constructing a single chicken family unit for porch

[centrarchid]

Following images of chicks at about time of weening. First pair of images of pure Ammerican game (Sallie's) and second of red jungle fowl x American game. Latter about 10 days older. Note differences in tail feathering. Young red jungle fowl can fly better but their feathering is more prone mechanical damage when birds in confinement. Damaged can be a lot worse that slower growing in respect to escape flights.


Appearance of chicks nearing end of time hen clucks.

Appearance and immediately following time when hen stops clucking.

From this time forward terminology for weaned will be juvenile while tended with down on head will still be chick.

 

[centrarchid]

Had a bit of a scare today. Sallie was staying near house for bulk of day with only one bittie. She is very near point where clucking will stop and she is taking on the boxy look associated with preparing for another breeding effort. Five bitties were missing and I was unable to locate them even with Scoob's help. No evidence of massacre of five bitties missing suggested a fox or coyote gave a visit. I invested most of search in areas serving as day roosts for front porch flock. Day roost 1 in front yard most frequented by red jungle hen and her chicks while day roost one by Sallie and her bitties. Distance between day roost roughly 75 yards. Eduardo moves back and forth between them during day. When 1st spotted Sallie at 1500, she and chick were loafing in shade of house between day roosts 1 and 2. I spent a good two hours trying to find the other five chicks. Sallie did not appear distraught as typical when predator takes a chick or otherwise threatens flock. At 1800 Sallie went to area marked in yellow and collected five chicks and led them to day roost 1 where front porch flock reunited and began end of day foraging. Problem not all over. Sallies bitties were outside of Eduardo's protective umbrella from hawks and at edge of Scooby's defended boarders. Saving grace is day roost in dead center of neighbor's doberman pinchers romp area but she is only out an hour or so each day. Other problem is that is very close to corridor used by local bobcat (purple arrows). That fleabag does take neighbors chickens and geese that are cooped or contained in runs (purple circle and area to its north) to varying degrees. I may have to push Scoob into patrolling neighbors flock to encompass day roost 3 which is between 50 and 75 yards east of day roost 1.

As I setup to place wingbands on Sallie's bitties, I noticed all (n = 6) are female. RJF's bitties all male except for possibly two.

 

[centrarchid]

Yes, Sallie is preparing for breeding effort three of 2011 breeding seaon. She has almost stopped clucking. Just a few minutes ago she solicited a copulation with Eduardo. I have not seen Eduardo copulate with any of the hens since his eclipse molt started unless hen solicited first. Despite the infrequent matings Eduardo still produces the most offspring. It is quality not quantity that gets good hatch with brood hens. Sallie also molting with green feathers coming in. I am going to have to increase her quality ration.



Side note: Normally, our individual game hens on a walk would produce one sometimes two broods in a breeding season. Older more well fed hens would produce on the higher end in respect to number of broods and number of chicks surviving per brood. Sallie is young, by some measure just a pullet, but she seems able and willing to produce brood three. First was almost complete loss at about 5 weeks (only Spud survives) and brood 2 made up of 6 juveniles at about 8 weeks is very likely to survive to maturity. Brood three, if progression typicall, will hatch in about 5 weeks so they will get only tail end of good insect forage and have to contend with increasingly cold nights. Chicks without proper barn will not be able to survive a winter like we just had.

 

[centrarchid]

Sallie has effectively stopped clucking. Her brood has merged with the red jungle hen's brood with the latter taking the leadership role in foraging activities. The largest cockerol in the red jungle hen's brood when isolated from rest gives a contact call that appears intended to bring in balance of juvenile flock to his location.

One of Sallie's female chicks is inclined to stay with Sallie despite no clucking. Behavior similar to that exhibited by Spud.

Eduardo not as inclined to chase young adult cockerols chasing his hens. When hens chased they run straight to Eduardo who very accurately put spurs to horny cockerol which puts stop to ruckus. Eduardo no longer engages in the dramatic 100+ yard chases of other males he did until a month ago. I suspect his molt of flight feathers is putting brake on that level of aggression. He does spend a lot of time pointing out and offering food items to his juvenile offspring, possibly more now than to hens.

