well it is valid for my flock. If I had more land I could experiment, but 30 is definitely the limit for my quantity of grass. Perhaps someone else with a larger flock will chime in...?
Hang on.
The thing I think wrong from what I've read is that Jungle Fowl live in groups of 30 and then hive off.
I know from my own experiences that one can have a multi generational group with males and females. That group can be larger than the Jungle Fowls norm where the offspring leave/get driven out by the hen. It's the hen that takes the blame it seems because in most cases, the cock leaves the hen before the offspring reach full maturity and goes and finds another egg laying hen to further his genes with.
For example.
Domestic chickens gone feral have different behaviours, as can backyard groups. There are many reasons for these changes. Given the majority of domestic chickens gone feral are likely to have a massive disproportionate ratio of males to femals (more females) the competeion for femals betweeen the males is minimal. Eventually the statistical hatch rato will establish itself 50%-50%. Jungle fowl have had centuries to achieve this.
Next the populations of the feral groups is usually contained in a comparatively small area. Jungle fowl have, well jungles to claim with chickens they've not even met before.
Then there is the reasonably well established courting behaviour and nest finding behaviour. Each hen a rooster has is going to want their rooster to do these things. A single rooster just can't manage it for say ten hens. He can only be in one place at one time. One wouldn't notice in a confined group but when the rooster is traveling hundreds of yards/metres from group to nests 3 or maybe 4 hens is him flat out.
What I've seen in the domestic multi generational group is the junior roosters and cockerels taking on some of the duties of the senior rooster. It still points to to a capacity limit for each rooster.
At least if they come on your property your allowed to eat it.
