Show Off Your Games!

[downtheriver]

I am looking for a breed to serve as a reliable broody sub flock to my larger flock and to hatch out chicks as part of a breeding program for heritage large fowl. Ideally, I would like the broodies to go broody as a group, more or less, within a 8-12 week period in early spring. Everyone tells me to forget it, hens go broody when they want to and at anytime of the year, with an emphasis on early summer. That was my experience last year when I worked with some American class heavy fowl, and they went broody in the summer more so than the early spring. So, I am checking in with the Game people, in hopes that a breed like OEG that has not been adulterated still possess broody insticts that appear in the spring.

Thanks,

Mark

I have seen what you are speaking about only once in my life (in the 70's) this guy near me raised/showed/sold/shipped an assortment of bantams and large fowl .... one day he was showing me around and we walked into one of the many chicken houses and setting on the shelves all around the wall was ameraucana hens/pullets (i'm thinking were bantam ameraucanas but could have been standards) there was about a dozen hens/pullets and all were setting on eggs , some were sharing big nest together. I mentioned it and he laughed and said he really did not need his big expensive incubators with these . I asked what they were even though i knew (verification) .

My game hens are very good setters but some will come off the nest(they usually come off once a day /food/water/bathroom) and fight any hen that will tangle with her . Some of my game hens will fight a person trying to change eggs under them and peck the blood out of my hands , wrists and arms (it's hard to handle eggs with gloves on but i've tried ) lol .

 

[centrarchid]

I am looking for a breed to serve as a reliable broody sub flock to my larger flock and to hatch out chicks as part of a breeding program for heritage large fowl. Ideally, I would like the broodies to go broody as a group, more or less, within a 8-12 week period in early spring. Everyone tells me to forget it, hens go broody when they want to and at anytime of the year, with an emphasis on early summer. That was my experience last year when I worked with some American class heavy fowl, and they went broody in the summer more so than the early spring. So, I am checking in with the Game people, in hopes that a breed like OEG that has not been adulterated still possess broody insticts that appear in the spring.

Thanks,

Mark

Starting with 18 game hens in lay in May, I can get about 12 to go broody within a 2-week interval. Most will go broody by the time they produce on average 10-12 eggs. Cut their feed back towards end of time required to produce the first 8 eggs and that seems to get them to switch quicker into the broody mode. Leave their eggs in the nest until you are ready to swap them with hatching eggs.


My hens are genetically capable of being difficult like downtheriver describes but I invest in taming them so they do not pop me or damage eggs associated with my disturbances. I do not like getting flogged by incubators.

 

[CUDA]

First off, no matter the breed, it's never a good idea to have multiple broodies housed together. Single pen them and it will work fine. They won't all go broody "on time", but you will get better chicks than using an incubator, so it is worth it in the long run.

 

[centrarchid]

First off, no matter the breed, it's never a good idea to have multiple broodies housed together.  Single pen them and it will work fine.  They won't all go broody "on time", but you will get better chicks than using an incubator, so it is worth it in the long run.

Most hens I like to confine singly to their own pens. Balance are free-range although keeping track of all nests can be a problem. Once chicks hatch, I like keep broods spread out. This in part helps limit conflicts between hens, but also with nutrition and disease management. Too many broods per unit area causes local exhaustion of forage base. Stress from poor nutrition and lots of adult birds about makes so chicks have a tougher time avoiding disease issues. I promote spreading by keeping nests (pens) spread out but also make it so there are more ground roosting sites than hens. With my Dominiques I use chick feeders spread about to further help spread broods. To do this consistently you must have exceptional predator control.

 

[KristyAnn]

I need tips on how to tame mine. We did get him it seems a little to late to tame and would love to keep him, but unfortunately he isn't the kindest to the children. Please help!

 

[centrarchid]

I need tips on how to tame mine. We did get him it seems a little to late to tame and would love to keep him, but unfortunately he isn't the kindest to the children. Please help!

With what appears to be your setup in your images I would acquire a lawn chair, a good book, and a can of live mealworms. Take everything into coop, sit down and read until everybody comes down, then start tossing mealworms out one at a time. Do not look at birds directly. Make so stag has to approach you for a morsel. Do not give him more than 30 mealworms in a sitting. Make no effort to grab him. After a sitting which should not last even an hour, quietly and deliberately leave. Repeat on follow days. Each time make him approach closer for eats. After only a couple of days you should be able to get him to jump up on your lap. Odds are that before such is realized he will take mealworms from your hand. Once he is comfortable with getting on your lap then start touching him with backside of your hand every time he gets a mealworm. At some point he will stand on your arm or hand and allow you to look directly at him without getting flighty. When doing any number of birds I pen them individually so they can only see me and give them only tidbits each time I pass the pen. You spend only seconds in front of each pen but it is still a slow motion deal. With pen setup I can efficiently get them ready to be handled but with in the coop bit you can get bird to not only allow handling, but also to come to you and to fly up into your hand. Same can be realized with pen setup if that is the desired end point although at some point interaction must be carried out on floor. Their is considerable variation on speed of training and that is a function of genetics and prior experiences of bird.

