I've been looking into getting some American Game hens. Their broodiness, fierce mothering abilities, hardiness, and foraging abilities make me believe they could be a great asset to my breeding program for a good "farm chicken." According to my research they should be able to perform under these conditions, but I wanted to double check with the experts.
I'll keep a flock of a rooster and some laying hens (RIR, BR, BO) with 2-3 Game hens mixed in. The Game hens will have the sole purpose of hatching and raising chicks. Once her chicks have hatched she and her family will be allowed to free range over several acres of good quality pasture and shade trees, along with the layer flock. I will not provide any feed for her and her family, they'll have to scrounge it up from the land. She'll have to protect her chicks from predators during the day while they're out free ranging and not lose any or very few in the tall grass. I'll lock everyone up in a predator proof coop at night. Do you think this could work? I'm not expecting 100% survival rate, 50% would be fine by me.
I want to be able to hatch and raise chicks without needing chick feed from the feed store or electricity for incubators and heat lamps. Basically, I want to go back to the way they did it in the old days, where the hens did it all, and the farmer just collected the eggs daily, locked them up at night/let them out in the morning, and harvested some chicken whenever he got a hankerin'.
Also, will an American Game hen allow a Buff Orpington rooster to breed her, or is she too fast and non-complying? I think these two breeds would compliment each other very well, making a great farm chicken.
And how many clutches of chicks will an average American Game hen raise each year, assuming I left the chicks with her for her to "wean" when she decides to?
Thanks for any help/info!
I'll keep a flock of a rooster and some laying hens (RIR, BR, BO) with 2-3 Game hens mixed in. The Game hens will have the sole purpose of hatching and raising chicks. Once her chicks have hatched she and her family will be allowed to free range over several acres of good quality pasture and shade trees, along with the layer flock. I will not provide any feed for her and her family, they'll have to scrounge it up from the land. She'll have to protect her chicks from predators during the day while they're out free ranging and not lose any or very few in the tall grass. I'll lock everyone up in a predator proof coop at night. Do you think this could work? I'm not expecting 100% survival rate, 50% would be fine by me.
I want to be able to hatch and raise chicks without needing chick feed from the feed store or electricity for incubators and heat lamps. Basically, I want to go back to the way they did it in the old days, where the hens did it all, and the farmer just collected the eggs daily, locked them up at night/let them out in the morning, and harvested some chicken whenever he got a hankerin'.
Also, will an American Game hen allow a Buff Orpington rooster to breed her, or is she too fast and non-complying? I think these two breeds would compliment each other very well, making a great farm chicken.
And how many clutches of chicks will an average American Game hen raise each year, assuming I left the chicks with her for her to "wean" when she decides to?
Thanks for any help/info!
