American Gamefowl

[varidgerunner]

That's kind of what I have been thinking about. Humanity issues aside, is there anything wrong with just letting them do that and keeping the ones who come out on top of the totem pole? I do know what I am in for if I do this. But, they have to go one way or another

Without penning, you will end up with nervous, flighty birds that look like gamefowl but act more like leghorns. Two stags lock in battle, nervous nellie runs and hides under a bush, a fox eats the maimed survivor, and nervous nellie ends up being your brood rooster. Repeat this for several generations and next thing you know you have lost all of the qualities that make gamefowl gamefowl.

When to pen comes down to experience with a line of fowl. Sometimes it is good if you have an older bird that is a dud, not game, but almost game, on the yard when the chicks hatch. They will grow up thinking he is the boss, he will break up fights before they get too serious, and he will buy you more time. Just be careful not to keep anything out of him, as he will breed every loose hen on the yard.

 

[SOHC-FTW]

I’ve read that sorta statement many times, and I understand it and agree with it....

...but we were given gamefowl pullets/hens when I was a kid that were allowed to run loose and mix with our barnyard rooster... these came from a gamefowl man of some reputation that kept his own line for 50 years or so... I always assumed these were his culls? He probably had 300+ birds or so at that time...

So now I wonder, does the “though shalt not give away duds” rule apply to only males, or does it apply to females too?

Or were those we were given just extras but not truly culls? ...

... or maybe Mr. Archie just knew us and knew we weren’t ever going to pass them off as gamefowl (I barely understood what they were at the time)... I guess there’s no way to know for sure these days, just curious.

I wouldn't give away anything I wouldn't keep if I had extras I may give a few away to honest folk but if they were here I think highly of them. I can not speak for others.

 

[SOHC-FTW]

I have plenty of Havoc/Mac mug pullets but I wouldn't give them to just anyone only someone I trusted.

 

[roosterhavoc]

I’ve read that sorta statement many times, and I understand it and agree with it....

...but we were given gamefowl pullets/hens when I was a kid that were allowed to run loose and mix with our barnyard rooster... these came from a gamefowl man of some reputation that kept his own line for 50 years or so... I always assumed these were his culls? He probably had 300+ birds or so at that time...

So now I wonder, does the “though shalt not give away duds” rule apply to only males, or does it apply to females too?

Or were those we were given just extras but not truly culls? ...

... or maybe Mr. Archie just knew us and knew we weren’t ever going to pass them off as gamefowl (I barely understood what they were at the time)... I guess there’s no way to know for sure these days, just curious.

At the time I’d say they were just extras he didn’t need at the time.

 

[ShannonR]

Without penning, you will end up with nervous, flighty birds that look like gamefowl but act more like leghorns. Two stags lock in battle, nervous nellie runs and hides under a bush, a fox eats the maimed survivor, and nervous nellie ends up being your brood rooster. Repeat this for several generations and next thing you know you have lost all of the qualities that make gamefowl gamefowl.

When to pen comes down to experience with a line of fowl. Sometimes it is good if you have an older bird that is a dud, not game, but almost game, on the yard when the chicks hatch. They will grow up thinking he is the boss, he will break up fights before they get too serious, and he will buy you more time. Just be careful not to keep anything out of him, as he will breed every loose hen on the yard.

This was extremely helpful!!! Thank you for breaking it down and explaining why I need to pen the ones I want to keep. I've already been thinking that I'm going to be eating a lot of chicken dinners in the near future. Which is fine, because I'm low on chicken meat.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Oh boy I see the other gamefowl thread has totally lost its followers now.

 

[ShannonR]

Watch for leg speed on hens I was told this by a man with 50years on his fowl and still going strong it'll carry over to the sons. Another thing I like to watch for is will that does not exactly mean they are the meanest birds, but not one that's gonna let another run over them regardless of it's "ranking". If you got birds on cords you can watch and learn from hens that way as well. With how I do it I've got way more time in watching pullets than stags till they grow out that is usually the gut and eyes are a good base to start with don't breed anything you aren't confident in and always single mate especially if it's new blood but just get into the practice of it anyhow it's easier to track down those who produce studs or duds.

Thank you, leg speed is something I never thought of before. There are a few pullets I already do not want to keep, simply based on their size and scrawniness. I do have a few hens who reproduce far more prolifically than the others that I noticed. I'll keep watching to see who I want to pen up. I kinda like the white spangled pullet.

 

[SOHC-FTW]

 

[hillbilly91]

Without penning, you will end up with nervous, flighty birds that look like gamefowl but act more like leghorns. Two stags lock in battle, nervous nellie runs and hides under a bush, a fox eats the maimed survivor, and nervous nellie ends up being your brood rooster. Repeat this for several generations and next thing you know you have lost all of the qualities that make gamefowl gamefowl.

When to pen comes down to experience with a line of fowl. Sometimes it is good if you have an older bird that is a dud, not game, but almost game, on the yard when the chicks hatch. They will grow up thinking he is the boss, he will break up fights before they get too serious, and he will buy you more time. Just be careful not to keep anything out of him, as he will breed every loose hen on the yard.

I would never be able to let a non game rooster run my yard or be on my yard for any matter. This sounds like complete crap. I've have a ee rooster that we can't even let free range with his hens because of pen fights with game roosters. That would be to much risk

 

[JShubin]