P.S. I use a laptop commuter instead of a book.

 

[saladin]

What do you mean by 'tame?'

If he's a manfighter kill him.
If he's a biter, well that just comes with the territory.
Real Games aren't toys. They are like Thourghbred Horses; they aren't bred for pleasure riding; they are just way to high strung for that. On the other hand, Oriental Games are often very affectionate to their human handlers, but American/OEGames are another story.

 

[centrarchid]

What do you mean by 'tame?'

If he's a manfighter kill him.
If he's a biter, well that just comes with the territory.
Real Games aren't toys. They are like Thourghbred Horses; they aren't bred for pleasure riding; they are just way to high strung for that. On the other hand, Oriental Games are often very affectionate to their human handlers, but American/OEGames are another story.

In have seen enough involving Orientals to be able to disagree. Americans of at least some if not most lines can be tamed down just fine. Exceptions I have seen have a lot more to do with technique of handler than birds themselves. Put same effort / love into your Americans as you do your Orientals and you will see.

 

[CUDA]

You won't find any quality orientals that aren't easy to handle. If you got OG that like to manfight, I can assure you that they aren't worth owning. As far as americans go, they tend to be much higher strung, and even with some very good lines you will never get them to mellow out, no matter what you do. But once again, I'm referring to quality gamefowl that are bred to be gamefowl. Saladin has more experience in his little finger than most around here, lord knows he's old enough....lol, so I would listen to him as his advice is sound.

 

[KristyAnn]

With what appears to be your setup in your images I would acquire a lawn chair, a good book, and a can of live mealworms.  Take everything into coop, sit down and read until everybody comes down, then start tossing mealworms out one at a time.  Do not look at birds directly.  Make so stag has to approach you for a morsel.  Do not give him more than 30 mealworms in a sitting.  Make no effort to grab him.  After a sitting which should not last even an hour, quietly and deliberately leave.  Repeat on follow days.  Each time make him approach closer for eats.  After only a couple of days you should be able to get him to jump up on your lap.  Odds are that before such is realized he will take mealworms from your hand.  Once he is comfortable with getting on your lap then start touching him with backside of your hand every time he gets a mealworm.  At some point he will stand on your arm or hand and allow you to look directly at him without getting flighty.  When doing any number of birds I pen them individually so they can only see me and give them only tidbits each time I pass the pen.  You spend only seconds in front of each pen but it is still a slow motion deal.  With pen setup I can efficiently get them ready to be handled but with in the coop bit you can get bird to not only allow handling, but also to come to you and to fly up into your hand.  Same can be realized with pen setup if that is the desired end point although at some point interaction must be carried out on floor.   Their is considerable variation on speed of training and that is a function of genetics and prior experiences of bird.

P.S. I use a laptop commuter instead of a book.

This is his him and thank you. The meal worm and lawn chair idea is worth a try.h

With what appears to be your setup in your images I would acquire a lawn chair, a good book, and a can of live mealworms.  Take everything into coop, sit down and read until everybody comes down, then start tossing mealworms out one at a time.  Do not look at birds directly.  Make so stag has to approach you for a morsel.  Do not give him more than 30 mealworms in a sitting.  Make no effort to grab him.  After a sitting which should not last even an hour, quietly and deliberately leave.  Repeat on follow days.  Each time make him approach closer for eats.  After only a couple of days you should be able to get him to jump up on your lap.  Odds are that before such is realized he will take mealworms from your hand.  Once he is comfortable with getting on your lap then start touching him with backside of your hand every time he gets a mealworm.  At some point he will stand on your arm or hand and allow you to look directly at him without getting flighty.  When doing any number of birds I pen them individually so they can only see me and give them only tidbits each time I pass the pen.  You spend only seconds in front of each pen but it is still a slow motion deal.  With pen setup I can efficiently get them ready to be handled but with in the coop bit you can get bird to not only allow handling, but also to come to you and to fly up into your hand.  Same can be realized with pen setup if that is the desired end point although at some point interaction must be carried out on floor.   Their is considerable variation on speed of training and that is a function of genetics and prior experiences of bird.

P.S. I use a laptop commuter instead of a book.

ere he is and thank you. I will give the meal worm and lawn chair technique you speak of a good try.