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

[Lukers]

well where I am we have 5 acres though the chickens mostly stay in a two acre radius of the house they have access to all five but that seems to be their limit at the moment. the main reason there isn't much food is due to our rocky soil and lack of rain the latter I can't change but am considering giving a few spots special attention and planting some grass and stuff to give them a little more to forage.

Gotta love the Arizona Chaparral country. Seems like down in the little gullies and valleys, like I'm in, there's a lot more scrub oak and catclaw, both of which are good cover and the oak drop lots of leaves, which make the perfect home for edible insects and the catclaw drops pods, which are high protein and seem to be fairly palatable for the hens. Haven't seen them eat the little acorns yet though. They'll eat them crushed, just not whole. As for predators, here, and AZOEGB can concur, coopers hawks are awful on pullets and bantams, bobcat, coyote and grey fox are thick as flies on a bull's back, great horned owls are commonplace, and it seems to be a trend of many here to ignore leash laws for dogs (which I've yet to have that issue, but I have neighbors that have) and the feral cats here get huge, and we have a black tomcat that I believe had a role in some missing pullets this spring.

 

[Don 27]

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I’ve divided my terrorfowl lines in two. First line up is my red/wheaten birds with white legs. I may also add the wheaten Liege mother to this group (not pictured).


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The second line is my black and blue line. I forgot to take pics of most of the pullets, but there are some good looking pullets in the group.

Between the two stags, the red stag has been the healthier on free-range. He maintained a lot more bulk than the blue stag without having to be fed cat food. Nonetheless, I’ll grow both out.

I also have two free-range stags that have stayed healthy on free range. They’re lanky but their breasts retain enough meat so as to not be emaciated.



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Its been awhile since I have updated myself on this project. Your birds are looking amazing though!!! I have found that as long as I supplement their diet the bigger birds have a bit higher survival rate against predators compared to their smaller peers. despite having less jumping and flight ability's. This is at least my experience in Ohio. The only con is they require more feed supplementation then the smaller birds. During the summer anyway the smaller birds get most of their diet from free ranging.

 

[Lukers]

Its been awhile since I have updated myself on this project. Your birds are looking amazing though!!! I have found that as long as I supplement their diet the bigger birds have a bit higher survival rate against predators compared to their smaller peers. despite having less jumping and flight ability's. This is at least my experience in Ohio. The only con is they require more feed supplementation then the smaller birds. During the summer anyway the smaller birds get most of their diet from free ranging.

Wonder if you'll end up getting something like the wild turkey or sage grouse affect, where a bird from otherwise small heritage gets bigger due to predator pressure so long as food is available. wouldn't that be something, a chicken the size of a small wild turkey or average sage grouse that could still fly and survive. What's your biggest predator pressure, I'm guessing owls or maybe coons or hawks.

 

[AGeese]

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I’ve divided my terrorfowl lines in two. First line up is my red/wheaten birds with white legs. I may also add the wheaten Liege mother to this group (not pictured).


View attachment 3963331View attachment 3963329

The second line is my black and blue line. I forgot to take pics of most of the pullets, but there are some good looking pullets in the group.

Between the two stags, the red stag has been the healthier on free-range. He maintained a lot more bulk than the blue stag without having to be fed cat food. Nonetheless, I’ll grow both out.

I also have two free-range stags that have stayed healthy on free range. They’re lanky but their breasts retain enough meat so as to not be emaciated.



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Ooooh I'm behind on this! Real Beasts there!

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

Any updates?

 

[Don 27]

Wonder if you'll end up getting something like the wild turkey or sage grouse affect, where a bird from otherwise small heritage gets bigger due to predator pressure so long as food is available. wouldn't that be something, a chicken the size of a small wild turkey or average sage grouse that could still fly and survive. What's your biggest predator pressure, I'm guessing owls or maybe coons or hawks.

I know, that's actually what I was interested in too. Its very interesting to follow along to see how they naturally develop. Yes though, mostly hawks, and sometimes fox. this time of year most of them sleep in the shed at night, which I lock and then open up in the morning.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Any updates?

I kept 3 stags off of Sherman. Also kept a few pullets. I have Sherman over the Liege making more. One red stag is cooped with 2 of his sisters. The other red stag and the blue stag are on free range. The big grey stag is dominant on free range. He seems to have a bond with the red brother, who submits to him. The penned red stag is my best.

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

Is yhe blue bird you posted Sherman?

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

No, none of those are Sherman. Those are all his sons.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

This is Sherman.