Self Sufficient Breeding vs. Dual Purpose Breeding

[Bigtom Turkey]

I didn't mention that, either.

My birds free range plenty. But I don't expect them to be wild animals - they're not. I feed them because they need food to survive.

I don't feed some of my wilder hens during the summer. They lay every day and and are plump and healthy.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I agree that this topic is about game chickens free ranging, not world views. So lets get back to game birds free ranging.

Your sudden subject change gave me whiplash, lol. But I do agree.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

The same could be said about selective culling projects.

As someone with a selective culling project, I'd be willing to debate the morality of it - in a seperate thread, so as not to litter up this one.

Its far more relevant than the faith of the posters, or a history lesson regarding the founding of this nation and the various faiths involved. Deists are not Christians by any modern understanding of those terms. One's faith is irrelevant to me, but you can comment - and many do - about your faith down in the Social forums.

The Chicken Forums are for comments relevant to chicken keeping. If you propose that "faithful" people (however that term is defined) have healthier chickens, faster growing chickens, more productive chickens, or any other such magical thinking - you are welcome to start a thread asserting that opinion. Don't be surprised if it is challenged vigorously.

 

[3KillerBs]

Those of us who have raised them all our lives, just let our hens we're not breeding run free and fend for themselves.

You haven't answered the question about where you live. Climate and ecology matter.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I didn't think that poster was trying to control what you say, just stating his own intentions to not listen.

So if you want his knowledge, you can choose to leave religion out of this particular discussion.
Or, if you want religion in the discussion, he will choose to stay out of the conversation and he will also choose to not read your posts.

@U_Stormcrow If I have mis-stated your position, please correct me

I didn't think they were responding to me, actually.

I've thick skin, mostly because I have a very low opinion of the opinions of most others.

As my college studies were history, philosophy, religion, and literature after I transfered out of the engineering school, I admit some small temptation to grab a beer, stand on some proverbial hill, and join in the discussion of personal faith - but BYC isn't the place, and I'm trying to pretend at being a good human being. Additionally, I've seen nothing suggesting a worthy adversary (for purposes of debate on that topic) in this thread. I just don't expect it to be more entertaining than repairing my refrigerator.

[I trust that clarifies my views somewhat?]

 

[Christiancowboy]

Here in PA a farmer friend of mine doesn't have to feed his guineas during spring and summer due to content of bugs, etc but has to feed them in the winter. What a fascinating topic though! If you do mix the two reply back how it works out! God Bless!

My post explained perfectly what I've done for years that is self sufficient, and that I'm trying to add a more size to them while maintaining the self sufficiency of the game chickens.
People have doubted that what I'm doing with game chickens for almost 60 isn't so. That's calling me a liar. I really don't care what these City Slicker YouTube Want To Be Homesteaders think. Just because they have chickens, doesn't mean they know everything about All chickens. I just tried to share with them what I've done for years, and how I'm trying to add a little more size, while still maintaining self sufficiency.
Their immaturity shows, in how they doubt anything that they don't know about. They turn what was shared to help them, into a drama show, and even attacking me because of my faith in Christ.

No one called you a liar, we need more info on what exactly you're trying to do, games are one thing but duel purpose likely won't Do well without some supplemented feed. We don't have the same strains of chickens like our grandparents did, ours are more productive, there need more than free range unless you live in the right climate.
p.s Don't name my Christ if you're going to act like an arrogant fool, you can't be insulting then say someone else is stupid then say 'God Bless' sarcastically (Ex 20:7) to make up for your behavior.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Ooooh popcorn thread!
Can it be done? Maybe, I believe @Florida Bullfrog is doing a similar thing his youtube videos are quite informative and entertaining. He has got his hands on some actual feral chicken stock though I believe (I could be mistaken on this point). Is it possible for most people in most places? Probably not. I'm not sure if breeding in modern dual purpose lines would help, they all are giant piggies. My flock are great at free ranging for their food (grass, weeds, bugs, seeds, mice) but they still pig their way through what I feed them and still lay like they just don't care they're supposed to lay eggs. Ok I'm being a little unfair they've just finished their moults and they're not production layers.
If I had 10+ acres of prime forage land managed as an ecosytem and multiple fruit and nut trees maybe they would manage. There are certainly feral populations here (but only from dual purpose stock that's been dumped not actually feral chickens in the true sense). But I doubt they are productive in any way. If you want to shoot chickens for meat as needed then I can see it working. If you want eggs etc in any predictable way then probably not.

 

[Krugerrand]

I've thick skin, mostly because I have a very low opinion of the opinions of most others.

I love it!

I like to say that everybody is entitled to their own opinions, even if they're wrong.

 

[Christiancowboy]

Why would I even want to reply to you, since you basically said you doubt that I'm doing what I'm doing, and what I've done for years? Don't call someone a liar and then ask how. Since, you obviously know it all, there's nothing for me to educate you about.

You haven't answered the question about where you live. Climate and ecology matter.

 

[3KillerBs]

That's calling me a liar.

Asking you where you live -- a question you're peculiarly reluctant to answer -- is not calling you a liar.

I live in the North Carolina Sandhills -- a very mild climate where having 2 snowfalls of 3" each made it a remarkably snowy winter. But I couldn't do such a thing *UNLESS* I lived on a diversified small farm where my chickens were feeding on what the other animals wasted because the Sandhills are an "impoverished" ecology -- poor, low-nutrient soil failing to support the normal diversity of plant life you might find in other warm-temperate zones.

In my initial post I asked for information on the factors that make your practice possible -- because if your post excited some newbie with his/her first chickens and they simply turned them out to fend for themselves it wouldn't end well if they lived in this area, in an area with harsh winters, in the desert, etc.