Show Off Your American Gamefowl and Chat Thread!!!

[YdogsflY]

So what would be the typical starter setup for raising games? 3 family pen? Any free ranging?

 

[centrarchid]

So what would be the typical starter setup for raising games? 3 family pen? Any free ranging?

I would not tangle with breeding them pure unless you are serious.

 

[sdm111]

No freeranging and penned birds at same time. Dome pens 4wide 4or5 deep and 4 high. A pair or trio should be ok IF brought up together but always have extra pens incase they need to be separated (hens will fight like males) When introducing males and females for mating I put the male into the females pen. I prefer to put him into her territory than putting her into his territory. They will probably fight at first until the hen shows submission if the hen does not show submission they will need to be separated after mating cause he will kill her. I usually CANT put a stag and a pullet/hen together to live together cause the stag wants to kill her. Cock birds are easier to me to pair up with a hen and leave together they take care of the hen. When pairing watch cause they may be fine one minute then one does something the other doesn't like and they will fight and they will fight till the death. They can be fine for months and then brawl. Unless its my birds that's been together all their life I breed like this. Example Mon put birds together let mate twice then separate (prolly 2, mins)discard eggs till Wednesday starting Thursday leave eggs put together Monday let mate twice separate and she's fertile for the whole clutch. Everybody has what works for them

 

[sdm111]

Don't worry centra is always so motivational and inspiring to people don't take it personal

 

[sdm111]

Interesting observation at the end of this hot 98 F day. Bullstag in eclipse part of molt cycle where tail feathers are about out except for sicle feathers was acting all mousy when I walked in yard. He froze in a crouched position and would not move at all even as I approached his pen. After minute or so we walked away in slow motion even as I tossed in feed. He ignored it. Thinking something was wrong I released him were he walked real slowly towards a bullstag in neighboring pen. Then he came to life and tried to go up against other bird through the wire. His hackle feathers are short like a hen's. I moved in and he got into hotwire where he kept trying to setup for buckling. The fence was zapping the crap out of him yet he held his position until I got ready to grab him and moved a again. After dodging me and waiting a couple minutes he tried to fight again where I finely caught him. He is in excellent weight. I put him back in his pen and he still ignored it. I tossed in a grasshopper and he ignored it too. When I walked about 50 feet away he finely started to feed.

A few do this every year and they scare me into thinking something is wrong.

heat stress?

 

[centrarchid]

Don't worry centra is always so motivational and inspiring to people don't take it personal

To be factual, our roles have been reversed. I have documents as pm's on that.

 

[centrarchid]

@YdogsflY,

If you are serious, then then you will not be put off by my remark. You can keep a pair or trio free-range with ease. Penning and breeding as indicated above gets a lot more complicated as already indicated. Rearing in confinement takes some learning and you can find young birds can be a threat to themselves. Even free-range they can be a threat to themselves when you start managing tightly to keep adults from fighting each other.

What is your desired end point with these birds if raised?

 

[centrarchid]

heat stress?

Possibly. I will be shading him better by pulling his pen into high grass. He was in good hydration as well. He also carried tail like they do when getting ready to flee from a predator. Wings were held like a bird in good health.

 

[sdm111]

There's a difference in having a few backyard games and being responsible for other peoples birds and mating without issues and getting them safely back

 

[YdogsflY]

Don't worry centra is always so motivational and inspiring to people don't take it personal

No worries. His reply was spot on and straight to the point. I like that.

Thanks for the info on the setup and technique.