jungle fowl

[centrarchid]

Could you line breed back to the Red Jungle Fowl cock for a few generations? It would get you back closer to what might result in a self-sustaining population. That would still leave you with a population very prone to inbreeding depressing since started effectively from one bird.

I had all resources in the world, back cross to cock as many generations as I can. During that interval I would be trying to get pure Red Jungle Fowl hens, ideally wild source from near where you will be stocking your birds, that would would be bred to your cock to produce a group of birds have more genetic diversity to work with.

There will be other challenges. I have experience establishing a fish population that did take. Their is more to this than simply letting them go where you want them to be.

 

[Mazhar Awan]

Could you line breed back to the Red Jungle Fowl cock for a few generations? It would get you back closer to what might result in a self-sustaining population. That would still leave you with a population very prone to inbreeding depressing since started effectively from one bird.

I had all resources in the world, back cross to cock as many generations as I can. During that interval I would be trying to get pure Red Jungle Fowl hens, ideally wild source from near where you will be stocking your birds, that would would be bred to your cock to produce a group of birds have more genetic diversity to work with.

There will be other challenges. I have experience establishing a fish population that did take. Their is more to this than simply letting them go where you want them to be.

yah i will do back cross, till F.5 or F.6

 

[Mazhar Awan]

and thank you forr nice and fruitful information

 

[centrarchid]

Do not count on being able to get to F6 or even F5. Get another pure male and breed back to him as well once first gives out. I would strive to always have two or more as a backup, otherwise you can loose an entire season worth of breeding effort. I would also hang on to females from previous season as a backup. Also make so females kept in multiple pens so less likely to loose all in one mishap. Last time I did similar I could absorb loss of 8 females an still be OK to proceed.

How will you be containing the pure Red Jungle Fowl? Will you be doing anything to tame him? When I work with confined wild animals, I go to great lengths to train them. It reduces stress on animal and makes your job much easier.

 

[Mazhar Awan]

Do not count on being able to get to F6 or even F5. Get another pure male and breed back to him as well once first gives out. I would strive to always have two or more as a backup, otherwise you can loose an entire season worth of breeding effort. I would also hang on to females from previous season as a backup. Also make so females kept in multiple pens so less likely to loose all in one mishap. Last time I did similar I could absorb loss of 8 females an still be OK to proceed.

How will you be containing the pure Red Jungle Fowl? Will you be doing anything to tame him? When I work with confined wild animals, I go to great lengths to train them. It reduces stress on animal and makes your job much easier.

i have kept my jungle fowl free in my home lawn about 3 hours in a day, he feeds on grass and insect etc, and when i keep him in cage size 2.5 * 5 ft with single english game female, providing them fresh water and feed and sometime fresh spinach leaves to eat.

 

[centrarchid]

Can you supplement those options with any grains such as millet, rice, oats, barley, wheat and maize? Black oil sunflower seed or safflower good in small amounts.

What do you have as a protein source in the even the insects come up short?

 

[varidgerunner]

I

Interesting project.

Centrachid is correct that true wild birds will have a mating season. I misunderstood your original question, assuming you meant Red Jungle Fowl domesticated game breed, not truly wild birds in the jungle still.

Therefore, managing lighting would help.

I'm not sure how breeding the domesticated English Game hens will help the jungle fowl. It could help or hurt their longevity. Many game breeds, if the line is chosen carefully, are more "wild type," but some have been overly domesticated.

That could make the Red Jungle Fowl less hardy in a truly wild situation. I know that in America it is illegal to let domestic turkeys run loose near wild turkey because when they mate, it causes deterioration in the hardiness of the wild turkey. (But then, the domesticated turkey is a pretty dumb animal from all the genetic selection for the commercial growing industry).

I've not read studies on this, so it would be interesting to hear how your project works out.

You may learn some avian tips from those working with endangered species. I know they do things to help with mating and chick development. Perhaps one of the zoos has some advice?

Good luck to your endeavors.

LofMc

I'm not sure game hens are as domesticated as you think. The longevity shouldn't be an issue, there are lots of ten year old game hens still hatching their own eggs. This is most likely because of their defined breeding season. The hens won't lay if is too cold or if the days are too short.

 

[Ntsees]

Thank u,
I am not a zoologist, I am a doctoriate in botany, but i want to re-introduce the red jungle fowl in subtropical and tropical forests of my country Pakistan, where they r present in past, now in Pakistan, the red jungle fowl is found in only one locality in wild. so i want to re-introduce them again by crossing with english game females, which similar in color to jungle fowl females.

If you intend to release crossed birds (rjf x chicken) into the wild, I strongly recommend you not do it. If you're able to obtain a pure red junglefowl male, then you should be able to get a pure female too and I recommend you breed pure to pure for re-introduction. Chicken genes consist mostly of red junglefowl genes and some grey junglefowl genes (according to the scientific literature). The only thing you'll be getting by crossing a pure red junglefowl with a chicken is more chickens. By the way, is the rooster in your photo the "red junglefowl" you were talking about?

 

[Mazhar Awan]

If you intend to release crossed birds (rjf x chicken) into the wild, I strongly recommend you not do it. If you're able to obtain a pure red junglefowl male, then you should be able to get a pure female too and I recommend you breed pure to pure for re-introduction. Chicken genes consist mostly of red junglefowl genes and some grey junglefowl genes (according to the scientific literature). The only thing you'll be getting by crossing a pure red junglefowl with a chicken is more chickens. By the way, is the rooster in your photo the "red junglefowl" you were talking about?

Thank you,
i will get soon the RJF female

 

[Lady of McCamley]

That sounds like the best plan. Breed RJF to RJF.

That is the best way to sustain a rare breed.

Mix breeding only dumbs down the wild instincts and introduces unknowns bringing risk to the wild breed.
LofMc