Show Off Your American Gamefowl and Chat Thread!!!

[centrarchid]

This is an action sequence that should not get anyone in trouble. Cock was demonstrating capacity for feeding his chicks. Not he did not feed hen. I could put him in a pen and place a pile of insects in the middle where hen and chicks could not get to them and he would then carry insects over to side of pen so chicks could take them to eat. Same cock would kill chicks not his. He is not special on this account.

[VIDEO]

He is the grandsire of stag above.

 

[flypen]

That was cool Centra

 

[centrarchid]

That was cool Centra

Thanks. I am trying to find a way to make meaningful use of that behavior. I can't get the cocks to give me anything more than a funny look.

 

[B123]

First grown escapee since my second go round with games. Well not escapee more like I literally kicked her out the pen. She surely wants back in

SDM, I like those pens, how big are they and what do you use them for? I need to build more this fall and was leaning towards something along those lines.

 

[centrarchid]

I was out in garage trying to get this shot of chick roosting up (about 6'). Little bugger's siblings could not get in part due to still recovering from bout with cocci. They are a little underweight but will be back up in a couple days.

My activities disturbed everyone causing early exit from roost. Everyone flew from garage into dark. Cocks had not come off roosts yet in pens. Then I saw this butt munch not quite 100 yards away.

Juvenile Great-horned Owl. It and sibling have been around since March and will likely continue until November when its parents given them the boot. These guys go after birds even when on front porch although games have sense to sit tight where dogs can come on seen. We will end up killing one eventually because some think they can bluff dogs and wait too long before backing down.

 

[sdm111]

Thanks each stall is 6' wide, 10' deep, and 10.5' high. 12' 4x4 cemented 18" in the ground for posts 2x6 header and rafters 24" on center with 1x4 stripping for the metal roofing. And 5' 2x4 welded wire. And deck boards and plywood. The money is in the roofing

 

[sdm111]

All lag bolted together for hurricanes

 

[B123]

Thanks each stall is 6' wide, 10' deep, and 10.5' high. 12' 4x4 cemented 18" in the ground for posts 2x6 header and rafters 24" on center with 1x4 stripping for the metal roofing. And 5' 2x4 welded wire. And deck boards and plywood. The money is in the roofing

Wow, I do not think I need them that well built... No hurricanes to speak of in my area. They look great! I have the roofing and a friend offered me a bunch of salvaged oak 2x4's, so I will just need to buy some treated posts wire and hardware. Now just need to find the time.

 

[B123]

Centra, that is a nice video of the cock birds feeding the chicks. How old is he? I used to raise Plymouth Rock bantams and the 2+ year old cock birds would treat the chicks the same way and would even "adopt" the weaned chicks once the mother booted them out. I haven't tried this with games though.

 

[centrarchid]

Centra, that is a nice video of the cock birds feeding the chicks.  How old is he?  I used to raise Plymouth Rock bantams and the 2+ year old cock birds would treat the chicks the same way and would even "adopt" the weaned chicks once the mother booted them out.  I haven't tried this with games though.

Cock in video was 3+. Most but not all will do it as bullstags. Environment (social) is important. All the gamecocks I have seen can do it although only when hen number is low. Confining in pens seems to complicate relationship unless pen is large. More mating opportunities competes with investment in a given brood. Once a cock commits to a brood it appears hard for him to switch back into the typical randy-player mode, especially when brood is large. Hormone changes like in hens almost certainly at play and it is inducible.

Cocks we used to keep for generating broodpullets and kept in larger flypens with a broodhen after peak breedng season routinely would go broody. Some of those guys would be pushing 10 years of age but did not get to enter those special arrangements until at least four years old. Only know am I getting to explore this in any detail and the numbers of birds is decidedly low.