Hybridization produces better gamefowl
After the death of cockfighting in Europe, cockfighting flourished in USA. Then, the American game had been considered the best all-around game fowl breed for sporting with steel weapon. However, a few decades ago, American infused with some Aseel blood appeared. These hybrids fared well in steel weapon competitions in the US. And, to think that the Aseel was not made for steel weapon fighting but for naked heel or taped heel.
Why did the aseel manage to further improve the great American Game?
The main reason, if not the only reason, is genetic diversity or variation in hybridization. It is a case of the whole greater than the sum of its parts. Hybridization may produce a combined effect greater than the sum of their separate effects. Or, in short synergy.
Remember that American game is a breed of gamefowl belonging to the Continental (Bankivoid) class. The Aseel is a breed of gamefowl belonging to the Oriental class (Malayoid). The American Game and the Aseel are entirely two different breeds of gamefowl each belonging to entirely different class from the other. Aseel and American Game are of different types of gamefowl. Those who follow the history and development of the gamefowl acknowledge two main types for classification—the Bankivoid and the Malayoid. The American game belongs to the former and the Aseel to the later.
It is not the case if you mate a roundhead with a kelso. Both roundhead and kelso are just strains of the same breed, the American Game. No matter how you crisscross the different strains of American game, the genetic variation is limited. In fact, in small populations, such as farm level, the gene pool will quickly become stale. Smaller populations are more easily affected by the bad effects of genetic drift. (To undesrtand this things further see lessons on specialization at Advanced Breeding Academy. If not yet a student you may enrol. PM RBS Premium on FB for details.)
When you mate individuals of unlike breeds, there is much difference in their genetic constitutions. When combined, the genetic variation in the offspring is wide. And, those who know science of breeding will tell us that genetic diversity contributes to genetic fitness of a population.
This is also the case when you cross Peruvian Navajero with American Game. The Peruvian is likewise a breed different from the American. It is sort of a mixed class that includes both Oriental and Continental breeds. It is said that the Peruvian Navajero came about by blending several breeds, both Orientals such as Aseel and Shamo and Continentals such as the Spanish, French and Belgian Gamefowl. The Peruvian by itself is already a study on genetic diversity.
Genetic diversity results in the phenomenon “the whole is greater than the sum of its part.” There is a genetic law stating that diversity usually leads to heterosis or hybrid vigor. In non-genetic term it is synergy.
Animal and plant breeders aspire for and take advantage of the effects of genetic diversity to produce better types of animals and plants called hybrids. To achieve more genetic diversity or variation is the the reason for hybridization. Thus, we have heard of hybrids in cattles, hybrids in hogs, hybrids in chickens. Hybridization is the process of producing a plant or animal by crossing two different types of plant and animals. The bigger the difference between the two types involved in the process the more genetic variation is achieved in the new population. Thus, crossing Aseel or Peruvian with American Game results in more diversity compared to crossing a roundhead and a kelso. Aseel or Peruvian crossed with American results in a hybrid. Roundhead crossed with kelso is just line crossing of two strains within the same breed.
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