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Your description very similar to one of the game walks (location where breeders allowed to free range) that had multiple outbuildings, each with a resident flock anchored to it. Each flock had a dominant rooster, 1 to 5 hens and their offspring for the year. Flocks had discrete territories usually delineated by fence rows or a thick briar patch. Hens and their chicks stayed tight within their respective flock's home range. Roosters did occasionally attempt, sometimes successfully, matings with hens outside their flocks. As season progressed young of year stags would be ousted from central part of natal flock's territory by father. Such stags then moved about in bachleor groups between territories and would on occasion do the rape thing where multiple stags would chase a given hen or pullet. Adult roosters would try to stop it whenever possible or join in if target from another flock. Under those conditions rooster were observed to interact with their own offspring only. I could see some evidence of fathering by rooster other than territory holder mother was associated with. Genetic markers such as some roosters being greys or red quill made such detections possible.
Your description very similar to one of the game walks (location where breeders allowed to free range) that had multiple outbuildings, each with a resident flock anchored to it. Each flock had a dominant rooster, 1 to 5 hens and their offspring for the year. Flocks had discrete territories usually delineated by fence rows or a thick briar patch. Hens and their chicks stayed tight within their respective flock's home range. Roosters did occasionally attempt, sometimes successfully, matings with hens outside their flocks. As season progressed young of year stags would be ousted from central part of natal flock's territory by father. Such stags then moved about in bachleor groups between territories and would on occasion do the rape thing where multiple stags would chase a given hen or pullet. Adult roosters would try to stop it whenever possible or join in if target from another flock. Under those conditions rooster were observed to interact with their own offspring only. I could see some evidence of fathering by rooster other than territory holder mother was associated with. Genetic markers such as some roosters being greys or red quill made such detections possible.
