Show Off Your American Gamefowl and Chat Thread!!!

[miss heny]

The girls would be running with my larger flock, with of course a close eye at first.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Why not simply get a group of several (not one or two) game pullets and keep them in a larger pen equipped with multiple nesting sites? Fighting issues you are to have will be a function of both genetics and environment. The key variable you will be able manipulate will be the complexity of the social hierarchy. Sometimes more is better as scrapping is diffused. I am not able to keep two or sometimes even three hens together in a pen without a cock to break them up but once you get into larger groups the social problems become less of an issue. Once broods hatched hens with chicks need to be removed or chicks taken away from them.


On the genetics side I would acquire some hatchery strain games as they will likely be better suited for group keeping.

That's the issue I am talking about. Once removed from the group it's unlikely they will go back without major problems.

 

[centrarchid]

The girls would be running with my larger flock, with of course a close eye at first.

The larger group including other hens will make efforts even easier. Once I get larger groups of 10 or more fights are generally very brief because incoming aggressor has too many targets and "resident" females tendency to scrap among themselves moderates aggression that might otherwise become a knockdown dragout. Check around for keepers of games that use extra hens for egg production..

 

[miss heny]

Here is our flock set up:

We have around 20 birds, who all run together both roosters and hens, but normally they split off into micro clans, example my OEGBs mainly hang out together. All my broodies have always raised their chicks in the 'flock' and I never once had a chicken actually kill a chick, now, having one try to kill me as I try to grab a chick?

That a different story.

So for me, the game hens will be running with everyone else and helping us restock our laying flock with chickies, if I have to I do take broodies out but normally I never had that issue.

 

[centrarchid]

If room adequate and you provide ample areas not only for nesting but also loafing and foraging you will be able to continue pattern. The game hens will be more inclined to cause real damage to chicks not their own and each other despite your best efforts although you will likely be able to realize at least some production. Stay away from games that have a lot of Asil in their background as hens of those might be more problematic. On a roughly 2 acre paddock I can have nearly 10 hens with chicks less than 5 weeks old at any given time although I do have to spread out their nightly retreats and make certain extra nest sites are always present.

 

[miss heny]

We plan on a big chicken yard for our laying flock when we move. All my birds are able to free range (okay not the black swedish hens, but with the amount I paid....

) my 3 acres, and when we move to the 18 or so next year big, big yards for them

plus honeymoon coops for those I want to breed and know who the parents.

 

[B123]

Why not simply get a group of several (not one or two) game pullets and keep them in a larger pen equipped with multiple nesting sites? Fighting issues you are to have will be a function of both genetics and environment. The key variable you will be able manipulate will be the complexity of the social hierarchy. Sometimes more is better as scrapping is diffused. I am not able to keep two or sometimes even three hens together in a pen without a cock to break them up but once you get into larger groups the social problems become less of an issue. Once broods hatched hens with chicks need to be removed or chicks taken away from them.


On the genetics side I would acquire some hatchery strain games as they will likely be better suited for group keeping.

This is an interesting point Centra. I like to free range the females out of a single coop. A "good" cock bird makes this easier, also having enough space, perches and nesting boxes really helps. When I first started trying this, I didn't have enough perch space. When tiffs would break out between the females, some would spend the night in the trees. They seemed to need their space when settling down for the night, otherwise they picked at each other trying to get space on the roosts. I started adding more roosts and they really spread out, several feet at least from each other. It has just been interesting to see.

 

[JShubin]

Where can I get drop pens for cheap?

 

[sdm111]

 

[sdm111]

Where can I get drop pens for cheap?

that would be a question for flypen