I am watching a American Game pullet closely for changes in her foraging habits as late winter transitions into early spring. Pullet operates alone with a home range that does not overlap any female chickens. Her range does extensively overlap with a group of four American Dominique cockerels that she does not associate with. The cockerels are not as vested in foraging for eats as she is, they go more for feed and scatch grains.
The pullet is working most of the day in a roughly 0.25 acre patch of cool season grass dominated by fescue. Only management of the area is through spring time prescribed burns which has yet to occur this year. She is working on something that appears to be larval crane flies. Starlings also starting to work same area although fescue appears deeper than what they like. Her crop-fill at dusk is suggestive of something with high water content. It processes quickly as well. She looks and feels excellent. She only needs to forage for about 4 hours to maintain herself.
The pullet is working most of the day in a roughly 0.25 acre patch of cool season grass dominated by fescue. Only management of the area is through spring time prescribed burns which has yet to occur this year. She is working on something that appears to be larval crane flies. Starlings also starting to work same area although fescue appears deeper than what they like. Her crop-fill at dusk is suggestive of something with high water content. It processes quickly as well. She looks and feels excellent. She only needs to forage for about 4 hours to maintain herself.
