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

[Bigtom Turkey]

Can you tell a difference in his crow compared with you other stags.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Can you tell a difference in his crow compared with you other stags.

Shorter and clearer. Will be deep when he matures.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

Good.

 

[Gigachad poultry]

I'm creating this thread as a journal for a breeding project I've been planning for some time. I would like to take my small junglefowl hybrids that I've been raising for the last year and a half and increase their size and attitude substantially. They've already proven themselves to be great survivors in the predator-dense Florida woods. But they're very small and their practical use for meat and eggs is limited. Not totally non-existant, but not ideal. I'd like to have a larger version that's three times the size and has some more anti-predator fire. A bird that can respond to a predator in other ways besides simply being agile and avoiding being caught. To some degree, this bird already exists in the American gamefowl (albeit not as large as I'm imagining). But I want to utilize my junglefowl which have proven their hardiness. I've been compiling genetic materials over the past year and refining my junglefowl. Here's where' I'm starting:

1. My junglefowl hybrids. Their info is located in this thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...ngle-fowl-in-the-american-deep-south.1309995/

Here is my chosen bullstag to sire my F1s:

View attachment 2380952

I have many junglefowl hybrid stags, but this one is my favorite that has survived two major rounds of culling. He has an athletic build and good feathering and so far I like his attitude. Human aggression was a problem in my first generation birds that I've seemed to have purged from the next generation. Of course only further generations will tell for sure. I call this bullstag "Number 1" because of a picture in which I labeled him "1" of several stags.

2. The Liege. I obtained 3 quality Liege pullets just recently. Originally I was going to avoid using the Liege in my project, but I've been so impressed with them I think they'll suit my purposes fine for my F1s. I actually wasn't expecting to find Liege on a farm near me, but low and behold I was surprised. Big thanks to hydlemour and Didby57. I don't yet have good pictures of the pullets, but this afternoon I took a quick video of one of the pullets right after a rainstorm in the breeding coop I'm going to keep them with until I get a hatch from them and Number 1.

I want to see how much of the JF traits will pass on to the F1s. So far the JF traits seem to dominate anything I cross them to, including leghorns, Wyandottes, and OEGB. The Wyandotte cross I have running around is the first one I've produced that involved breeding the JF to something other than a straight comb. I presume that I'm going to lose the straight comb on these F1s, but I suppose that also depends on what is floating around in the background of the Liege.

I have aseel on my farm I'm keeping in my back pocket in case I need to breed more fire into them, but I also understand that may introduce a whole slew of other traits I may not want. My brother is going to undertake a project crossing aseel to both Liege and the JF, so we'll compare notes on our F1s to see what we like best. My original plan was to use the aseel for my F1s to the JF, but my choosen strain of aseel isn't showing the size I want. I'm guessing the aseel I have are going to top out around 5lbs at the most. I also have access to some straight Americans if I decide the next gen needs them.

I'm thinking to get the look somewhat close to what I want, its going to take junglefowl x Liege, then Junglefowl x F1. I should get some straight combs on the next gen. It will depend on how much size will be sacrificed on the next gen of crosses. Of course, if I like the F1s right off the bat, I'll formulate a plan to lock the traits in.

I'd love for my final bird to look mostly like my JF hybrids just much bigger. But I also want a functional bird first and foremost so selection for appearance is secondary. A definite must is for my final bird to be able to launch itself high up into a tree to roost. I basically want the final bird to do anything a wild turkey can. I have a few JF stags with abnormally large wings I may have to cross in. I can see a definite difference in vertical take off between the birds with very large wings and those with normal wings. All of them can fly up to roost fine but the big winged birds can shoot straight up into a large pine to the branches of their choosing in the first flight. That's going to take bigger wings on the Liege and also shaving a few pounds off.

This is really cool, I'm also creating my own breed, it's a mix of French Cuckoo Maran & Light Sussex. I call it the Darcy Giant a dual purpose breed that will hopefully lay some huge eggs and be really good for meat so extra roosters can be used for meat, this is Darcy the reason for the breed name. I will absolutely be following along!

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

Any updates @Florida Bullfrog?

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Any updates @Florida Bullfrog?

No significant updates. The surviving terrorfowl are still growing out. There hasn't been any losses in several weeks. I've been preparing the woods paddock for them, but it's taking time removing the varmints that got trapped behind the electric net. There's at least one more coon and possum left. I haven't had time to hunt them and I've had no luck trapping them. Once the varmints are gone, I will be turning loose Indo and all the terrorfowl into that half acre area. I am also going to upgrade the fence charger. The solar charger on it now is intended for less fence than I have it on. I'm going to get the strongest solar charger I can so as to give the chickens a good zap if they touch it. Right now the charge is light enough that their feathers insulate them.

I can only add that I'm strongly thinking about culling off Azog. He's leveled out smaller than I hoped. Although he seems to be a good free range rooster. Sherman is now noticeably larger than he is both in height and bulk, and Sherman has a long way to go. I am going to let Azog finish his molt and evaluate him then. If he keeps a short tail, that will be it for him. Although tail fullness is a superficial trait, I want the terrrorfowl to have long tails to distinguish them from other orientals.

 

[Molpet]

I've had no luck trapping them.

I have had good luck with mini marshmallows in a dog proof

 

[Appalachian homestead]

Is there any chance the coon and possum could've climbed a tree and gotten out through the treetops ?

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Is there any chance the coon and possum could've climbed a tree and gotten out through the treetops ?

Its possible but I think its more likely they came in when a large limb fell on the fence. It happened on the far end of the paddock and I didn’t find it for some time, having no chickens down there at that point and not regularly checking the fence.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

Although tail fullness is a superficial trait, I want the terrrorfowl to have long tails to distinguish them from other orientals.

I also breed for tail length. Males should have a tail that is at least as long as their body. Often longer.