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

[Appalachian homestead]

Are you planning to breed Lanky to the 3/4 liege? Or at what point were you thinking to add the cracker / and or American to the liege?

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Are you planning to breed Lanky to the 3/4 liege? Or at what point were you thinking to add the cracker / and or American to the liege?

I went through a change of plans about a quarter or half way through the project. When I ended up with two different oriental type lines and two different bankivoid lines I decided I wanted to keep the two groups separate. So I temporarily abandoned my plans to cross the Liege to the Crackers and instead set up the breeding plans as they are unfolding now: Cracker x American and Liege x Aseel. Those are the only two lines I’m keeping very deliberate control of.

That being said, I already have several Cracker x Liege, Indo x Cracker, and Cracker/Indo x layers crosses running around. I’m not reporting on them because I’m letting them mix up and run the free range gauntlet. When the survivors shake out may only be able to ID a few of them in terms of knowing what exact mix they are. I’m letting these be the actual birds I live off of and be barnyard mixes.

My brother, on the other hand, is meticulously breeding 50% Liege, 25% aseel, 25% Cracker, and also a few that are 50% Cracker and 25% the other two. Just as I’m keeping tight control on my two lines he is doing the same with his and we’ll probably end up making deliberate swaps between our lines. We are both seeing that the pure Liege need a lot of genetic help
making fertile eggs and being resilient. We think they’re highly inbred. I think my 75% Liege will do well but I think their next gen need to be fathered by an outside bird like one of my brother’s 50% Liege. At that point it will be the first time Crackers are introduced into the Liege project line.

So in the short term, Lanky (50% N1 Cracker, 50% BF1) will be paired to a choice hen that will be 50% HH Cracker and 50% BF2. Lanky may also be allowed to freely breed the pure Cracker hens. Hei Hei has several half American stags still in the chick stage.

Indo will continue to be rotated on and off of free range to breed random hens and to possibly make more 75% Liege, depending on how these chicks do.

Hei Hei will be rotated on and off free range on the opposite schedule of Indo so they don’t kill each other but Hei Hei’s main purpose at this point is to make as many half-Americans as can be.

I really believe the future of my Crackers is to infuse them with this American blood. They’ll be better off and more useful.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Here’s some barnyard mixes. I have around 12 of these little ones on free range that have survived thus far:

Indo to Wyandotte.

Rear: Indo to unknown. Front: Hei Hei to unknown.

Both are N1 to Wyandotte.

Some of my brother’s work:

Aseel x Cracker. I love this bird.

A brooder full of half-Liege, 1/4 Cracker 1/4 aseel.

Liege x Cracker breeding pen.

 

[Demonwolf37]

I’m so glad I happened across this thread! Your Terror Fowl are much like my Gallus Raptor project (far future project) in a manner of regards. “Little” dinosaur birds.

Indo is quite the specimen. I think I’m in love! And wing claws too? After my own heart here.

I’ll be breeding largely for looks, but their viability of a hardy free range-able bird is a top priority for sure. By the time I get started, you’ll likely have a pretty decent line with how prolific Indo is.

I think this thread has also sold me on Leige as well. I may need to get my hands on one or two for my own flock.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

I sent some of the N1 to BF cross eggs to a friend earlier this year before N1 died. He sent me these pics today of one of those stags growing out. Look at that blue face.

 

[Appalachian homestead]

Nice! Thats proof they have at least some of genuine blueface blood.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

Did you get a chance yet to measure indo?

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Did you get a chance yet to measure indo?

I've tried twice and he won't come near a measuring stick. Best I was able to do just now was back him against a post and pick out a nail that he reached when standing next to it. From beak to toe he's around 22 inches. That's with him holding his neck high and alert but keeping his body mostly level. If he picked himself up so that his back was angled up and lot level with the ground he'd be taller.

He strikes me as being on the larger size of an American gamefowl but not huge like a pure Liege. He's going to have the frame-size like a large, old-fashioned, Rhode Island red I think. I'm not going to consider him done growth until his spurs are long and sharp. Right now they're still little nubs with barely a point.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

OK thanks. My Asil Thai stag is 16 and 1/2 weeks and 19 inches relaxed but upright. I just wanted to compare.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Indo’s father, the sonatol aseel off the Wahl farm, was only slightly bigger than a Cracker rooster. Much smaller than I anticipated him being. I am hoping the 3/4 Liege will produce one with the look of Indo but the size of a Liege.