Do Chickens Get Married?

[centrarchid]

The color selection is for a line used just for outreach. The line has a suite of mutations that can be compared to another line that is also used to a lesser degree for outreach and has a lot more wildtype look to it. The former line is white toppy with a black tail that without silver allele look similar to a wheaton. The latter line is black-breasted red where hens look like red jungle fowl hens although legs willow rather than slate.

The broody rooster system is much easier to realize if you pen everyone except the rooster and hen you are watching. Otherwise you are going to need to spread the birds out a lot more than you currently are doing.

Back in the 1970's I remember how my great uncle had all the fancy flypens for his pure strain game cocks. He more often than not kept a hen in with each. Late in the season when he stopped collecting hatching eggs some of the hens would rear a brood in the flypen. Those cocks did the broody thing routinely if our line. Cocks representing those outsourced and used to create battle crosses with our hens I do not recall seeing do the same. Those outsourced birds had some oriental in them, but I doubt that would stop the broody potential. Uncle just had no need for late season young from those cocks so did not give hens to hang with.

 

[Don 27]

The broody rooster system is much easier to realize if you pen everyone except the rooster and hen you are watching. Otherwise you are going to need to spread the birds out a lot more than you currently are doing.

Did you ever find if the broody rooster system was derived from the red jungle fowl or is it something that has been developed in domestic conditions?

Back in the 1970's I remember how my great uncle had all the fancy flypens for his pure strain game cocks. He more often than not kept a hen in with each. Late in the season when he stopped collecting hatching eggs some of the hens would rear a brood in the flypen. Those cocks did the broody thing routinely if our line. Cocks representing those outsourced and used to create battle crosses with our hens I do not recall seeing do the same. Those outsourced birds had some oriental in them, but I doubt that would stop the broody potential. Uncle just had no need for late season young from those cocks so did not give hens to hang with.

Interesting , depending on what stock my birds are from they might have the potential to have a broody rooster. maybe just never had the chance to go broody. To update you this morning all hens have started a clutch and one hen has began to sit .

 

[centrarchid]

Did you ever find if the broody rooster system was derived from the red jungle fowl or is it something that has been developed in domestic conditions?

I cannot find any scientific article that addresses. I vaguely recall an account on Grey / Sonnerat's Jungle fowl where male roosted with juveniles. Cannot find that now. Behavior described not as intense as the games I have watched.

 

[centrarchid]

Love Heart is now up to 8 eggs in her clutch. For game hens, those are big eggs pushing the size of large egg purchased at the store. I bet she will commence brooding any day now. She is investing more in size than in numbers. Should make chicks during first few days a little tougher when it comes to cold.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Fascinating, thanks @centrarchid.

 

[centrarchid]

You see my daughter check nest twice daily reporting egg counts.

 

[Don 27]

Just curious, was your place agriculture field \pasture when you moved in? The only reason why I ask is because the age of the trees and brush looks very similar to what has become of my grandpas farm.

 

[centrarchid]

It used to be poorly managed pasture on high clay content loess soil that historically supported a prairies savanna type community. For about a decade before we purchased it the ground was cut for low quality hay or had a brush hog used to keep trees down. Apparently about 20 years ago zebras used to be kept on the ground.

 

[Don 27]

It used to be poorly managed pasture on high clay content loess soil that historically supported a prairies savanna type community. For about a decade before we purchased it the ground was cut for low quality hay or had a brush hog used to keep trees down. Apparently about 20 years ago zebras used to be kept on the ground.

wow that's amazing. 20 years ago is right around the time grandpas farm was abandoned. I have recently brush hoged my field and it was really hard on the mower I'm going to try and see if it cheered any pins .

 

[centrarchid]

Incubation has begun with Love Heart going broody yesterday, Trace now roosting alone.