Most years I have young game chickens running around house where I can see them very well. This year is no exception and a consistent pattern is emerging like in past years. Currently a gray hen bred to a non-gray rooster has chicks pushing 6 weeks old so if hatched earlier would already be weaned. She still clucks and leads them about most of the time. The pullets (all are brown like father) stay much closer to their mother. The cockerels (all gray because inherited silver gene from mother) range much further away. Additionally, they are more likely to forage even when mother and sisters have gone to roost. The cockerels are eating a lot of crickets that come out just before dark and some sort of beetle grub that is large enough to be June beetle larvae. The cockerels go to roost with much more distended crops.
