What's the best breed to let run semi-feral?

[chickfused]

After some time and observation of my existing chickens, I'm leaning toward Ancona chickens being the right breed for me to just let roam for egg production. Excellent foragers, huge eggs, and very predator savvy. Does really well in my climate too. They won't set though, so I'll need something on the meatier side that likes to set to complement them, but this might be a good flock starter.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I've looked at Ancona myself, though none were avvailable locally - its a good choice, and you are right to look at filling your flock with anoher breed to cover the areas for which they are "unsuited".

Ultimately, you either have to get specialists who do a thing very well, or "dual purpose" breeds which do several things tolerably. That is the approach I'm taking, for a host of reasons - but every time I bite into a big, tender, chicken breast or a good size baked chicken (NEITHER can come from my flock), I'm reminded of what I have given up in my approach.

 

[troyer]

Look into a Cubalaya line that has been free ranged. I have stock that is very predator savvy. 15 years ago I started a project to get adept free rangers with my Cubalaya. The first year I lost almost unbearably too many (we lived in a hawk migration route) I did allow it to happen though. The survivors got to breed and now I seldom lose any to hawks. I do have a Great Pyrenees now, but I didn't have at first. I purposely gave them cover to scatter into when needed.
Seven years into the project I timed an incubator hatch of my project chicks to a hatchery order to see if my project is doing what wanted it to do. I put both my incubator chicks and the hatchery chicks in the brooder together (same age), waited until they were 1 week old and then simulated the scream of a red tailed hawk to the chicks. All of my project chicks scattered to the corners/outside edges of the brooder and flattened themselves to the floor. The hatchery chicks went about the business of eating and drinking as though nothing out of the ordinary had just happened. None of these chicks had ever been with an adult experienced hen to be trained. This experiment tells me that chickens can be bred to retain hawk savviness genetically. When free ranging I always have given them cover of some sort to slip into or tall perches to fly up onto for the ground predators. Every year I have birds that I get rid of because they don't meet breed standard in some way, shape or form. I am willing to help you with some birds if you're interested.
Blue red cockerel will get pretty big.

 

[sekeyslaks]

A lot of people are recommending light breeds that would be great in your area that is true enough.I live in Tennessee too though and I have some Ancona’s and they are surprisingly amazing in winter weather,unlike my Andalusian’s who shiver in the first Fall breeze! But keep in mind that Light breeds have a tendency to roost in trees at night and LOVE to wander and forage.Darker colored birds won’t just be hard for predators to see but you too!Imagine trying to find a Black chicken at night,roosting in a tree.I speak from personal experience!! I find my Easter Egger’s or EE’s mixed with heavy breeds do the best in our weather.

 

[FolkSonginC]

A lot of people are recommending light breeds that would be great in your area that is true enough.I live in Tennessee too though and I have some Ancona’s and they are surprisingly amazing in winter weather,unlike my Andalusian’s who shiver in the first Fall breeze! But keep in mind that Light breeds have a tendency to roost in trees at night and LOVE to wander and forage.Darker colored birds won’t just be hard for predators to see but you too!Imagine trying to find a Black chicken at night,roosting in a tree.I speak from personal experience!! I find my Easter Egger’s or EE’s mixed with heavy breeds do the best in our weather.

I honestly don't see a problem with roosting in trees, especially if they want a semi-feral bird. My light breeds have always alternated between coop and trees, and I always felt they were perfectly safe when they chose to roost in the trees. They go very high up. Never had any problems with cold either and that's with Maine winters.

 

[micstrachan]

I would have said Brown Leghorn because of their flightiness, but they don’t have much meat and aren’t particularly good in the cold. What about Australorps? I’ve only had two so far, but they were excellent foragers, great layers and carried some meat. Nowhere near as fast as Leghorns, but not super slow in my (limited) experience, either.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

If you look to the last page of my project, you will see a photo of my most hopeful hatch to date. Then two close ups. Its my experience that a patterned bird is harder to spot than a solid black (or any other color) bird, and I commend your willingness to take on the task of crafting your own, for your own environbment, aided by the pressures of natural predation. Sorry about your Ranger - light, flighty birds are good for predators, yes, but they don't put meat on the table, or much egg either. The Ranger might have provided some useful genetics.

 

[3KillerBs]

So, to make sure I understand this, you'll provide shelter, feed, and water but you don't want to have any protective fencing?

How much of their feed do you expect them to obtain on their own?

As @U_Stormcrow pointed out, the better egg and meat producer they are the worse they're going to be at free living and obtaining a major portion of their diet on range.

Does your area already support a population of feral chickens? I could be wrong, but that seems to me to be the measure of the ability to let the chickens run wild successfully.

 

[Daiene]

I'm in Tennessee. Summers are brutal, winters get pretty chilly. I'm looking for a flock to pretty much sustain itself on my land, no fences, but a coop to go into at night and food water supplemented for free ranging. Basically just a step above feral. Looking for meat and eggs and baby chick raising. Any suggestions for breeds to look at?

Icelandic Chickens! I was about to get some and did some research and decided they’re are not the best ones for what I have to offer. But they would be a great fit to what you want!!!

 

[ColtHandorf]

Hi, someone here has suggested a guard animal. Was wondering whether you might encourage large Canada geese to come down and mix with them, possibly by providing a lake or pond of some sort, and planting mangolds such as turnips and swedes for them to root up, as well as other root crops, which they love, though maybe not potatoes. You might give them some grass pellets in the winter - I think that's what they eat if I remember. As I understand it, Canadas are so vicious even a fox won't have a go. They are therefore ideal 'guard dogs' for gentler geese that would otherwise become prey, so perhaps Canadas would work for your hens. A pity Canadas are now considered a pest, and often culled. Maybe people haven't yet realised their useful side!

Terrible idea to encourage wild birds to mingle with domestic birds as they can pass along diseases. Canada geese are notorious for being carriers of several illnesses I'd not want passed on. Better to enjoy them in the wild if they are wild.

As has been stated multiple times you aren't going to find a bird that meets all of your criteria. Chances are you also aren't going to find very many birds surviving in an environment like that.

That being said, I'd recommend Sicilian Buttercups for free-ranging and hardiness. Mine were excellent foragers. They lay well but are smaller birds so you won't get much meat off a carcass you've processed.