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

[Appalachian homestead]

We pasture about 500 broilers every year and process them ourselves. Part of the processing is removing wing claws. I think all of my layers have them. I just assumed all chickens have them.

 

[Appalachian homestead]

Most of the claws are hidden until the bird is plucked. Rarely do you notice them on a live bird, although one of my hens has claws that sometimes poke out through her feathers

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

I think many chickens have them, but its often a trait associated with oriental gamefowl. Many of our meat breeds were developed by crossing in orientals a century or so ago.

 

[Appalachian homestead]

I think many chickens have them, but its often a trait associated with oriental gamefowl. Many of our meat breeds were developed by crossing in orientals a century or so ago.

That might explain why all the Cornish cross broilers have them. Probably from the Cornish side of their gene pool.

 

[MrsEarthern]

I was thinking I had read they were more common in meat breeds than straight layers, but wasn't sure I hadn't mixed it up. Thanks for the info, Bullfrog!

 

[Molpet]

That might explain why all the Cornish cross broilers have them. Probably from the Cornish side of their gene pool.

Might be the hatchery they come from. I had a few CX from townline hatchery I bought at Big r. I skinned them and didn't see any wing claws, one I kept for breeding. Most of my flock is out of her, and I haven't seen any wing claws in the cockerels I harvested.

 

[Mugwumpgame]

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Updated pics of Indo. I have a picture of him up in the 2023 Calendar contest. He's still got a lot of maturing to do and yet he already impresses me.

As to the Liege project, I've let Indo breed back to his Liege mother and aunt and I have 22 eggs from those pairing set in the incubator. Although he's still just a bull stag, they're fully mature hens at or near 2 years old. I'm hoping for several healthy chicks that will do well, where the initial crossing of Aseel to Liege only netted me 2 adult birds out of nearly 2 dozen chicks produced.

The large Cracker project is advancing more slowly. The Cracker x "Blueface" stag is doing well free range. I have several Cracker x Blueface chicks coming up from Hei Hei and the second Blueface hen, where the stag is of Number 1 and the blue-egg-laying "Blueface" hen. I do find it interesting, coincidence or not, that the hen that lays the blue eggs actually has a blue face and she had imparted that to the stag. Not a good pic of the stag, his feathers are blowing in the wind. But it shows the blueish tint his face has.

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I did lose one of the Cracker x American cross chicks to a snake this past week:

God! Indo is a beauty

 

[Mugwumpgame]

Indo looks great! He is getting his spurs in too.

He definitely is a beautiful stag

 

[cluckmecoop7]

God! Indo is a beauty

You don’t have to use God’s name in vain.

 

[Mugwumpgame]

You don’t have to use God’s name in vain.

Really!