I would recommend having a good piece of land or, otherwise, separate coops built. Once they come of age, the males will fight with other males by instinct. They separate either by space or built structures.
On a good piece of land, Game chickens are likely to run in harems (a rooster with his hens and other roosters with their own hens). They are great for tick control if ticks are a problem on the place. If they are let run loose, Games are a good alternative to constantly-beeping Guinea Fowl for tick control....but you won’t collect any eggs that way.
I wouldn’t recommend Games for a small suburban lot or small farm that has egg production in mind. A Game hen with chicks is a fierce mother and she really shouldn’t be running around in a small yard with other chickens. They are grouchy and defensive of those babies!
Games don’t lay that many eggs. They are extremely reproduction-oriented, unlike utility breeds that will happily serve breakfast.
Once a Game hen lays 10 eggs or so, she wants to set the eggs and raise some baby chicks. Having one or two Game hens in a small flock along with some laying hens sounds like a great idea for a young family to show children the miracle of birth.
Having ten Game hens.....sounds like broody chaos on anything under a couple of acres.
Are you into baby chicks? Lots of them? There won’t be any eggs while they’re broody....
The 1/2 Game chickens that result when a Game hen mates with a heritage-breed rooster are callled “Dunghill” chickens. They are self-sufficient foragers and usually keep the broody trait, but Game breeders don’t want them.
Games of almost any of the many strains and even breeds are amazing because they are very broody and self-sufficient chickens. They aren’t as flighty as some of the Mediterranean breeds, but they are determined mothers.The feral chickens in Kauai and in Key West are at least partially Game.
They can eat regular chicken feed and have cracked corn or bits of hamburger for snacks. I doubt you would have health problems with Game chickens.
Getting ten Game hens for free would be a delight to some, but problem for others, depending on their flock and chicken setup.
On a good piece of land, Game chickens are likely to run in harems (a rooster with his hens and other roosters with their own hens). They are great for tick control if ticks are a problem on the place. If they are let run loose, Games are a good alternative to constantly-beeping Guinea Fowl for tick control....but you won’t collect any eggs that way.
I wouldn’t recommend Games for a small suburban lot or small farm that has egg production in mind. A Game hen with chicks is a fierce mother and she really shouldn’t be running around in a small yard with other chickens. They are grouchy and defensive of those babies!
Games don’t lay that many eggs. They are extremely reproduction-oriented, unlike utility breeds that will happily serve breakfast.
Once a Game hen lays 10 eggs or so, she wants to set the eggs and raise some baby chicks. Having one or two Game hens in a small flock along with some laying hens sounds like a great idea for a young family to show children the miracle of birth.
Having ten Game hens.....sounds like broody chaos on anything under a couple of acres.
Are you into baby chicks? Lots of them? There won’t be any eggs while they’re broody....
The 1/2 Game chickens that result when a Game hen mates with a heritage-breed rooster are callled “Dunghill” chickens. They are self-sufficient foragers and usually keep the broody trait, but Game breeders don’t want them.
Games of almost any of the many strains and even breeds are amazing because they are very broody and self-sufficient chickens. They aren’t as flighty as some of the Mediterranean breeds, but they are determined mothers.The feral chickens in Kauai and in Key West are at least partially Game.
They can eat regular chicken feed and have cracked corn or bits of hamburger for snacks. I doubt you would have health problems with Game chickens.
Getting ten Game hens for free would be a delight to some, but problem for others, depending on their flock and chicken setup.
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