Recommendations please for most PREDATOR SAVVY breeds! :-)

[RaeRae2]

Hi all,

I am placing a McM order and I would like to order the MOST predator savvy breeds available. I am thinking Dark Cornish and Aracaunas. Does that sound ok? I live in Wisconsin so cold hardy is critical. My birds are locked up at night but they free range during the day but in the past I have had HAWKS take chickens. Probably 1 or 2 a year. The only hen who has lasted for 6 years has been an Aracauna. She is really smart and she does NOT get herself out in the open - ever! She stays right near the barn or under dense bushes. Other breeds (Black Giants, Astralorps, RIR) seem to just diddly around out in the wide open without a care in the world and then bam - eaten.

I don't care about eggs - we don't really eat them anyway. Just want them to eat bugs. And NO I don't want guinneas. Sorry but I've had them before and they drove me insane - won't do that again.

Thanks!

 

[centrarchid]

Old English games would be my first choice although they are not on list. The next choice would be a breed that looks in respect to body shape like an Old English game although physically and mentally such alternatives may not be able to avoid predators.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

For my money, penedesencas are the best at avoiding predators. One of my roosters just kicked a hawks butt and they run like the wind.
I know someone that raises them in Wisconsin but their big combs and wattles are tough in extreme cold.

A light speedy bird that's very cold hardy is Jaerhons.

 

[Chickenaddict]

For me I have had the best luck with cochins, hamburgs, brahmas. I have 1 hamburg hen I purchased this fall. She had been free ranging on 40 acres for 4 years, all her flock mates had been killed so the lady who owned her decided to sell her. The 6 years I have kept birds the only time I ever lost a cochin was a young hen who wasn't predator savvy yet.

 

[RaeRae2]

Great suggestions everyone, thank you! I ended up submitting my order with Hamburgs, Cornish, Brahmas, and Aracaunas.

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

Red Jungle Fowl. I seriously can not praise them high enough.

They are the ultimate survivors. They are also excellent at hiding nests and showing up with broods of chicks. Incredible mothers, I have had them hatch eggs November through January when most chickens are praying for Spring.

 

[centrarchid]

Red Jungle Fowl. I seriously can not praise them high enough.

They are the ultimate survivors. They are also excellent at hiding nests and showing up with broods of chicks. Incredible mothers, I have had them hatch eggs November through January when most chickens are praying for Spring.

I have red jungle fowl as well. In a free range setting, I will loose 3 out 4 red jungle fowl before loosing first American game. The red jungle fowls smaller size makes it a more attractive target and roosters seem not to use cover effectively nor do they seem to have ability or possibly inclination to repell hawks from cover. Even first generation hybrids between red jungle fowl and American games suffer higher losses to predators than pure American games during winter months.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Red Jungle Fowl. I seriously can not praise them high enough.

They are the ultimate survivors. They are also excellent at hiding nests and showing up with broods of chicks. Incredible mothers, I have had them hatch eggs November through January when most chickens are praying for Spring.

I like your description better then

I have red jungle fowl as well. In a free range setting, I will loose 3 out 4 red jungle fowl before loosing first American game. The red jungle fowls smaller size makes it a more attractive target and roosters seem not to use cover effectively nor do they seem to have ability or possibly inclination to repell hawks from cover. Even first generation hybrids between red jungle fowl and American games suffer higher losses to predators than pure American games during winter months.

his

I really want red jungle fowl so give me yours and no one gets hurt

! if they have chicks in winter then i could sell them

 

[RaeRae2]

I was stuck with buying what McMurray offers, so some of the recommendations were not possible. In the future I might order from a different hatchery but I have only had experience with McMurray and frankly shipping

baby chicks scares the crap out of me. Maybe in the future I will do more research and find a different hatchery that offers different breeds.

 

[gootziecat]

RaeRae2, be sure to post your findings after the summer.