Game chickens

Any of you guys keep game chickens?
I have 3 with one hen sitting on a clutch now.

I have had them in the past as regular barnyard birds not as a breeder.They make good mothers.

Had a bunch over the years. A farmer pal of mine had guys that fought them drop them off at his farm....they'd not need to feed them that way, then every now and again they would stop over and gather up the roosters to fight. My farmer pal got sick of the dozens he had swarming his farm and while up Bobcat hunting at my place commented that he may bag up a bunch and turn them loose in the swamp for the 'cats to eat. I said I'd take them instead. He brought up burlap bags of them several times. Low maintenance birds, I'd toss a coffee can of corn out each day and 90% of what they ate was foraged in the warm months. Good meat birds, but the roosters would beat the snot outa each other all the time. We'd have a kill-fest every year and thin the roosters right down to nothing.

have 1 hen that hatches eggs for us and keeps the other regular chickens in line.

Had a bunch over the years. Many different breeds. Had hatch,kelso,muff,Sid Taylor,Grey,butcher and some Asil crosses. They were all very good mothers regardless of breed. Loved messing with game chickens.

I use to keep them. Best mothers I have ever seen. Had a fondness for green legged Hatch.

Looking for a pair of blue face hatch if anyone knows of some.

Had a pair wander into our yard 4 years ago when we moved in. I guess they liked hanging out near our laying hens that are penned up. I think there is about 3 dozen running around in the yard right now. All ive ever done is toss a little scratch to them every morning. They keep the flower beds cleaned out and the stuff that usually piles up against the fence around the yard cleaned out. They have never bothered my garden or anything really. They roost in the rafters of my barn and poop everywhere but i dont keep anything out there that they would hurt. Every winter we have a bunch go missing from birds of prey and possibly a couple fox. I protect them best i can but if a few didnt go missing every now and then they would overrun my place. I have 4 mature hens out there now and they have 4-15 little ones each right now i bet.

Munderf google "High noon " hatch. The mans name is Gary Cooper and he is from around Chillocothee Oh. I believe. He has some really nice Hatch chickens. Some of the old line Billy Ruble Blueface Hatch blodd. Very nice man to talk with.

I was around Billy Ruble near the last. He was still selling chickens.

Thank's sako, I'll check it out.

You're welcome munderf. I got some hatching eggs from him several years ago. They were very nicely packed and none damaged and had good hatch percentage. They sure were some pretty stags. Dark red, pea combed and dark green legs. And they could sure enough get down to business! If I get my own place this year I will probably be contacting him for some more brood stock

What is the going rate for the game chickens.
Eggs
Roosters
Hens
I would like to get some but I am on some FB pages for gamefowl and I ain't paying $200 plus for a chicken. Just looking for yard birds as I think they are some of the most beautiful chickens out there. Just want to look at them.
Are there any close to central IL.

Just depends on the breeder and breed. Most eggs from good breeders go from anywhere from 100-200 a dozen. But a lot of eggs on ebay for a lot less than that. I've had brood trios anywhere from $750-$1000. If you have any trade days or swap meets around you can probably find some regular old game chickens for not much money.

i've got what i believe to be a gamecock running around the house rogue.
looks like what pictures show as a "Hatch" - has a check of set of spurs on him too

he comes in to the coop in the morning, crows at my boys, gets them all riles up and excites the ladies....then takes off back into the woods.

egg production has almost doubled since he showed up - he's a good looking feller

Sounds like he's a lover and not a fighter! Lol

i think he's both sako - if there wasn't chicken wire and 2x4 mesh between him and my boys, they'd have a mess to sort out.

I have a farm with Grays, Asils, Hatch and Roundheads. Been breeding them for years. Takes many years to breed the "good one's" This will be my last year.
Great mothers and fearless warriors.

Those Asils make good crossed roosters. What family of greys, hatch and roundhead do you raise? I don't have any right now but still have our keeps and 6 good sets of carol Ibele antique equipment

He does have some very nice, Green Leg Hatch.

Yes the Asils do make very good crosses. I like to cross them with my grays 50/50 Asil rooster to Red Richardson grays. They have been all over the world.
The hatch are Mclean and old Ruble hatch and the Roundheads come from Norman. White leg.

Sounds like some nice chickens jtg. Have seen some really good white legged Lacy Roundheads. High breakers and fast as greased lightning

I have some Lacys and like them very much. Good pure and like to cross them with grays. If I had to pick one breed it would be Roundheads.

Do you have some of the high noon hatch blood?

Yes


[quote=sako22]Do you have some of the high noon hatch blood?[quote=jtg]I have some Lacys and like them very much. Good pure and like to cross them with grays. If I had to pick one breed it would be Roundheads.

I just checked out High Noon Hatch sako, sure look like some nice birds. I'm just getting my feet wet, got a lacy round head hen x grey stag cross and a kelso cross also.
Sounds like you have some really nice birds jtg!

Got some High Noon hatch and Leiper hatch eggs coming next week. got incubators set up and waiting

Are the game hens more broody? Do they sit well and take care of their chicks? How are they as layers? We always have 50-60 chickens running around and I would like more to raise chicks off and be a more hardy bird. We constantly have free range birds get picked off by foxes, coons, possums. I have had some crossed up birds in the past that looked "gamey" and they seemed tougher.

The game hens are very broody and are very good mothers { very protective}!. Not real good egg layers tho. Usually lay late winter thru mid summer has been my experience with them. they are tough birds. They can have the best chicken house there is and they prefer to roost outside in the trees regardless of weather. And they can survive by pretty much just foraging for themselves. Providing they are on free range of course

Have some hatch eggs on the way, looks like tomorrow. Did you get the light phase or dark phase?

Munderf, you must be the order I am waiting in line behind!? lol.. My eggs are not shipping till next week. I didn't specify what color phase. Make no difference to me if they are pink if they are anything like the stags I had out of his stock before

That's good to hear, both hens look good. He told me his dark hens went broody so all he had was light. I don't care either, they all look good hens and stags!

I'm sure you will be pleased with them Munderf

Hey Sako, get your eggs yet?

Sorry munderf, just saw this. Yes I got them and have been in incubator for 2 wks today. Got 18 high noon hatch and 8 leipers