crossing red jungle fowl into American games

[centrarchid]

I have been observing my red jungle fowl chicks. They can seem to enjoy flying. They would do more if dominiques where not so heavy in butt and unable to follow. Problem with red jungle fowl is their flightiness. I have not had success with training them enough to handle when taken to locations away from yard. I am thinking about crossing them into my American games to see if I can get better flight capability in a line that is readily trainable.

Has anyone made such a cross?

 

[DTchickens]

Had it happen by accident, and don't suggest it unless you like red junglefowl and just want to make them bigger. The resulting offspring will be the size of American games, or slightly smaller. And even bred back to games about 7/8th they have the junglefowl personality completely..

-Daniel

 

[centrarchid]

No reduction in flightiness? Did you make effort to select or simply take what had and bred back into game? Any calming down would help my needs.

 

[DTchickens]

Quote:
No reduction in flightiness. The birds bred naturally, as what I mean by accident was I had two hens (maybe three) running the yard, they bred with my American gamecocks on tie, as did their offspring. Down to about 7/8th give or take.. They may of even gotten crazier honestly. I ended up culling them as I was able to catch them, which was only one or two birds. The rest had to use a rifle. And it might would be easy to say "Perhaps it was the line of American games you used." but I like my birds gentle as can be, so most if not all the lines were never or hardly ever flighty at all.

-Daniel[

Edit: Most lines have a good flight capability anyway, why do you need jungles?

 

[centrarchid]

Quote:
No reduction in flightiness. The birds bred naturally, as what I mean by accident was I had two hens (maybe three) running the yard, they bred with my American gamecocks on tie, as did their offspring. Down to about 7/8th give or take.. They may of even gotten crazier honestly. I ended up culling them as I was able to catch them, which was only one or two birds. The rest had to use a rifle. And it might would be easy to say "Perhaps it was the line of American games you used." but I like my birds gentle as can be, so most if not all the lines were never or hardly ever flighty at all.

-Daniel[

Edit: Most lines have a good flight capability anyway, why do you need jungles?

My game line on upper end of what I think games are capable of in terms of flight. Red jungle fowl raised along side seem to fly a great deal more without having to be pushed / flushed. The larger size of my game line may be above optimum as well. Cocks easily six pounds. The crazzies not desired either, got some of that from crossing two unrelated yet calm natured strains. Had to "eat" a couple runs to fix that problem. My game line not flighty at all if handled for more than a week in keep. I am now resorting to start of handling as hand raised chicks. Has not yeilded manfighters as I thought would happen. Would like to initiate handling upon hatch with chicks still brooded by hen. I have had some game hens as kid that would allow me to handle chicks without putting spurs to me. Opens up some experiment options.

Jim