Best Free Range Predator Alert breeds?

[21hens-incharge]

Kansas borders Colorado so I am familiar with the weather there.

Kansas gets deep snow, high winds and below zero temps.
Kansas cannot sustain a feral chicken flock.

Free ranging works in spring, summer and fall but winters are brutal.
Predators are plentiful like birds of prey, coyotes, raccoons, bob cats and domesticated dogs.

I do not recommend attempting a fully feral flock in Kansas.

 

[The Moonshiner]

Missouri also borders Kansas and we have the same weather.
Leghorns are out. They do great with free ranging but mine don't come close to a free range diet only. Maybe with the right set up.
They're also pretty good with surviving predators. I mean as good as a chicken can be.
The going broody and raising chicks is a no go and Kansas winters would be really no close to ideal for them. Even with shelter winter takes some every year.

 

[Cinnamon Roll]

No need to be rude.

Feral chickens and other previously captive birds are a problem in a lot of places. Muscovy ducks in the southeast, feral chickens in Hawaii and Florida, and even parrots in NYC.

 

[Red Mangrove]

Feral chickens and other previously captive birds are a problem in a lot of places. Muscovy ducks in the southeast, feral chickens in Hawaii and Florida, and even parrots in NYC.

Domesticated humans don't have any real problems, so they invent them for entertainment

 

[BGMatt]

Domesticated humans don't have any real problems, so they invent them for entertainment

Not problem for humans but crowding out native wildlife. Not an invention, just facts.

As far as original question of post, the Mediterranean breeds tend to be very, uh, attentive and cautious which leads to them being decent at avoiding predators. Birds may be able to survive on free range only, but they will not thrive, they will not produce well, size and growth will be stunted among other potential health issues.

 

[Red Mangrove]

Birds may be able to survive on free range only, but they will not thrive, they will not produce well, size and growth will be stunted among other potential health issues.

Natural selection

Not problem for humans but crowding out native wildlife. Not an invention, just facts.

The root issue is that the environment has already been decimated by humans. I think chickens in North America are filling an empty ecological niche. Unfortunately we're also missing a million different forms of predators that humans drove to extinction

 

[Amer]

Natural selection

I’d say more like animal mismanagement since we artificially selected them to be dependent on us, therefore we should provide them with what they need. Their genetics were chosen by their domesticators.

 

[Amer]

Instead of adapting the chickens a responsible chicken owner adapts management practices:
I switched to bantams because they have lower feed and space requirements so I can feed and house them adequately. No stunted growth, no loss to predators or cold Wisconsin winters. Many bantam breeds were created in the Great Depression because people still wanted to show poultry but didn’t want to feed large fowl.

 

[BGMatt]

Natural selection

Except chickens aren't naturally selected. Modern diets and modern management practices are what has allowed poultry to be a food source for us. Otherwise well, look at pheasants and gamebirds to get an idea of the smaller sizes and seasonal laying that would result in managing chickens the same way.

 

[Red Mangrove]

I’d say more like animal mismanagement since we artificially selected them to be dependent on us, therefore we should provide them with what they need.

It depends on the breed of course. Chickens range from highly dependent to nearly (or fully) independent. I have no doubt that my Fayoumi could survive regardless of my assistance