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

[Vicker]

We had black sumatra chickens that were cold and heat tolerant. They can fly to escape predators. They lay smaller eggs than the heavier breeds. Our neighbor gave us some of his. He got them specifically to fare better against coyotes. As they aged out, I replaced with more traditional birds that are more readily available.

 

[Doriss]

Birds that I have found "Semi-feral" while still providing eggs/meat, AND are cold and heat hardy include Barred Rocks and Wyandottes.
I don't think you can get a specific breed that "pretty much sustain itself" on any land. Predators come, and some predators are no match for chickens, even if they are semi-feral.
Some breeds are known to be aggressive, but I've found them to be sweet, and vice versa. The only way I could think to ENCOURAGE aggressiveness, would be not to handle them as chicks, then introduce lots of roosters when they grow up so they learn to fight each other and could therefore fight off predators better. Rooster fighting could probably cause some issues, but I think that's the only way to encourage fighting abilities.
Hens usually run to hide at the sight of a predator, so you would have to rely on roosters or other guard animals to protect your flock.

Good luck

I'll tag a few people I think might be able to help.

@TheOddOneOut
@Mrs. K
@Chookwagn
@U_Stormcrow
@aart

Hi, 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!

 

[Doriss]

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?

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!

 

[Doriss]

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?

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!

 

[All4Eggz]

Hi, 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!

I've never had geese with chickens.
If they live well together, great! If not, then I wouldn't encourage it. A trained guard dog would be best.

 

[Vicktoria Giuergia]

I enjoy reading all the help & suggestions, but we have ducks. My husband does not want
chickens (too messy & time consuming/he says). I have found that the messiest bird is a
Canadian Goose. They fly in every AM & PM & there's nothing you can do about it.

 

[Vicktoria Giuergia]

Yes, a friend of mine who has chickens recommended them to me as good free ranging birds. Especially brown leghorns, since there darker color makes them less visible to predators. I would like to get some in near future.

When you say free ranging how many acres are you talking about?

 

[Vicktoria Giuergia]

I was going to suggest brown leghorns would be a good choice. Better than white due to the camouflage.

Very good suggestion!!!

 

[JedJackson]

I think the main conclusion here is that you can't have everything. You can have good layers that are quick and mostly self-sufficient, like Leghorns, but they are not much use for meat, and they won't hatch their own chicks. Pretty much all of the lightweight breeds that are relatively self sufficient, including games, Icelandics, Sumatras, Hamburgs, Campines and Fayoumi are not going to give you much meat, and many won't fare well in extreme heat. And the heavier breeds that are good meat birds will need more feed and are not so good at avoiding predators. So I guess just experiment a bit and see what works for you.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

My pheonixes seem to thrive being left to their own devices so long as they get food and water. Every spring I end up having to move along pullets and males that were raised au natural.

But they are small and they don't believe in nestboxes either