Developing My Own Breed Of Large Gamefowl For Free Range Survival (Junglefowl x Liege)

[All4Eggz]

You've got some gorgeous roos, FB.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

I have a feeling that part of it is the weaker stag just doesn't get access to the best forage areas, the more nutritious food, cleaner water, etc.

I have seen dominant brood cocks bully other stags to the point of keeping them away from any feed or forage that may present itself. Seeing how they are still developing and not fully mature, it makes sense that suddenly being removed from full access to the best available food and water sources would cause them to be stunted. This certainly seems to have the effect of giving them a longer life lease which overall is much more beneficial to the flocks ultimate survival.

This would seem to hinge upon the existence of a very strong mature brood cock keeping every stag in line. I had a bad experience with a weak brood cock from a layer line that let all the young stags get away with mating far too much. This caused the hens to stay cooped up away from food and water access during a very hot Texas heatwave. I realized what was happening as the young cockerels who were not being kept in check would simply guard the multiple water sources and wait for a hen to make her run for a drink. Upon realizing this, I immediately put all the excess cockerels into one coop pen and began culling. It would have been nice to have had a brood cock that actually did his job well enough that I could have had more time to observe and judge the cockerels better before culling them.

By comparison, I once had a brood cock that would never let another stag mate without making sure he took a vicious flogging. With him around I never had to worry about too many cockerels or rush any separations or cullings.

I can’t conclusively refute your point. There are too many variables between free range and a coop to scientifically prove the change is hormones vs access to more food.

I can offer some antidotal observations that leads me to believe its likely hormones related to the pecking order and submission.

1.

This free-range Cracker stag matured beyond this picture and eventually got his eye knocked out by the brood cock. The eye hung by the nerve for a couple of days then withdrew back into the socket. It turned black then healed and best I can tell returned to normal. After it healed, the stag’s feathers turned dark and his waddle and comb shrunk like what happens during an eclipse molt. From that point until the 18 month mark he would roost with the brood cock and otherwise live in submission to him. He would breed hens when he could and would elicit a half-hearted flogging by the brood cock when he did so. The stag lived this way until his 18 month molt. At his 18 month molt he had decent spurs and his plumage came back thick and vibrant. His comb and waddle swelled up. One day after I noticed the change, the brood cock killed him.

Therefore in that instance a stag reversed his masculinity from a state of being more viral to less so after a beatdown.

2. I often slipped the less-mature free range stag extra feed rations because I favor him. He learned to follow me around and when no other chicken was looking I would give him a big handful of feed just for him. I do this with many subordinate stags that I favor. When Indo was coming up under Number 1 I often would
slip him high protein treats in secret. Indo didn’t hit a higher level of maturity until I penned him separate from the brood cock.

Also, my farm is reasonably rich in natural chicken food. I am not sure there are places immediately around the farmyard where a chicken may be relegated to that won’t offer premium nutritional opportunities.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

There is one more observation I have made that leads me to believe that rooster maturity is often driven by the pecking order or hormonal cues; in any given batch or chicks there seems to always be one rooster that matures faster than the rest at a very young age. If that fast maturing chick is removed early-on, it seems another rooster chick will take his place by ramping up his maturity level in short order.

What I am proposing as the driving force behind rooster maturation rate may be another manifestation of the same phenomenon by which a hen will begin to look and behave as a rooster if no rooster is present in the flock.

 

[raingarden]

What I am proposing as the driving force behind rooster maturation rate may be another manifestation of the same phenomenon by which a hen will begin to look and behave as a rooster if no rooster is present in the flock.

I think it is phermones as well, and here's why.

We have small elevated breeding cages just big enough for a pair or trio of birds. Some of the cages are only a few feet away from each other. Birds in adjacent cages are in a look-but-not-touch situation An immature rooster will not mature and start to mate if it is in a cage adjacent to a mature breeding rooster. If the older birds are moved somewhere else the immature rooster will blossum and start to mate in a matter of a few weeks.

Both cages will have been given the same quantity of the same feed.

 

[CrspyChkn]

Your birds are beautiful, for sone reason the app did not let me go through quite a few of the pages. Do you still have indo? I think I am in love. How are all of your birds doing for that matter? Have they reached your standards? If not, how much further do they need to get? If you still have Indo, can you send and updated picture of him please?

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Your birds are beautiful, for sone reason the app did not let me go through quite a few of the pages. Do you still have indo? I think I am in love. How are all of your birds doing for that matter? Have they reached your standards? If not, how much further do they need to get? If you still have Indo, can you send and updated picture of him please?

This pic and the last posted pics of Indo are current as of yesterday.

None of my lines are to my standards yet. I think the improved Crackers will be close to ready next year. The American game bantams will be ready whenever I get a red ear on them.

The dino/terrorbird line had a ways to go. Indo’s wings need to be longer and he needs to be double the size. He matures extremely slow. Slower than any chicken I’ve seen. His personality is good and when his full feathering is in he looks and moved a bit like a theropod dinosaur.

The 3/4 Liege may give me the size I want. They are coming up on being 4 months old. They weathered the salt tree poisoning. I lock them up a day or two at the time then let them out a few days. They seem to be getting better at foraging.

 

[CrspyChkn]

Thank you for the update! Indo is truly a beautiful bird, he gets prettier and prettier with every picture that I see of him! I am excited to see more of your birds as you continue your project! Youve got some spectacular birds.

 

[troyer]

Indo is coming out of molt. View attachment 3259112View attachment 3259113

Great looking stag!

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Not sure why I have such a weird look on my face.

I acquired this pullet in a trade today. She is gorgeous and huge. I initially penned her with Hei Hei but then I changed my mind and put her with Lanky. Tomorrow I’ll try to get an updated pic to show how much he’s changed.

 

[raingarden]

I acquired this pullet in a trade today. She is gorgeous and huge. I initially penned her with Hei Hei but then I changed my mind and put her with Lanky.

Wow! I learned the other day that's called Black-Breasted Red. Go figure. Never seen one that big though.