Do Chickens Get Married?

[centrarchid]

Why do people have so many problems with roosters and say you need 10 hens per rooster when we pair up broodfowl constantly and have no problems?
Not to go off topic

Three things to my eye appear at play. First, males of production breeds can keep eggs fertile when sex ratio is as high as 10 females per male. Fewer males per hatching egg the better to control cost. Secondly, hatching egg flocks have multiple male reasons for economy of scale. Multple male flocks for males that mate more often and are potentially more aggressive to get that done. They must compete through both mating interference and sperm competition. Thirdly, hatching egg flocks produce more eggs over a longer production season so mating more per per year.

Many breeds also larger than the jungle fowl, and their feather strength may not have scaled up.

 

[centrarchid]

You have no idea how I eat.

I probably should have said "mighty tiny carcass" from a 5 week old bird.
Would love to see them when you get around to it,
both freshly slaughtered and cooked.

I am going to say any other portion size above a "mighty tiny carcass" makes for a fat bastard.

 

[centrarchid]

You have no idea how I eat.

I probably should have said "mighty tiny carcass" from a 5 week old bird.
Would love to see them when you get around to it,
both freshly slaughtered and cooked.

And I will show the pictures.

 

[Trish1974]

Might tiny meal at 5 weeks.

Chicken nuggets! Lol

 

[centrarchid]

No, No, No! Chicken nuggets are barely chicken! It is like calling hot dogs a type of meat.

 

[aart]

And I will show the pictures.

Look forward to it!

 

[centrarchid]

They will look like quail if you need to update prescription on your glasses.

 

[Don 27]

First, describe to me the social groupings you have the chickens in.

I have Three roosters and four hens. The "first" one is top birds recently became that way after a fight with my senior rooster, he will often split the flock and take two hens and his brother with him. His brother in lowest in The pecking order and doesn't get much of a chance to mate . The senior rooster was one of the only survivors from were I originally acquired my birds. He is not closely related to my other birds as the farmer gave him to me after my flock almost died out with only 6 chicks surviving. The hens each have their favorite rooster to hang out with. They free range about 6acres accounting the furthest out I have seen them from their roosting spot. As for nesting spots I have five gallon buckets with holes cut in the lids discreetly placed around the property.

Do you have games? If yes and social grouping is not an issue, then get another strain of games. I am not firm on this yet, but suspect games that retain some capacity for eclipse molt in males are the ones that are capable of going broody.

Yes they are American games with a modest amount of silkie mixed with them. They came from a feral population in a farmers barn. The farmers kids show silkies and some how the silkies cross bred with the feral game chickens.

My birds do loose some of their colouring during the fall if that's what you mean by eclipse molt.

What kids are doing will be contrasted with multiple hen harem setups where rooster invests much less because he is more concerned with just creating more chicks. This is to help my kids learn that parents adjust parental effort as a function of situation.

Correct me if wrong. So you are using your birds as an example to help your kids understand that parents adjust their parenting efforts in different situations. Sounds well thought out.

 

[centrarchid]

I have Three roosters and four hens. The "first" one is top birds recently became that way after a fight with my senior rooster, he will often split the flock and take two hens and his brother with him. His brother in lowest in The pecking order and doesn't get much of a chance to mate . The senior rooster was one of the only survivors from were I originally acquired my birds. He is not closely related to my other birds as the farmer gave him to me after my flock almost died out with only 6 chicks surviving. The hens each have their favorite rooster to hang out with. They free range about 6acres accounting the furthest out I have seen them from their roosting spot. As for nesting spots I have five gallon buckets with holes cut in the lids discreetly placed around the property.




Yes they are American games with a modest amount of silkie mixed with them. They came from a feral population in a farmers barn. The farmers kids show silkies and some how the silkies cross bred with the feral game chickens.

My birds do loose some of their colouring during the fall if that's what you mean by eclipse molt.


Correct me if wrong. So you are using your birds as an example to help your kids understand that parents adjust their parenting efforts in different situations. Sounds well thought out.

I would try to setup so you are operating a rooster as part of a pair. The broody roosters I have shown in the linked thread where kept on separate pieces of ground from other groups. I can get them to form territories that are largely respected for a season. Otherwise keep it simple. I do not know if the genetics of your birds will support broody behavior on part of rooster.

The eclipse molt I see is in summer prior to the fall molt. Males will have most if not all pointy hackle feathers replaced by rounded and often black tipped versions that last only 120 days or so.

 

[Don 27]

All by humans in our household. Fryers.

All males and females not showing a particular color patter. At best 25% will be spared.

What colors do you select for?

I would try to setup so you are operating a rooster as part of a pair. The broody roosters I have shown in the linked thread where kept on separate pieces of ground from other groups. I can get them to form territories that are largely respected for a season. Otherwise keep it simple. I do not know if the genetics of your birds will support broody behavior on part of rooster.

If I decide whether to do this or not will depend on if I can find the right means to do it. Most of my birds sleep in my barn except for one rooster that prefers the trees largely because the other roosters pick on him . He might be the one to separate with a hen and some chicks.

The eclipse molt I see is in summer prior to the fall molt. Males will have most if not all pointy hackle feathers replaced by rounded and often black tipped versions that last only 120 days or so.

I will have to pay more attention this year and see if the hackle feathers change .