Developing My Own Breed Of Large Gamefowl For Free Range Survival (Junglefowl x Liege)

[Bigtom Turkey]

He looks really nice.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Do the liege / aseel get higher percentage of their diet from foraging than American game / cracker? Also how does their egg production compare?

They all have to forage the same, except when I coop them for controlled breeding and collecting. When on free range the entire flock of about 50 gets a few handfuls of scratch and crumbles or pellets at daylight. They forage for the rest all day.

The pure-Liege, half-Liege, pure-Crackers, and half-Crackers all all good foragers. The pure Liege will lose some weight when on free-range but not ridiculously so. One hen stays more bulky than the other. The half-Liege pullet, Indo’s sister, maintains good muscle when free ranging.

The pure Liege are overall poor layers now that they’ve hit maturity. They lay well in season, daily most days of the week. But when they stop they stop. They lay off-white eggs. At one point they started laying brown eggs but then they turned white again.

Indo’s sister lays well. She lays medium-large, brown eggs. She has brooded twice. First brood she lost all of the bitties in the first week. Second brood she only hatched 3 and lost 1. Most were not her genetic bitties both broods. Second time she spent one night on the wrong nest so I think that impacted her hatch rate. She is properly combative as a mother. If she is maturing as slow as Indo is I think she needs another year at least before I judge her. So far crossings between her and Indo produce low fertility.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

For some scale. These 75% Liege are 30 days old. My brother, who has hatched several pure Liege, says they are more or less tracking along the same size as pure Liege for the age.

 

[Appalachian homestead]

Nice! They look heavy boned . I'd think that great unless it reduces their flying ability

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Nice! They look heavy boned . I'd think that great unless it reduces their flying ability

The full Liege can fly and will fly up to roost over my head. I do not know if pure Liege have solid bones like orientals have. Liege seem to be a true blend of bankivoid and malaynoid. I do not know from which side of the family they got their bone density from. I would guess the oriental side.

In proportion to body size the pure Liege have larger wings than the aseel or Indo have. I am hoping to get back to the larger wings and mostly Liege look and build of a pure Liege, with Indo’s and his father’s attitude.

 

[Appalachian homestead]

Either way, their pretty cool looks like they're growing like weeds! That's pretty good size for a month old.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

How tall is indo now?

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

How tall is indo now?

I don’t know. I can say he isn’t near as big as a pure Liege. I’ll try to put a yard stick to him tomorrow.

He is also the slowest maturing rooster I’ve ever seen. I’ll have to check my records but I’m pretty sure he’s approaching 18 months. He acts like the top dog but his spurs are still little things. I’m expecting them to be 2+ inches when grown. It may take him 3 years to reach is potential. The pure Liege grow much faster. I’m also expecting his plumage to really full out after his 18 month molt. Both sides of his family were full and long feathered.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Actually this thread is a good record. Looks like he was hatched March, April or May 2021. I think March for him.