Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

[Mother of Chaos]

I haven’t had a rooster for about a month so no chance of that unfortunately. It figures one of them would go broody as soon as the weather turns and the cockerel is gone But no I am pretty sure she’s just gone though I have no idea the exact mechanism.

My chicken came back. Which makes me think she is sitting on duds out in the woods somewhere and I will never find the clutch. I guess that’s the risk I took letting a game chicken run amok haha

Since hens can store a rooster's sperm for several weeks, she might have laid a few fertile eggs. Chickens are baffling in this.

So glad she came back!

 

[Sally PB]

My chicken came back.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Another funny story:

Because I did not lock my own chickens up last night (I delegated that) I came out to find one of my Leiper-Hatch game hens in with two new ones I have only had for two days and every other chicken locked out of the coop I thought for sure Fatty would be toast but everyone was just fine. They slept near the coop for the most part—several of them were in the lean-to I made to keep their food and water dry. Fatty for reference (ie NOT a survival chicken):

 

[Mrs. K]

I read this post with envy. I would love to let mine out to free range, but the predator load is insane right now. First time in years, the wild plums produced fruit, and I am finding coyote and coon scatt all around.

Mrs K

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I read this post with envy. I would love to let mine out to free range, but the predator load is insane right now. First time in years, the wild plums produced fruit, and I am finding coyote and coon scatt all around.

Mrs K

I trapped and killed two coons this year and since then they have given my coop a wide berth. The coyotes haven’t been obnoxious lately either but I’m not sure why that is…maybe the bears that have started bumbling around

 

[Mrs. K]

Really tough this time a year, as the young are hungry and will pick me off in the day time. A couple of years ago, a coyote family must have come through, and left me with 3.

 

[Molpet]

Really tough this time a year, as the young are hungry and will pick me off in the day time. A couple of years ago, a coyote family must have come through, and left me with 3.

Yesterday a fox? Only 2 teens bodies were moved. 2 Adults had no head. But the 3 adult hens weren't moved.
Came through while I was inside for 40min because it was raining.
Killed 5, two others I had to put down and a chick missing.