Breeding Aseels

[centrarchid]

 

[centrarchid]

So far the Aseel hen has moved very little with her brood. She also brooded chicks in open. She returned to nest about an hour before dark.

 

[centrarchid]

I think I see another reason for the Aseel's erect posture. It helps them dump hen when minimal airflow. Air gets heated when it comes into contact with hot blood infused skin under wings, then it can go up pulling marginally cooler air up from below to produce movement promoted by the heat the chickens are releasing. They are clearly more heat tolerant than similar sized American Dominique that differ for a variety of reasons.

 

[centrarchid]

My son is now training the Aseel hen and her chicks. She is taking meal from his hand. Will be start of process getting him and a stag he selects ready for 4H next year. He just said "I finally got her to take on out of my hand dad". Some pride there.

Chicks stay bunched up more than the American Games. The chicks have been eating a lot of ants. We likely have an a pound or so of ants per square yard.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

What kind of ants?

 

[centrarchid]

What kind of ants?

Not fire ants. Small, reddish brown, plump and slow moving. Abundant enough to support narrow-mouthed toads and lots of dragon flies (when queens and drones fly). Good source of eats for armadillos too.

They may form super colonies like fire ants do.

 

[centrarchid]

Hatched 3 more Aseel using incubator. The eggs where 2 weeks old at start of run. Three of three.

Hen doing something I have not seen American Games do. Pellets that are too large she crushes systematically for chicks. She crushes even the larger insects where the American Games tear. Video needed to to show.

The Aseel hen also spending a lot more time in a giving area digging. American Games cover more ground instead.

Chicks roaming up to 30 feet from pen housing mom. Hawk bait so will move whole bunch to a different location.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

I offered earthworms to my pair in the brooder. As where they greedily take crickets and meal worms and will hunt them down within the confines of the brooder, they seemed simply puzzled by the worms and never ate them. They watched the worms closely as the worms attempted to either bury or escape. The cockerel finally started picked then up and shaking them but neither attempted to consume them. The worms ended up getting outside the brooder where my free range JFHs were waiting for them and gobbled them up.

 

[sdm111]

Centra you dont think it's too late to be breeding? Or are you trying to get the numbers up?

 

[centrarchid]

Centra you dont think it's too late to be breeding? Or are you trying to get the numbers up?

4H birds for my son next year. 4H for us this year sunk. Will be gifting two pullets to fellow that loaned hen. He is moving and will not be ready for them till fall.