Prairie chickens

[Midnightman14]

I asked purely for academic interest, I am personally very against hybridization but that's just my own opinion. I would love to have some prairie chickens at some point but I'd need to go through some paperwork first (they are endangered and heavily managed in my state) but at some point hopefully I will be able to have some.

 

[copper2]

Are greater prairie chickens native to texas?

 

[007Sean]

Are greater prairie chickens native to texas?

They use to be but have all been hunted to extinction, with the exception of the Lesser and Attwater prairie chicken. The Attwater is on the verge of extinction, after hurricane Rita hit the upper gulf coast, if memory serves me right...only about 42 individuals are surviving. Conservation societies have been trying to breed them in captivity, by back breeding with the Lesser prairie chicken. Their not having a great sucess.

 

[copper2]

So attwaters, lesser, and the greater prairie chicken were once all native here?

 

[007Sean]

So attwaters, lesser, and the greater prairie chicken were once all native here?

Yes, they were. The Greater is no longer in Texas, the Lesser and Attwater's have small pockets of surviving populations. The Attwater's is endangered, the Lesser is threaten. Here's a link to a couple of Youtube videos that may be of interest to you and others. Maybe spark an interest in doing some research to your questions.

 

[copper2]

Can you raise prairie chicken chicks with a chick or turkey poult ?

 

[007Sean]

Probably could if you wanted too! It's hard enough raising prairie's with their on kind, let alone trying to contend with the varibles of a mixed flock. Personally, I would not reccomend it. Prairies require lots of space, (if you want them to do well and thrive) more so than pheasants and other poultry. Prairies also require a different habitat. My pens have Chord grass, Blue stem, Side oat gramma, various Switch grasses, replicating a "tall grass prairie", planted in the enclosure. Also, have an area of short grasses with an area for a lek. This enclosure is 100' x 150', I run 2 males and 7 females. Do some research, take what information that "you" think may be useful and incorperate it into "your" own situation. There is alot more to it, than just saying; "I'd like to raise some prairie chickens".

 

[Midnightman14]

I agree chickens and gamebirds do not mix well, chickens carry alot of diseases that gamebirds can die from and aggression between them can be a problem. The more rare the pheasant or gamebird the more likely they are to be delicate when it comes to diseases.

 

[copper2]

Okay thank you so much! Can you free range them?

 

[007Sean]

NO, they will be gone in a heartbeat and preadtors will get them.