Show Off Your American Gamefowl and Chat Thread!!!

[sdm111]

Will do fly pen

 

[roosterhavoc]

I have a dumb question. If I'm logged in this site from my phone does it show up that I'm always on here? I was just thinking about it. People must wonder what I do all day if it shows me being on all day everyday

 

[maranfarmer563]

Says 7:07,my phone is always logged on too

 

[roosterhavoc]

Ok I was just wondering because it says I'm online sometimes even when I'm not logged in on the computer just didn't want everyone to think I'm some kind of tool. Not that I really care all that much. Lol

 

[mc chicken]

Might as well start a topic now. What y'all focusing on this year?

I'm mainly going to focus on my sids. Also going to cross sid over blue/grey hen. That's about it for me I'm am literally a backyard breeder. Which means I only keep the best!

 

[centrarchid]

I'm not sure I fully understand what some of you guys are saying about free ranging gamefowl or any birds for that matter. The ones who make it and are still alive is not just because they were smart enough to get away from predators, hearty enough to avoid disease etc.. Some of it has to be luck. Therefore in the process many great birds may have been lost to that approach. While I don't think one way is better than the next. You will definately have more dead birds. A few may fight off a small hawk or even a fox pup but the determined breeding pair of foxes will kill them all in a few nights if not stopped. I have many birds that are still alive that shouldn't be. I watch them cross the yard to get blackberries on the other side in broad daylight without a care in the world, yet are still kicking. Some have managed to survive no less than 10 fox attacks, a few raccoon and numerous hawks plus the many that I didn't see. Some of these birds are pushing 6-7 yrs old. Some of them don't even go in the coop at night. Sleep right on top of pen attached. Dumber than dumb.

I come at this with a background involving both walk and confinement breeding so have a handle on the merits of both. Most of the gamefowl's history has involved walks with the intensive confinement approach becoming practical only with the advent of complete formulations that were not developed for gamefowl, rather they were developed for meat and egg producing birds. We did a mixture of both production methods where the majority of young birds came off the walks. Most of those, although none of the cream of the crop were sold.

First you do not free-range birds where losses are expected to be high, but zero loss is not desired either. Second, predator management needs to be vetted by having adults (hens only OK) over winter. Ideally if you put 10 cocks out ( each on his own discrete walk of course) you will get 8 or better back so a low level of losses tolerable. You can also use lower value adults on free-range site (walk) and simply slip in quality hatching from breeding pens thus protecting broodfowl from loss yet getting young birds getting the benefits of free-range rearing.

Economics - When depredation losses are low to moderate they can offset feed costs. You can't touch the quality of free-range forages with anything you can buy in a bag or otherwise formulate. In a pen raised setting only, it cost me close to $20 per bird just to get them to the pennng stage.

Condition - Forage-based nutrition itself promotes physical activity. Occasional bursts of activity promoted by larger areas and stimuli provided by perceived threats allow for higher amplitude and more sustained levels of activity. Elevated roost (I like birds to fly 15 to 20 vertically to reach adult roost) provides a good challenge each day. Try and handle some free-range birds at the same time as pen reared and you will be able to feel the difference. Think about your high school athletic career and the impact of your physical activity while younger. Games are no different.

Genetics - Many but not all losses to predators can approach random with respect to genetics of birds lost, none-the-less birds in poor health or physical ability are preferentially taken. When birds are harvested at the end of free-range production cycle there will be a range of conditions that can be discerned by sight and feel. That range is very much a function of genetics. Birds with good symmetry, feathering and muscle mass are kept while balance are culled, regardless of color-type.

 

[centrarchid]

I'm mainly going to focus on my sids. Also going to cross sid over blue/grey hen. That's about it for me I'm am literally a backyard breeder. Which means I only keep the best!

I will be expanding a line to evaluate pairwise matings between full siblings. Best of those will be used to reset line and retire cock they are based on. Twenty-five barrels paired with pens will need to be set up by fall for that.

 

[mc chicken]

I will be expanding a line to evaluate pairwise matings between full siblings. Best of those will be used to reset line and retire cock they are based on. Twenty-five barrels paired with pens will need to be set up by fall for that.

Sounds like you will have your hands full there. What is the strain?

 

[centrarchid]

Sounds like you will have your hands full there. What is the strain?

It is best referred to mine. If wanted to,, I could call some Hatch and get away with it if only looks where taken into consideration. That means they are largely black-breasted red with willow legs and straight comb. Particular line to be set is somewhat Mug-looking on the cock side. Other two lines are closer to the classical Hatch look although one carries a gene that makes hens lighter than the wild-type.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Mug looking cock pic?