wabbitswayer
Junior Member
Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
Posts: 69
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Post by wabbitswayer on Feb 8, 2004 14:08:42 GMT -5
Some of you may have read my thread on another forum. For those that didn't... What do you think the best type of fowl would be for what I would like to use them for? I eat them, I eat the eggs, I would want good setters, AND I want nice feathers. The following breeds are what I really like from the pictures I have seen: American Game Fowl (red and silver duckwing, red pyle) Dorkings (spangled red, silver, golden) Freisian Modern Game Fowl (red/black combo, silver, blue, spangled) OE game (same colors as above) Red Jungle Fowl Leghorns (brown, red, buff, blue) Pheonix Yokohama OE pheasant fowl Sumatra I know some of the big hatcheries cover some of these breeds. I would like to know your opinions or experieces with any of these breeds. Yes, my kids like friendly critters. All the "game" fowl I have met were the calmest birds I had ever seen AND they actually sought out humans to mess with them. Not sure if that was because of the owner or just their very nature to be NON-human aggressive. Kinda like "game" dogs... Anyway, I knew that you guys would entertain my ignorance and be willing to share your experience I just felt comfortable asking and well, conversation is good on a message board
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Post by Kickingbird on Feb 8, 2004 17:36:25 GMT -5
You can delete leghorns from your list right off the bat, they are not good setters. They do lay eggs well but if you really want to incubate with hens, stay away from them. Phoenix are great but most of mine lay eggs that are just a little bigger than bantam eggs. Mine lay quite well, and they are great setters and mothers. Games are great all around. I would choose from longtails or games for your wants/needs. Hope this helps KB
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wabbitswayer
Junior Member
Eat well, stay fit, die anyway.
Posts: 69
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Post by wabbitswayer on Feb 8, 2004 17:47:41 GMT -5
It does help because I don't have a freakin' clue as to the particulars of any of them. I just knew that they were attractive birds so far as feathers went. The problem that I had with my heavy breeds from last years batch was that they didn't want to have anything whatsoever to do with people and were difficult to keep around in a free-range set-up. Also, they were notorious for being stupid... I would expect chickens to FREAK out if something were to attack them, but they didn't, hence I lost SEVERAL of them to a predator.
Would starting with chicks or eggs be better for this? Or would just having adults and them doing their own thing be better?
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Post by Kickingbird on Feb 8, 2004 22:22:14 GMT -5
As far as free range chickens go, you are going to be hard pressed to find any that will like to be around you, especialy if you free feed (allow them to eat all they want). I let my hens free range after breeding season and when I pull in the driveway they all come running. This is because I handle them almost every day when they are young AND I give them a couple of hands full of whole corn for treats every day. I even sit out in my lawn chair and feed them one kernal at a time so they have to get it from my hand or from by my feet..... What can I say, I just love chickens...LOL
Preditors will ALWAYS be a problem...everything eats chicken...literaly! It sucks but you have to get used to it if you are going to let them run loose. I have become a very good marksman but it don't help my birds when I'm not right there to protect them.
If you have an incubator I would start with eggs because you get the whole experience. However you also get the heartach and disappointment that come with hatching eggs. Chicks are guaranteed to get to you alive and with minimal care will produce a viable flock. It is realy personal preference.
KB
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Post by fowlplay on Feb 22, 2004 20:14:06 GMT -5
kb.....we share the same free range experience. when you pull in my driveway, you cant tell if you are sliding in the mud, or ckicken shit.....lol ;D
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