Game birds are mean? Seriously?

[centrarchid]

Becky_H,

I appear to have had a very similar upbringing during same time frame although we also went on trips with birds until entering college. I no longer do such things despite relatives still being active. As a kid our birds (hens and roosters) schooled me many times about handling bitties to a degree non-game birds are incapable. Our roosters did not attack people unless chicks and / or hens were distressed, then a rooster would flog us with same zeal as hen. My grandpa said similar when he saw us complaining about dang rooster or hen that followed us all the way to kitchen door.


I do have a fare number of same stock and they are my research assistants. Hens, one generation from the activity they are bred for, can also with proper upbringing be trained to tolerate a great deal of handling without becoming aggressive. My brother was totally taken aback when he saw me call a hen with chicks that came running and flew up on my shoulder without flogging me. She even allows me to reach down while she is on my shoulder to pickup chicks. Same hen, father of chicks, and the entire brood will be used to train kids about chicken behavior and no flogging of kids expected despite close contact.

Edit to add following photograph of Sallie and bitties just over 2 weeks old. Sallie makes no efffort to flog and puffs only slightly. I can lie down in grass and she will walk over with bitties and brood them while in contact with me.

Same hen reared under different circumstances would flog the snot out of me. Nature and nuture both factors to consider with aggression towards humans / keeper.

 

[rancher hicks]

I recently through a mistake received a Montgomery Blue Traveler (seller says) roo. Today I received a hen in replacement for the mistake of Mr. Crooked Toes.

I know nothing about these breed or gamebirds at all. What am I in for? What should I expect? Should I try to sell them? I am not into fighting even if it was legal in my state.

What do I feed them? Will they get along with my Dels and orps and other LF breeds? Are they flighty and will I have to make sure they are in a covered run?

Thanks Rancher

 

[countrybuffs]

We always had Game chickens when I was a kid. Never fought them, just liked their looks. This is what I know.. If they are free range, they will hide their nests well. When you find a nest do not take all the eggs or the hen will leave and hide a new nest. They are pretty much like any other chicken unless they have chicks, then watch out. The hens will pretty much attack anything to protect their chicks and the rooster will come and help! Our young roosters lived together just fine untill it rained! It seems that when they are wet, they do not recognize each other and they would all start fighting! That was the only problem we had.

 

[centrarchid]

I recently through a mistake received a Montgomery Blue Traveler (seller says) roo. Today I received a hen in replacement for the mistake of Mr. Crooked Toes.

I know nothing about these breed or gamebirds at all. What am I in for? What should I expect? Should I try to sell them? I am not into fighting even if it was legal in my state.

What do I feed them? Will they get along with my Dels and orps and other LF breeds? Are they flighty and will I have to make sure they are in a covered run?

Thanks Rancher

Nutrition wise, they are similar to what is expected for production and ornamental breeds although American games (includes Montgomery Blue Traveler) are exceptional foragers. My preference for rearing is free range with only a portion of intake repressented by store bought feed. Be carefull of allowing chicks having access to scratch, sometimes they are prone to becoming crop bound.

You will not likely be able to sell them for value of a game as when sold by a reputable breeder.

Hens will provide no unusual challenges within a flock. Roosters (stags and cocks) will be need to be isolated permantently from other roosters about time first adult sicle feathers start coming in (~ 5 months). Make very certain isolated roosters can not interact with other roosters through fencing. Roosters are no more inclined to start a fight, main difference of improtance to you is that once fighting starts the game will not stop. A little 5 pound game rooster will take on a 15-lb rooster of a another breed and a mess will result so do not expect the games small size to make a non-problem amoung larger birds. They will even take on peacocks and tom turkeys and game rooster will not fair well.

 

[rancher hicks]

Thanks for the info. Here's a pic of Mr. Crooked Toes,

 

[centrarchid]

Thanks for the info. Here's a pic of Mr. Crooked Toes,

He sold you a cull, one that is normally dispatched as being removed from incubator. Bird will have difficulty on standard roost but otherwise will be able to get by. Otherwise I do not think the condition hereditary, rather it often results from improper incubator conditions of poor nutrition, often of mother as she is laying eggs.

 

[rancher hicks]

I don't really think it was deliberate. Such is life. He did occur the expense to send me another pullet which we agreed could be of the same breed even though they are not the breeds I had ordered. Mr. Crooked Toes was supposed to be a SFH. The new girl is quite friendly and comes to eat out of my hand.

 

[centrarchid]

I don't really think it was deliberate. Such is life. He did occur the expense to send me another pullet which we agreed could be of the same breed even though they are not the breeds I had ordered. Mr. Crooked Toes was supposed to be a SFH. The new girl is quite friendly and comes to eat out of my hand.

I am not familiar with Montegomery Blue Travelers beyond their being American game, although if the are typical of American games, then you will find them to be extremely easy to tame and train. You should be able to train it to come to specific name. I do that routinely now with birds used for feild days. You can a have four birds each with a different name only that bird will respond. I have not been able to do same with any other breed, at least not consistently. For some reason, many games retain smarts.

 

[rancher hicks]

Well we do know games are some of the original wild birds that domestic fowl was developed from so it's possible they retain some of their survival smarts. They say all things happen for a reason, I just hope this mixup was for a GOOD reason.

 

[centrarchid]

Well we do know games are some of the original wild birds that domestic fowl was developed from so it's possible they retain some of their survival smarts. They say all things happen for a reason, I just hope this mixup was for a GOOD reason.

Cool mistake. Games are very different from wild jungle fowl. I have first hand experience to work from. Size, game nearly twice as big. Jungle fowl behave very differently and are not game.