dominique can be easy to get especially as chicks, didn't mean to put them in that group if accidentally led anyone to think i ment that or mentioned them in wrong spot.
in order of easy great free ranging deep country folk, these are all common best totally free ranging in no confinment at all and able to actually "freee range" no pens or fences, not hardly fed and not watered: OEG, American game, Americana, most backyard game breeds.., Dominique, heritage rhode island red, leghorn, austrolorp. It actually ranges really cold here but I'm reffering to up north country folk from deep woods ect when lived there. was told you want to cut the wattle and lobes on first freezing night of those with large protrusions (heals better and bleeds and hurts them immensely less than doing in spring ect. game cocks are bred to leghorn hens to increase best qualities of both for one super ranger layer brooder ect, but game blood stronger andyoull eventually have to cross a leghorn cock to your hens to get production back to leghorn wants. most of these birds steady layers for four to eight years on average, maybe laying large ect, but most laying average of med eggs realistically. Pruduction birds are mostly rhode island red breed cocks bred to leghorn breed hens, but seem hatcheries ect have made somehow to only lay great supposed for six months to two years on average, then need to stew cause totally spent. none of all production hybrid types i had did anything in same conditions and as young, under six to eight maybe ten months, as my game with them did in meat eggs and foraging weeds and pests, as games leghorns and bantam ameruacana non complete standard (though most those don't breed true anyway). Oh yes the production nirds are crap at disease resistance as well, and had several diseases they either brought in, wild birds brought in, orwas in soil of area they were in. ill not say all what as cdc would come burn property to ash and salt and lime or whater for various stuff, our govs want weak immune deficient short worth commercial hobbies that's they can control you better through, not disease bred resilient strong stock for long haul (look up movie "earthlings" and other movies like, not PETA terrorist stuff, as hadn't believed until seen happen to neighbors), but the bantam Americana had only one old one die and. not sure how old but she was ancient when got her so maybe unrelated death, but they thrived and ate at carcasses that dogs hadn't finished parts off of, or organs tossed to scovys that chooks took from. rest showed sickneses for day, to week maybe, but kept laying and id lock up with water feed and poultry drench and acv, and since seeming immune (except lead hen who never got sick at all, and allstill 100% fertile and hatches are great even with bator major trouble doing almost and as great egg hatching ect as OEG and American game eggs ect). There would be no getting to vet, or just ordering new stock or having things shipped. the good in most would not come out when then needed most by most unless lucky and they are smart enough to band together you and not just kill you to go get rest of what can from you. you will be cut off possibly and feeding grain maybe to few dozen chooks counting new chicks and hopeful replacement layers and great roo out of to carry genes, maybe all you can keep, keeping larger flocks hidden from hungry animals and people that have run out of food would be great problem with huge dualing dozen/s of roos crowing. my birds are friendly to me but attack or fly off away safely from strangers. i had my bantams in big rabbit cage hidden in apt complex and no one heard them when weren't right by open Windows with someone close, then they didn't believe me there were chickens in there. so concealment maybe an issue too. bows from high ground around property or trenches n ditch/drainage tunnels are great defense areas, but if horde of worst people. group up, as they tend to losers alone that they are, are better avioded notice from or sounding to you to be out numbered and gunned by having huge noisy roosters and guns. When a large chook tooken or killed its a huge loss and more resourses to replace, were a smaller compact meaty birds gets it (hasn't happened except that one yet), youhave two to four or five other hens still alive taking place that'd be same size as large lost bird. smaller birds games and general bantam sizes) are better less impact birds on land (dutch however are exceptions as are very loud and tear everything apart), and harder to catch shoot or track home to you. in about forty below odd nights this winter here, i had alive chooks, frozen eggs, in a all open bottom wire rabbit cage with clear plastic sheeting on top and sides, wood against front and back to block heavy wind. the bantam Americana came out ok and just went about foraging in snow and brush. like no prob, but others in decent coops with bedding ect,had frozen breath on, frostbite all over, and some dead frozen solid to perches, and wouldn't go out to forage and stayed sickly thinning for days till i broke their necks. do i actaully believe in or hope for a sudden apocalypse and i want to show how i can shine through.. no, but its a great concept to show some you need to think about real self reliance and adaptability. I've lived homeless in city and deep back woods country before for two weeks each at time with just clothes on back, tissues, and a pocket knife, and can scrounge up (which is actually a lot, but may suddenly not be events pending). Its all a great fun idea anyway though huh? suppose you could mix leghorn, game and silkie, then really cold resilient layer and forager with built in snowshoes (silkie leghorn crosses known to produce webbed feet). lol. my OEG and AG were great meat birds, layers of med eggs daily, foraged for own food except fed crushed cheapest dog food and dried crushed shells back to for cold weather. they laied and roosted in stacked plastc large dog houses, with cardboard boxes with dried grass in them. I did keep a low watt light on at night so they had bugs attracted and had ability to defend selves and young ect. All my roosters learned to get along fine all being rescues "gamer" roosters even, hens were another story.. lol but brooms broke breaking squables up. the games raised almost all of own young, me having thir houses in pen they could easily come and go from, most hens being feral oddly when caught with collie dogs (a border pitt mix with three legs, and a rough collie later after that),herding and retrieving abilities and tamed easiest as adults that were feral some for years or generations still so much better than hatchery hatchlings, but some who tried at times to steal or confiscate (local cock "gamer" law enforcment even), even in night couldn't catch and one guy when they had chicks was almost spurred to death by syd tayler he (ah clucky you are missed!). lol. most top breeds people needing and some saying about besides Dominique, are all layer game, and maybe meat breed (which are game to game crosses anyway), yes even rhode island red. my game cocks when easily tamed became favefriends of neighbors young children and got carried like dolls daily by one boy (i think he put up with cause boy fed him kitty food, cereal, and spaghettioos or whater), but that roo one day did jump up and kick in the head, hat off, and knock wind out of when hit chest (breaking a toe almost off, and some nails and a lot of skin) when a guy friend of ma walked up and playfully grabbed hard and shook the boy, tearing the man's hat shirt coat some and breaking glasses bad. i had to rehome that roo as law said was dangerous and was just protect his home and flock as he saw boy was ( farmer neighbor snapped that roo up quick that'd be gentle an alarm and attack others for flock and fam, but roo never walked as great and think it had a hairline fracture that hadn't healed right were i couldn't feel, along with to that was just hanging on by piece of skin. had a hen get taken in plain sight one night that her (OEG and an AG, used to both roost out on top of houses. next night the OEG flew back into roost in her spot coveresd in dried blood feathers missing but no wounds just sore tired and cranky. the AG and her then both went into dog house and hadn't perched out at night after that. To me that shows smarts.
