Historic Presence of Jungle Fowl in the American Deep South

[Don 27]

Not at all. It makes sense with the thread. I’ll be posting pics of my OEGB/RJFH crosses if I get any.

I would love to see them I will post mine in a minute.. We also bought some meat birds and more layer breeds. I'm excited about having my own food this fall.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

I’ve learned a lot more about the homestead gamefowl from before my time.

Turns out my great grandfather was a cocker. Big time. On the 100 acre family farm he free ranged his stock and they reproduced by the 100s. When my grandmother was married with children they lived on the farm with my great grandfather. The farm was mostly woods, hardwood hammock. The gamefowl lived in large flocks divided into territories that each broodcock cock defended. Each kept a harem of dozens of hens. My grandmother would slip around with a .22 and harvest 25-30 a month to feed the family and it never put a dent in the population.

When one of my aunts was grown, my great uncle would bring his gamefowl to her farm and let them free range in the same manner. Once every so often he’d come out with a long poll and harvest at night out of the trees those stags he wanted.

This would have covered a time frame from the late 1930s to the 1970s. I don’t know how long my great grandfather’s flock lived in an unbroken generational chain.

 

[Don 27]

my meat birds and an Easter egger Chick...

these are the OEGB.

 

[Don 27]

I’ve learned a lot more about the homestead gamefowl from before my time.

Turns out my great grandfather was a cocker. Big time. On the 100 acre family farm he free ranged his stock and they reproduced by the 100s. When my grandmother was married with children they lived on the farm with my great grandfather. The farm was mostly woods, hardwood hammock. The gamefowl lived in large flocks divided into territories that each broodcock cock defended. Each kept a harem of dozens of hens. My grandmother would slip around with a .22 and harvest 25-30 a month to feed the family and it never put a dent in the population.

When one of my aunts was grown, my great uncle would bring his gamefowl to her farm and let them free range in the same manner. Once every so often he’d come out with a long poll and harvest at night out of the trees those stags he wanted.

This would have covered a time frame from the late 1930s to the 1970s. I don’t know how long my great grandfather’s flock lived in an unbroken generational chain.

That's amazing! I would love having that breed around.

People need to get back to family farms.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

That's amazing! I would love having that breed around.

People need to get back to family farms.

Now that I know my great grandfather was a cocker, the next question is whether it really was a special Florida breed he had, or whether they were just whatever established line of American gamefowl he had access to that were further selected via free ranging.

View attachment 2054050 my meat birds and an Easter egger Chick...View attachment 2054051these are the OEGB.View attachment 2054052

Look how much your OEGBs look like my jungle fowl hybrids. One big difference I see is leg color. Mine have dark legs, although a couple on another batch have green legs.

Like I already said, OEGB eggs and my birds’s eggs are identical looking. I strongly suspect there’s a connection between my birds and OEGBs.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

Here is one of odd bitties I recently hatched that came out with more blonde and less stripes than whats normal for my bitties. 2 came out this way. They also have green legs instead of blue black.

 

[Don 27]

Now that I know my great grandfather was a cocker, the next question is whether it really was a special Florida breed he had, or whether they were just whatever established line of American gamefowl he had access to that were further selected via free ranging.




Look how much your OEGBs look like my jungle fowl hybrids. One big difference I see is leg color. Mine have dark legs, although a couple on another batch have green legs.

View attachment 2054075

Like I already said, OEGB eggs and my birds’s eggs are identical looking. I strongly suspect there’s a connection between my birds and OEGBs.

I believe there's a connection too.. To me your birds look like a jungle fowl hybrid that at one point have been crossed with a strain of OEGB. That would explain the varying in leg coloring.
I read somewhere that when a hatchery received a red jungle fowl bird from a breeder because of its wild back round it was hard to breed and keep in captivity . So they mixed it with a tame hardy bird and then selectively bred it to look like a red jungle fowl. This could be what you have. Considering your birds are flighty but don't mind sleeping in a coop at night. They didn't say which kind of bird they mixed in with the jungle fowl but I suspect it was some sorta game batam From looking at the hatchery stock. An interesting experiment would be to buy a red jungle fowl from say cackle hatchery or any hatchery and compare it to your birds. If it doesn't match up then you have something else, .

Have you considered going back to the area where your grandfather lived to see if you can find any stray chickens.. If they were that prolific then there might be something left. Was this information coming from your dad? He might remember what your grandfather's birds looked like.

 

[Don 27]

when I was at tractor supply I wasn't sure exactly what I was looking for in the assorted breeds so I just grabbed what looked closest to a jungle fowl. I searched all the breeds that were in the mix when I got home and identified my chicks are silver duck wing. I don't know how wild they are compared to the other OEGB options. You can see how different they look compared to your birds when adolts. But as chicks they look so simular.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

The old family farm has been sold once or twice since those days. I know where it is but its semi developed horse farm communities and hobby farms all around there now. I doubt there would be any of those chickens left feral.

I’ve again reached out to my great uncle (my great grandfather’s son) to see what he can tell me. He’s be the man with all the answers. But he won’t communicate with me about anything to do with gamefowl. I don’t think he trusts me because I’m law enforcement. It may be possible he still has some of his daddy’s bloodlines.

I have considered trying jungle fowl from various hatcheries to compare to my birds. Mine most sound like Cackle’s San Diego Zooline, which are supposed to be true jungle fowl crossed to brown leghorns. I can rule out any hatchery lines that are mostly American gamefowl based on size, as my birds max out a 2.5lbs. They’re so very close to being American game bantams but for a little extra size and the white earlobes. Otherwise some of my individuals conform well to the standards already.

When I get my flock large enough and spread out enough that I cut off nearly all supplemental feeding and chick protection, I suspect that extra weight will come off in future generations, except what size increase will be selectedfor hawk deterrence. Mine are alread around the size of Carolina bantams, which based on what I can piece together were naturally selected for the size of 2-2.5lbs.

 

[Don 27]

The old family farm has been sold once or twice since those days. I know where it is but its semi developed horse farm communities and hobby farms all around there now. I doubt there would be any of those chickens left feral.

Ya most likely not, That's what is left of the family farms here too.

I’ve again reached out to my great uncle (my great grandfather’s son) to see what he can tell me. He’s be the man with all the answers. But he won’t communicate with me about anything to do with gamefowl. I don’t think he trusts me because I’m law enforcement. It may be possible he still has some of his daddy’s bloodlines.

Not much you can do there . It would be cool if he still had some of his dads birds .

I have considered trying jungle fowl from various hatcheries to compare to my birds. Mine most sound like Cackle’s San Diego Zooline, which are supposed to be true jungle fowl crossed to brown leghorns. I can rule out any hatchery lines that are mostly American gamefowl based on size, as my birds max out a 2.5lbs. They’re so very close to being American game bantams but for a little extra size and the white earlobes. Otherwise some of my individuals conform well to the standards already.

When I get my flock large enough and spread out enough that I cut off nearly all supplemental feeding and chick protection, I suspect that extra weight will come off in future generations, except what size increase will be selectedfor hawk deterrence. Mine are alread around the size of Carolina bantams, which based on what I can piece together were naturally selected for the size of 2-2.5lbs.

When you get the flock large enough thats when most of the natural selective breeding comes in from predators. For my flock If don't protect the small amount of broody hens I have from predators they don't make it. I'm hoping once my flock builds up I won't have to protect them as much.