American Game Chickens

[centrarchid]

This intended to be a long duration thread concerning ways of keeping this composite breed. Here the birds suffer a range of coops, pens, covered runs, tie-cords and even free-range. Keeping them is generally more costly than typical chickens mostly due combativeness, especially if more than a few are kept. Their behavior is particularly complex and adaptive. The behavior is a big part of what makes them interesting and a challenge to keep. If goes as plans, this thread will be one easily mined for useful approaches for keeping these omnipotent fowl that encompass all of what chickens chickens are. Do pardon the American Dominiques and Missouri Dominiques conducting photobomb runs.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

How is it that you have all those cockerels and roosters together without fighting? Are they tethered?

 

[centrarchid]

How is it that you have all those cockerels and roosters together without fighting? Are they tethered?

First, they were raised together up to about 1 week after photograph was taken. At time of picture they were still stags with most mature birds about a month shy of being bullstags. I base bullstag status on adult feather set completely in with not more still supplied with blood. Their is a rapid behavioral change with that. Coming into courage is term I see most. Most of the time, I repeat most of the time, stags short of being bullstags are civil so long as you have a cock (example there not pictured) to keep the piece. Once bullstag stage reached that approach does not work with mine. If another stag they did not know was introduced, odds are very high a battle royal would ensue which can result in loss of many if not most of the stags pretty quick.

Without a cock you can have problems with chicks even when only five weeks old. Video clip of that load of fun below. If I did not intervene deathloss highly probable.

Chicks shown are with hen about to come back into lay where her behavioral changes set them off. Again, cock, or even a bullstag present prevents those early battle royals.

Another high risk period occurs when the stags are 10 - 12 weeks old. Cock suppresses that too.

The problem is not always restricted to male side. When I outcross lines I have to watch females particularly close as well.

Another trick I learned from someone else is to use another stag that is a few weeks older in same role as cock. Mother of young birds cannot be present or she will hurt him. The stag can also suppress the fighting. I am using that approach regularly now and do not have to worry about differing nutritional needs of juveniles versus cock.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Thank you for the tutorial. I am fascinated by these birds. Over a year ago, a strange looking hen appeared in my back yard. I located her owner, a neighbor who raises game fowl. I was so afraid of that little hen. And she kept escaping her pen and flying over to my house. She'd sleep in the tree above my rooster pen. Then one morning she was gone, and there were feathers scattered over the pen. I assumed she had been killed by a night time predator. Then, my rooster started to crow - and there she was. I felt bad for her so I opened the back gate and she came into my yard. One week later, she was attacked again! This time she was no where to be found, only some feathers. Two days later, a neighbor came over with her. He assumed she was our hen. She had to cross to very large horse corrals to get to his property. My husband said, yup, she's ours. When I saw her I was so happy. However, she was in bad shape. Injuries to her head and back. Also couldn't walk very well. I took her to my vet and now she's my little Riki Tiki. I ended up buying her from my neighbor who raised her, even though he didn't take very good care of her. She is a Whitehackle hen. Such a great bird, so smart she comes to her name, and eats from my hand. She's out everyday with my other hens and she has never flown into the trees or tried to return to my neighbor's place. I guess she knows...she's already home.

 

[centrarchid]

This was my oldest cock until about two months ago. He was eight. They can get to a decade old pretty easy if properly cared for.

This gal photographed as a pullet has a sister that is very similar I used to explore introducing new blood into one of my lines. A good cock from each of the two lines was bred to her this year giving me two broods with at least 6 pullets each to pick through. Looks like two pullets from each will be kept for breeding back to their respective dads next spring.

She was sold to me as a Toppy x Muff. Out of 22 surviving chicks, all are toppy so I am guessing she is a backcross to Toppy side or an F2.

 

[centrarchid]

This stag is showing signs of eclipse molt. Some can get nearly black hackles. Behavior changes big time when this happens.

 

[Chickassan]

You've got some beautiful birds.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

Wow...absolutely beautiful! That hen is stunning. What kind of changes does the cock go through when the hackles change color?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

A big strong vigorous healthy adult cock say 3 years old with long sharp spurs running with the stags and with NO hens or pullets in sight or within hearing, (as this old 1929 tune lamented was breaking up that old gang of mine) will help game roosters or stags to run together longer. Also straight combed stags will get their courage sooner on average than pea headed or pea combed roosters.

here is the tune. Its as true for men as it is for chicken roosters.

 

[centrarchid]

Wow...absolutely beautiful! That hen is stunning. What kind of changes does the cock go through when the hackles change color?

During eclipse molt, males get flighty and tend to show less interest in females. It does not appear to impact male broodiness when it comes into play.