Genetic Markers for Broody Line

[The Moonshiner]

How many large leghorn size eggs would a game hen cover on average?

 

[ANightPerson]

I have one strain (been in family for a long time) represented by three line-bred families. Each family is represented by between 6 and 8 adults of each sex. I breed only one family in mass each year where > 50 birds taken up to first adult feather set.

This "broody strain" represents a fourth effort that is not what I would call an outright strain as nothing being done to preserve genetic variation. I can refresh it later. I was not setting out to sell, but easily could. Most extras to date have been eaten or given to 4H youth. Next year I will like produce a good 30 juveniles to get maybe 1/2 dozen keepers. Most of the culls will pass as eye candy and be in very good health.

Not to get ahead of ourselves, but where are you located? I'm always looking to get broody hens. Even if they don't meet the standard you like, they're still gorgeous and I'd welcome them into my backyard flock anytime.

 

[centrarchid]

How many large leghorn size eggs would a game hen cover on average?

Maybe 10. They can cover and hatch most game eggs even when clutch size pushes 20 eggs. Bowl shape of nest can impact hatch rate.

 

[centrarchid]

Not to get ahead of ourselves, but where are you located? I'm always looking to get broody hens. Even if they don't meet the standard you like, they're still gorgeous and I'd welcome them into my backyard flock anytime.

In the middle of Missouri, just a little west of Holts Summit.

 

[roosterhavoc]

What improvements have you seen from the beginning till now?
Interesting subject. I've been experimenting with different breeds. One of the reasons I tried to look into games. Unfortunately the gamefowl threads don't contain much actual info on them.

There’s plenty of information. Or you could just ask specific questions. I guarantee all would be willing to help if they knew the answer.

 

[roosterhavoc]

No real improvements with this effort other than getting closer to fixing genetic markers.

Good thing we don’t give up on you. You’re such a wealth of knowledge. I’ve learned so much from you over the years. I want to personally thank you!!

 

[roosterhavoc]

In a thread with a handful of guys that already know the basics of gamefowl you’re not going to find daily posts about strains, feather color, etc.. The best way would be to ask a specific question. I would have and still will answer any question you have if I know the answer. If I don’t know I’ll tell you.

 

[The Moonshiner]

In a thread with a handful of guys that already know the basics of gamefowl you’re not going to find daily posts about strains, feather color, etc.. The best way would be to ask a specific question. I would have and still will answer any question you have if I know the answer. If I don’t know I’ll tell you.

Well at one time I was interested in this subject.
I'd heard games were one of the best broodies. I was curious about that. If they were indeed good broodies? How many eggs they can cover, how many times they would brood per year, if they were excellent mothers and had a high survival rate with the chicks, if they did well with all this when free ranging 24/7, etc.
I have since decided they probably wouldn't work well for me since I'm hearing they don't always get along with others. My set up in that area is a group of various breeds (my laying flock) as well as extra cockerels, roosters, grow outs etc. Basically a large very mixed group.
Sounds like they might ad kaos to the group which I don't need.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Well at one time I was interested in this subject.
I'd heard games were one of the best broodies. I was curious about that. If they were indeed good broodies? How many eggs they can cover, how many times they would brood per year, if they were excellent mothers and had a high survival rate with the chicks, if they did well with all this when free ranging 24/7, etc.
I have since decided they probably wouldn't work well for me since I'm hearing they don't always get along with others. My set up in that area is a group of various breeds (my laying flock) as well as extra cockerels, roosters, grow outs etc. Basically a large very mixed group.
Sounds like they might ad kaos to the group which I don't need.

I would say it totally depends on how you have everything set up. I have broody game hens sitting on eggs all over the place throughout the summer. I also have laying hens running loose. The game hens will usually chase off and occasionally get into it with the laying hens. It doesn’t take long for the layers to leave them alone though. All I have is gamefowl roosters so I don’t have any loose during spring and summer except very young birds. They will definitely add chaos but I doubt you could beat them as broodies.

 

[centrarchid]

Ah, that is better.

Well at one time I was interested in this subject.
I'd heard games were one of the best broodies. I was curious about that. If they were indeed good broodies? How many eggs they can cover, how many times they would brood per year, if they were excellent mothers and had a high survival rate with the chicks, if they did well with all this when free ranging 24/7, etc.
I have since decided they probably wouldn't work well for me since I'm hearing they don't always get along with others. My set up in that area is a group of various breeds (my laying flock) as well as extra cockerels, roosters, grow outs etc. Basically a large very mixed group.
Sounds like they might ad kaos to the group which I don't need.

They do not always get along well, but that can be managed for. There is no advantage to game hens that cannot be housed with other hens. My grandmothers used to keep as many as 25 game hens in with twice a many dual purpose and leghorn hens as part of laying flock. Both had more issues with the leghorns than anything else as they pushed themselves so hard with producing eggs. In those setting the games where not used as broodies, rather just held for the collection of some eggs until needed for actual breeding at a later date.

Those I currently use for broodies are in more complex groups where you have half-dozen hens in a 10 x 10 dog kennel. They are more often than not kept in combination with American Dominique hens which are real bad about laying eggs in the nest of others, especially the pullets. There can be some scrapping during introductions of new hens which I watch for and intervene if it gets real bad. Lots of nests at varied l heights from ground at least 2 feet apart helps a lot. Currently in the off season I have about 16 hens / pullets in each of three 10 x 10 dog kennels. They get get at least some free-range time at the end of each day. The games are in really good feather and otherwise look pretty good. Numbers will be reduced in March to the half dozen or so when broody services needed. Others used to hatch their own brood are housed as part of a pair or trio with brood cock, mostly as pairs so I can be certain of parentage.

The chick rearing can be more varied yet, but I avoid rearing even American Dominiques in groups, especially with multiple broodies with chicks. When I have real good control over predators, hens are allowed to rear broods free-range. I still work to space them out. In my little 24 x 36 barn I can keep four broods at once without troubles. I still more often than not imprint broodies on cages of some sort that are closed up every night (= work).

There is a lot of variations left out. Even so, the games are more reliable parents in my experience. Not all strains are the same also. A book can be written about how to manage groups of game hens.

Try not to confuse the Aseel issues with all game hens. Even with that in mine, a neighbor south of JC can run multiple hens of those together but he clearly has some tricks I have yet to learn. I do average more chicks produced per brood than he does.