The Perfect Free-Range Chicken?

[varidgerunner]

Asil are not all that cold tolerant. Mine make it pretty good here in the Mountains of VA, but it's not the Dakotas here by any means. They need shelter from elements in winter. No heat needed, but a roof and wind blocking.

You need American games, maybe cross them with about a quarter barnyard chicken. I have some that are 1/4 asil, 1/2 AG and 1/4 barnyard chicken that do good. Get some bred like that and you can still catch them with a tee pole at night. Straight American games will be thirty feet up in a tree and you need a .22 to get them down. I have to cull mine down from time to time, they reproduce like rats. You have a couple hens running loose in the woods and next thing you know there are 50 chickens running around into everything.

Another way you can catch them for harvesting is to keep a cock and tame him. They will get tame as a dog and eat out of your hand, and most times never get mean. Get him out and put him on the yard when the young stags start to man up. They will face off and you just walk up and grab the wild one by the tail feathers. Works good and you don't have to wait til dark.

Those hens will be 10 or 12 years old and still raising chicks, two, three, four broods a year, 10 or 12 at a pop. They know where every food source is and are older than most of the predators by that time, have seen them come and go.

 

[FayoumisFreak]

I ordered some chicks already a few days ago, but I'll probably place another order once these chicks are out of the brooder for other breeds that were recommended, such as Buckeye and Marans. I will update when the chicks arrive and how they grow!

 

[FayoumisFreak]

Thank you for the advice varidgerunner! I do need to get some American Gamefowl (and OEGB possibly)!

 

[FayoumisFreak]

I have the brooder set up for my chicks that should arrive early next week!
(I will put in food/water the day that they arrive)

 

[centrarchid]

I have been doing 1/2 American Game x 1/2 American Dominique where the female side is pretty good. Male side American Game is better. I am of a background that had American Games basically kept in fence rows and farm buildings with little human visitation. You must have predator management for that to work.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

I free ranged 4 Brahma hens for about 2 years with no losses. They got rehomed and now they free range under supervision because their new home has many predators.

 

[BantyChooks]

Do you want a cross, even if there's one breed that fulfills all requirements? I have found that Leghorns are range-wary, intelligent, capable of enough flight to get away from dogs, incredible layers, and cold hardy. Even the whites, which are single combed. Yes, they get frostbite, but that's only one measure of hardiness, and there are rose combed varieties that still lay like gangbusters, according to what I've heard.

My hatchery line Leghorns were out and about on weeks when the highest temperature didn't even scrape 0*F and the lows were much colder. They have ample and stiff feathering that still possesses plenty of down. I have found that cold hardiness seems to be rather connected to temperament—the 'calm' breeds sit on the roost and shiver themselves to death, and the feisty breeds get off the roost and eat and drink and stay alive.

If you want to do a cross, I'd put American Gamefowl into the Leghorn and see what it does. If you want DP, I'd add Chantecler. They're almost as hardy as the Leghorns. A bit sillier about snow, but very good winter layers. Most of my birds shut down in winter, even the first year pullets, and only the Chanteclers and Leghorns lay through.

I wouldn't do EE's for rate of lay or flight. I found them average at best in both respects.

 

[centrarchid]

American Game x Leghorn would be very good for a smart and more capable cross with decent egg production.

 

[FayoumisFreak]

Thank you for all the advice! I would like to cross, rather than getting one breed that fills the requirements. I do like to experiment a little and see how it turns out. I order from McMurray, but they don't seem to have American Gamefowl. Where/how can I get them in eastern Montana? Although Easter Eggers aren't super good egg layers or flyers, I do feel they could improve the cross because they also are a good free range bird. Are brown leghorns as hardy as white? The white sound amazing, but it seems like the brown would camouflage better. Also, I'd like to include that egg production is not a priority for me.

 

[Redfisher1997]

Marans- cold tolerance, good foragers, meat, eggs, roos are good flock protectors (warns flock)
Orpington- good foragers, meat, eggs, cold tolerance, roosters are good flock protectors(warns flock)
American Gamefowl (pea combed)- great foragers, tolerant of cold, roosters are good flock protectors, roos are often protective of chicks

idk about the marans or game fowl but i can tell you i agree with lilJoe on the Orpingtons, my girls were great layers, and when they would free range they were very good/ effective free rangers, and my roo, Clyde, was bad to the bone, he not only warned the flock of danger but he was so fierce that if he didn't recognize a person or dog or if a goat got to close he would attack and protect his flock like crazy, yet at the same time he was gentile enough to where i could pick him up or even role him over and rub his belly like a dog! Unfortunately he died from fighting off whatever attacked the girls one night... i could tell he put up a heck of a fight though because there was clumps of feathers and things knocked over all over the place so he gave that predator ( still dont know what got him) a run for its money and the girls escaped unharmed!