Achieving that feral look

[rjohns39]

Hi and welcome to BYC We're so happy you've decided to join us

 

[cmom]

There is a thread with charts with different crosses. You will find a lot of good information here Good luck with your plans and have fun...

 

[Kandypeeps05]

Not really flukes. They do breed true to type but may be missing characteristics like the RJF eclipse plumage.

The hens have a particular almost camouflaged look. Neither roosters nor hens are as large or heavy-bodied as modern standard size breeds.

What breeds of birds usually make those tho?

 

[007Sean]

Howdy Welcome to Backyard Chickens. Enjoy your time here!

 

[NatJ]

Hey I just joined the group and I’m really interested in red junglefowl and feral chickens. I don’t have chickens yet but once I get the facilit I’d love to have some friendly chickens with that vibrant popping color. I’ve seen breeds like brown leghorns and welsummers and they just don’t have that blue factor that birds like American games/OEGBs almost have…? How would you be able to breed a bird with more color in the black breasted red gene to make it pop more?

You could start by getting some Brown Leghorns, and some Welsummers, and seeing how they look in person. The blue or green sheen shows up in sunlight, especially when you look from the right angle, but if someone takes a photo on a cloudy day or inside their barn the irridescence does not appear. So the difference might be partly in how the photos are taken, and not all in the actual feathers of the chickens.

Some hatcheries also sell "Red Jungle Fowl" that are not really wild birds (they act mostly like domestic chickens, but they mostly have the Jungle Fowl appearance.) You could try some of those.

If you just like irridescence in feathers, but will accept other color patterns, you might consider black chickens (some of them really shine!) I once had a Dark Cornish hen with gorgeous irridescent feathers on her back, but I don't know whether that was a normal trait for her breed or not.

If you are willing to eat some chickens you raise, you could buy a few each of many kinds of chickens, then keep the ones you like best and eat the rest. (You could also sell or otherwise rehome the disappointing ones. I mentioned eating because that's my personal preference-- I prefer to eat chickens I raised, rather than chickens I buy at the store.)

Edit to add: Old English Game Bantams also come in Black Breasted Red, and they tend to be friendly with people. Despite the name, they are not really "game" chickens (their ancestors were used for cockfighting, but the current bantams do not act that way.) They are a little smaller than real Jungle Fowl would be, and they fly quite well.