Historic Presence of Jungle Fowl in the American Deep South

[Az OEGB]

So where I am now, I have two Cracker flocks on farm. One is down in the woods behind a half acre of electric net. There is one stag and 6 hens. The hens are pure Crackers, the stag is half-Cracker, half-American. The hens are mature and are all at least 1.5-2 years old. The stag will soon be a year old. The stag’s name is Erik the Red.

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The habitat behind the net is a 1/4 acre of oak hammock and 1/4 of low-productive food plot. The habitat outside the net is several acres of oak hammock and bayhead swamp, as well as more food plot. I also have a deer feeder behind the net that throws laying pellets and scratch twice a day. The chickens are not cleaning up the feed so I will probably cut the portion down.

The net is only being semi-successful at keeping the chickens in. Morning and evenings they often fly over it and forage is the wider hammock, which I’m fine with in principle, but I like the net to discourage bobcat attacks and to give the hens a safe place to ground-nest. But I can foresee having to take the net down soon. They may be safer without it instead of a single hen being out and pacing it until a bobcat corners her. Although the cats do respect the fence. Currently the flock roosts both behind and outside the fence. I will have to run an electric line around the feeder to stop bear from tearing it up if I take the net down.


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I have dispensation from the state wildlife agency to trap the bobcats. One in particular is quite large and has been a thorn in my side for about 5 years, being a major predator of my domestic turkeys.

The second Cracker flock is currently in a coop and is also headed by a half-American stag, and all of the pullets in that flock are 1/4 American.

I realy like the idea of having wild flock. I have some jungle fowl most likely hybrids very similar to your crackers looks pretty much the same , same size, disregard the post earlier about them being larger than your crackers, I hadn't had a rooster for a while at that point and i remebered my brood cock bigger. Anyways to get to the point I have five acres the
chickens are on top of a hill. On the property right at the edge of it in a wash about 100 yards down from the main flock thiers a thick spot with some tall bushes somewhat enclosed on either side where there’s chickens by hills and a little flat piece right off of it. this pic was taken from the far edge of the chickens range what I was thinking about doing is taking some jungle fowl down their where the arrow is and starting a separate flock down there. Tomorrow I’ll try to get some better pics of the place. My question is do you think it would be worth trying and how should I go about doing it. The pictures are off my rooster and one of my hens

 

[Az OEGB]

I realy like the idea of having wild flock. I have some jungle fowl most likely hybrids very similar to your crackers looks pretty much the same , same size, disregard the post earlier about them being larger than your crackers, I hadn't had a rooster for a while at that point and i remebered my brood cock bigger. Anyways to get to the point I have five acres the
chickens are on top of a hill. On the property right at the edge of it in a wash about 100 yards down from the main flock thiers a thick spot with some tall bushes somewhat enclosed on either side where there’s chickens by hills and a little flat piece right off of it.View attachment 3722840this pic was taken from the far edge of the chickens range what I was thinking about doing is taking some jungle fowl down their where the arrow is and starting a separate flock down there. Tomorrow I’ll try to get some better pics of the place. My question is do you think it would be worth trying and how should I go about doing it. The pictures are off my rooster and one of my hens

The C shaped area is where I was wanting to put them I measured it out to be .96 acres The large surrounding area is the property. I mapped it today, not completely accurate but good enough. I also marked some good roost trees and a few other things.

Here’s a picture of the area.

 

[troyer]

Can they roost high enough to be out of reach of a bobcat or coyote? Do you have raccoons that'll get them. If you have enough trees to where they can alternate roosting areas that'll be a plus as well, that way the predators aren't able to pattern the roosting habits quite as easily.

 

[Az OEGB]

Can they roost high enough to be out of reach of a bobcat or coyote? Do you have raccoons that'll get them. If you have enough trees to where they can alternate roosting areas that'll be a plus as well, that way the predators aren't able to pattern the roosting habits quite as easily.

Here’s the best one I found in the area there a few other ones that they could probably make use of. I haven’t seen any sign of raccoons around the house but with them being right by a wash there could be. There are plenty of coyotes and a few bobcats but the tree in the picture I think is high enough up.

 

[Klutch]

No matter what roost, a varmint should not be able to scale it.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

View attachment 3723444The C shaped area is where I was wanting to put them I measured it out to be .96 acres The large surrounding area is the property. I mapped it today, not completely accurate but good enough. I also marked some good roost trees and a few other things.

View attachment 3723450Here’s a picture of the area.

I am not personally familiar with high, arid-type habitats.

Do you already have them well established immediately around your homestead?

 

[Az OEGB]

Well pure no I only have a trio (but they reproduce extremely quick) I’m mainly want RJF x peacomed hatch, and Bruges crosses for larger size around the house I want to keep a few pure around to. But I can use most everything I get for this, I want to start a line that is more wild acting than these and more suitable for my area but still straight RJF.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

As I outlined in my main gamefowl thread, Marek’s got into my flock. My improved Crackers took it hard. Only two cocks survived. The entire 2023 crop of bitties wiped out.

Lanky and Erik are both fine. Erik is in with a Liege hen at the moment. Lanky is in with 3 pure Cracker hens. Here’s Lanky as of tonight:

The Marek’s outbreak has hamstrung my Cracker improvement project. The American games I was using are highly susceptible to the disease. I’m going to have to spam as many 3/4 Crackers as I can to produce some that can withstand Marek’s. Its a genetic lottery at this point.

I have unnamed pure Cracker cock off my brother’s farm in with my last micro Cracker hen to jump start that project.