Prairie chickens

[copper2]

I was wondering if the prairie chickens from prairie ridge aviary are pure, and if anyone knows how to raise them

 

[Tony K T]

I would hope that no one would even consider crossing any species of grouse or prairie chicken!
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[Kevin hendricks]

Yes they are

 

[copper2]

I wasn't thinking of crossing them

 

[Tony K T]

Yes they are

Now why would they cross them?There are even less grouse then pheasants,never mind prairie chickens.I guess PETA is gonna win this battle.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[Kevin hendricks]

There not crossed,they are pure

 

[copper2]

There not crossed,they are pure

I thought they were pure, but just wanted to make sure

 

[007Sean]

I was wondering if the prairie chickens from prairie ridge aviary are pure, and if anyone knows how to raise them

I found them to be a challenge to raise. They look for their food at their eye level, don't instinctively peck at food/crumbles in a dish. I found that live mealworms, 1/2 inch in size, the only way to get them to eat. Later on, i coated the mealworms with crumbles to get them eating crumbles. Takes several weeks of doing this, multiple times a day. Also, don't instinctively know how to drink from a waterer. Putting screen wire in the enclosure and misting the screen multiple times a day, (forms water dropplets)was the way i got them to drink, eventually they learned to drink from a waterer. If you try to raise them, be prepared to spend enormous amount of time caring for them until there on their own. Good Luck

 

[Midnightman14]

Honest question but are there even any possible species that prairies could hybridize with that wouldn't produce sterile offspring if any? I suppose the greater and lesser could cross but beyond that would anything even have a chance of producing a fertile hybrid?

 

[007Sean]

Honest question but are there even any possible species that prairies could hybridize with that wouldn't produce sterile offspring if any? I suppose the greater and lesser could cross but beyond that would anything even have a chance of producing a fertile hybrid?

There probable is but why? Yes, the Greater and Lesser did interbreed in the past when their territories overlapped but their habitat has dewindled and it's a rarity today. The Attwater Conservation Society has been back breeding with the Lesser to increase/save the Attwater from extinction. I have no 1st hand knowledge, if they will hybridize! I only breed mine to their own kind of non related birds. Prairie chickens are rare enough, without trying to create a non-fertile oddity. So, to answer your question, there are always exceptions in nature, so it's probably possible but without a substainable population, it goes no further. Alot of time and effort put forth, for nothing gained. Probably have better odds of winning the lottery than creating a hybrid. Just my 2c.