Patridge bantam chicken poorly foot?

[Margalot]

Hi,

My long awaited cube arrive this friday!! so excited! Somebody near me has some Old English Pheasant Fowl chickens for sale and I wondered if anyone has any experience of these. From everything i have read they sound like ideal free rangers and quite hardy, but what I cant find out is are they friendly and easy to tame? I wanted a rather docile breed as would like to handle them as much as possible and have 2 children who would also like to be hands on.

 

Does anybody know the likely temperament of these chickens?

 

also if we were to go on holilday for 2 weeks how often would somebody have to check on the chickens etc. and would it be ok to leave the cube door open all night if they have the secure run? even in the winter.

 

loads of questions I know but everyone on here seems full of such knowledge thought it would be the ideal place to start!!

 

Cant beleive my girls could be here soon!!!!!

[MadMitch]

Hello Margalot amd welcome to the forum.

I have two old english pheasant fowls. I have had one since May and one since September.

They can be a bit flighty but I probably haven't handled them as much as I should have. To start with I couldn't get anywhere near them but once they started to lay they settled down quite a lot. They are very good free rangers though and spend more time out than any of my other chickens whatever the weather. They are not as friendly as my silver dorkings though, they follow me around everywhere and are also very good free rangers.

Don't forget though, that been a pure breed they will stop laying roughly from Nov - Feb.

I leave my cube door open all the time. When it is really cold and windy I half shut it but they can still come and go as they please.

Don't know about your two weeks holiday as I had a house sitter when I went away but someone else will be able to answer that for you.

Don't forget the photos when it arrives.

[MadMitch]

Well, I take it all back. My Pheasant fowls are continuing to lay even though it is Winter and my Dorkings have just finished their moult and have this morning started to squat again so it looks like they may start to lay again.

Also this morning my youngest pheasant fowl (who normally won't come any where near me) jumped up on my shoulder and sat down while I stroked her.