Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

[No Coop No Problem]

After keeping a bunch of different breeds, I've seen noticeably improved flight ability in a few individuals.
So I vote for nature rather than nurture.

One black Ameraucana roo shocked me with his ability for vertical takeoffs. He was always a little gymnast as soon as his wings started catching air as a chick, and he never lost it.
One day when he was a year old, I was being lazy (tired) about collecting eggs and their breeder pen just had a plastic crate for eggs on the ground. So when I opened the door I just kinda bent in and dragged the crate to me at the door.
I hear what almost seems to be the absence of noise, but in hindsight must have been a light whooshing. I look up, and there's a big black shape hovering above my head. In one spot, about 6ft high. I jumped back a bit in surprise, and after a few stunning seconds of staring at this hovercraft... he gently beats back down to earth, still in the same spot.
I realized from his demeanor that I scared him to flight with my abrupt redecorating, rather than him being aggressive.
It actually makes sense because some breeders of black Ameraucanas used Sumatra far back in their lineage to improve some traits.
And Sumatra are known to be the best fliers in the chicken world, even crossing ocean to reach a different island.

I've also seen good flying ability from Mosaics, just the hens who are pretty light. I crossed one of those with the Am roo mentioned above and got Licorice.
Everyday Licorice lets herself out of our chicken yard more than a dozen times. She hops right back over in a few minutes after finding herself some goodies. We've let her keep her wandering ways because she doesn't get stranded on the wrong side of the fence like all the others. Unlike other chickens who try to escape, she doesn't need much launching room but will just go up an over effortlessly.

On the flip side, I've had English Orpingtons who couldn't get 4 ft off the ground to roost. That's with them really wanting and trying to get up there to be with the others. I had to make sure they had lower roosting locations before they would stop plunking themselves down on the ground to sleep.

Out of a lot of other breeds, including:
Genetic Hackles, other colors of Ameraucana, Speckled Sussex, Faverolles, Silkies, Polish, Wyandottes, none of them could fly very well. Leghorns, of course, flew very high when they wanted but they did seem to need some takeoff room to get started.

In conclusion, I think the ability to fly well is just rare. As humans for hundreds of years have not preferred their poultry to escape.
"Flightiness" is still very much listed in the Cons list of some breeds. At first, I thought it must refer to the personality, aka skittishness. But I've heard serious breeders firmly say it's the birds propensity to get out of an enclosure. So... either they are mistaken or I am.

Flight ability is most definitely entirely genetic. However the tendency for flight is nurture to some extent

 

[MysteryChicken]

F2 Project Mini American Game Pullet in a tree.
Don't worry the cat is just playing.

 

[LaurenRitz]

All of my sister's birds have roosted in the rafters, about 8-9 feet up. From the Jersey Giant to the easter eggers, no problems. Once they figured out they could get up there, they did. But all of them started as chicks, and the first group had a "ladder" that got them to about 5 feet.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Well, it's official. My BA is broody again. I want new bloodlines, but haven't found anyone in the area to get eggs.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I've moved their feeding time out to 1. I fed them early today and I saw lots of full crops and very little interest in the commercial food among the adults. Teenagers still tried to tell me they were starving, but their crops were full as well.

I'm going up to get eggs for my broody in a few minutes. They have a BYM, mostly large breeds, and they free range.

I thought I'd broken her for a while there, since she tried to set in a decidedly dangerous spot and I moved her cardboard box into the coop.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Ok, I'm laughing. The head hen in coop 2 (one of two hens, but no one questions her) is broody.

I have those six eggs in the incubator that are a week old. I was wondering whether the other hen could take care of 12, and here comes the answer!

Maybe.

Tonight is her first night on the nest. I'm trying to decide whether to give her the eggs, or let them hatch and give her the chicks.

She's a first time broody, so no telling how well she'll do. I have had hens accept chicks after as little as 8 days, so it might work.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I heard a screaming fight outside and found the broody contesting nest space with the other hen. Once she drove the "intruder" away the broody took off to cool down and the other went to chase the cockerels. She's sniping and snarling and taking out her frustration on everybody. The chicks are watching the whole thing like it's a favorite soap opera.

I revamped the other nesting box to be exactly like the first and the young cockerel was trying to coax her into it.

She wasn't having it. Once the boy left, she inspected but didn't settle. We'll see. For the moment she seems mollified, and the broody is back in sole possession.

 

[LaurenRitz]

I saw one of the little girls (10 weeks) fly this week. Just 4 feet to get over the fence, but she did fly.

I noticed something else, though.

In this picture, look at the 3 light colored chicks. One has wings entirely covering his back, one has partial coverage, one has a wide stripe where there is no wing at all.

I'm wondering how this will affect their flight ability? I think the wings on the sides would be all but useless for real flight.

Their mother was a Ranger, their father (Jersey Giant x RIR) x RIR.

Edit: I can see the same pattern on the blacks, but it's not as visible.

 

[LaurenRitz]

Ah! I see another possible link. The two with the wide gap (one black, one brown) are both without a tail, and I think both are boys.

 

[Florida Bullfrog]

I think that’s just them growing out their feathers at different rates.