they are a "type" already.

So... after all this rambling(sorry I'm rambling on like a doofus), I would say that you can consider your chickens a new "breed" if they produce NO sports or throwbacks, no matter which of the chickens you put together. I would think that you would need to prove it out by breeding several pairs of those chickens together, mixing which pairs you put together over a couple years to show that ALL the offspring show the correct colors and body shape and behavior. This would include the identical comb type, amount of plumage, colorations, body type(heavy slim long legs short legs leg feathers) right down to the color of the 'ears'.

As far as legally, you'd have to contact one of the chicken breed associations.