Landrace/adaptive breeding discussion

[Ridgerunner]

My goal is to create a dual purpose landrace bird that thrives on forage, can out-compete predator pressure, makes excellent parents and is non-aggressive to humans and flock mates. I eventually want a bird that can thrive without human help if necessary.

To achieve this you will need to rely a lot on natural selection. But when one volunteers to be removed from the equation like that cockerel you can certainly help him along.

 

[CraziChknLady]

Hi there,
This is a topic I have a lot of interest in, so I'll share my experience. In 2013, I started a free range flock that involved a thai aseel rooster, and hens of these breeds: Thai Aseel, Old English Game Bantam, Egyptian Fayoumi, Silver Phoenix, and an assortment of laying breeds whose genetics do not seems to have made the cut. Most birds were from breeders, except the Fayoumi and layers, which came from a hatchery.
Since then I have added very little new blood, relying on natural selection to play a large part in the success of the flock. Multiple broods were hatched by the hens each year. The traits that have persisted most are those of Phoenix (good mothering, predator- resistant coloring), Thai Aseel (upright posture, excellent predator awareness), and Egyptian Fayoumi (general wariness and wiliness). The Old English Game Bantam DNA has also contributed to overall appearance.
The birds are mid-sized with pea combs or small single combs and athletic builds. They are variably silver partridge, lemon partridge and wheaten. The roosters are gentle, good flock protectors, and tend toward the upright aseel build. The hens are broody, flighty, and quick, and tend toward a build more similar to an Old English Game. They lay a reasonable number of eggs in season, but once everyone goes broody, laying drops off.
The birds are also remarkably healthy. Since starting this breeding program I have had few/no issues with disease or internal parasites (I did spray Elector PSP for lice this year, but my two hatchery orpingtons were affected much more than the mixed breed chickens). I have not needed to worm in years- I suspect the birds are eating something that is a natural wormer when they forage. The birds that are taken by predators tend to be very old, very young, or low ranking cockerels. Healthy adults tend to be too fast for most predators and have a good flight ability. Those that survive to adulthood are long lived. My oldest bird of this lineage has survived near 10 years on free range (phoenix, old english, and, surprise! Antwerp bearded belgian! She's in the last photo).

My free range system involves letting the birds out of secure coops in the morning, and locking them up at night. During the hours of daylight they are free to do as they wish. If there is a predator around and I see it, I of course do go out to help drive it away. If the birds decide it's not safe and go into the pen, I will help by latching the door. Some days they are confined to the pen, such as when there is a storm or if I have company who does not prefer chickens sharing their space. So they're not fully on their own, but the chicks are hatched and raised with the flock and free range as soon as their mother decides it's time to leave the nest.

This year I'm changing it up by adding liege fighters. So far, I'm in love with their gentle, confident personalities, but other than large size, I'm not sure what they'll contribute that the flock doesn't already have.

Check out FloridaBullforg's thread if you haven't already, lots of incredible information here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...-survival-junglefowl-x-liege.1424023/page-121


Sorry for the novel, here are some pictures:



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Very interesting! How many of each breed did you start with? How do you cull what you don't want?

 

[CraziChknLady]

Mine make use of more than five acres, less than thirty - and as @Ridgerunner expressed, the tribe thing is a definite reality. I find that my Roos each stake out a territory/feeding ground, then call for the hens to join them (usually between two and six answer the call). Occasionally, hens switch groups - Roos rarely switch territory unless I've culled on recently and remixed the flock dynamics.

Do you keep all of them together in one coop and they separate on their own during the day? Or do you have separate coops and areas for each roo and his girls?

 

[LaurenRitz]

To achieve this you will need to rely a lot on natural selection. But when one volunteers to be removed from the equation like that cockerel you can certainly help him along.

I found him another home. He'll have a bunch of girls and no competition.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Do you keep all of them together in one coop and they separate on their own during the day? Or do you have separate coops and areas for each roo and his girls?

They have a single coop - though the door is always open. They separate on their own during the day. Come together when I bring out feed, and often to sleep. Sometimes, small groups will sleep elsewhere - I have a couple shelves that are popular, including one in/on the goat barn.

 

[LaurenRitz]

And... two girls are pancaked since that cockerel left. Both stayed on the nest last night, and the timing is perfect. They are both presiding over empty nests, and months ago I purchased a set of chicks that are supposed to arrive the week of the 10th.

One of them has never gone broody before, the other is experienced.

I'm excited for the next stage.