 

[centrarchid]

Yesterday evening I pulled into driveway on motorcycle and red jungle fowl hen chased to my parking spot all balled up and clucking. She came off nest looking for food. I have a 1 acre area of scrub she must nesting in. This will be at least breeding effort 3, possibly 4, for her. First and possibly second efforts destroyed by nocturnal predator during early spring when Sallie was on her her first brood. Red jungle hen pretty tough to lay eggs / brood and molt at same time. Sallie does not appear to be laying eggs but rather is still investing in brood two. Her molt is accelerating.

 

[centrarchid]

Broods of red jungle fowl hen and Sallie effectively move about as one. When they split into smaller groups who goes with who not along family lines. Sallies chicks being pure game will be larger and now, even though 10 days younger, are as large or larger than their half siblings. Collectively, Eduardo, Sallie and the combined broods beginning to expand range to be like adults had during winter. They walk down roadway pushing 1/8 mile from front porch. Neighbor has a free ranging group (n~8) of shamoo x Jersey giant made up mostly of young adult roosters. They have a territory that includes northern extreme of range front porch flock occupied last winter. Something caught one of those big birds (> 10 pounds) . Capture occured in same area which is also where I have seen bobcat. Lots of rabbits bringing bobcats in. Scoob keeps bobcat of my patch now out now but does not range with front porch flock when in area fo bobcat. My biggest concern is how Eduardo real react to those young roosters. They are two to three times his size.

 

[centrarchid]

Front porch flock, especially juveniles, appear very sensitive to even low intensity alarms indicating hawk. When Eduardo makes the hawk alarm call,even the one indicating hawk is far away, all the juveniles within the flock bolt for the bushes.

Front door flock with bushes serving as cover when Eduardo gives alarm for hawk. It is also the day roost.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Lovely Pastoral scene..... That little flock is getting pretty large....Hey at what point will the gene pool need to be adjusted. I know its too early for that but at what point will it be necessary to infuse new bloodlines.

 

[centrarchid]

perchie.girl.

I could easily have walked a couple hundred feet to west and photographed a flock of 100+ juvenile through young adult dominques terrorizing the grasshopper population.

We have not infused new blood since late 1970's to early 1980's although I am looking carefully to introduce some potential new blood to be evaluated with test matings before actually folded into overall breeding populartions genetic mix. Other than with problems with novel parasites from a new location, I see no evidence for inbreeding. I have a much larger population / flock that is involved with this project.

To keep in context, the front porch flock is simply a free ranging sub-flock maintained for this observational experiment some distance from the "cockyard". The bulk of my birds and virtually all the genetic variation is in the cockyard or on walks (free-ranging flocks at other discrete locations) where observations of this detail not possibly since I have a day job. The front porch flock of a single rooster and presently two hens could be maintained for possibly 10 years using same adult birds. I will likely retire Eduardo and Sallie following molt to a more secure breeding pen in "cockhouse" . They will be used as teaching tools long after they loose ability to evade Mr. Fox. Cockhouse is located near center of property where dog has greatest defensive effect. Normally 3/4 of the juveniles would be hitting frying pan, virtually all females do, with remaining males kept until 18 months of age for further scruteny. With this bunch, I will pull out stags and pullets, pair them with unrelated (different line games with obvious genetic markers-color patterns that are dominant) culls and attempt to establish other subflocks on a 6 acre pasture / meadow area, with each pair centered on a constructed remote roost. I want to observe dispersal patterns of juveniles between family groups. I think, despite using games for this, discrete territories can be maintained where adult males will avoid direct contact through displays like red jungle fowl do. The males are kind of like male cardinals when squabling over territory boundaries, usually without physical contact.

The offspring of the front porch flock that does not have wing bands will be re-homed to interested parties once I make photographs of combs. Most of those will be red jungle fowl x American game. Red jungle hen will also be let go, this year is only year hybridization risk to be tolerated. I did not intend to be so long winded.

 

[perchie.girl]

centrarchid

Long winded implies more air than info. Therefore you are not being long winded at all. And thank you. Its all very very interesting.