American Gamefowl

[TheCluckyClucker2]

Interesting thread. I own no American Ganefowl but I do own one Old English Bantam.

 

[alwaystj9]

I see you edited and added more info. I think it's doable, especially if they can roam some.
I would definitely coop them for a week, so they are "trained" that the coop/run is the place to return. The stag will generally follow the majority of hens. The GF Gals...they might get all independent and tree roost LOL
I have some that choose trees for roosting, the rest come in every night.

6months is a good age, imho, they should acclimate fine. A stag that age will usually take control unless he's just really a pita.
As for choosing - someone better than I should give you some tips on that. I consider myself a total newbie with GF. At 6 months, to me the pullets should be pretty solid looking, stags should be confident. Otherwise, I would choose what caught my eye

Thank you for the information! I am excited to be adding these to my flock! And tree roosting is cool, deep South here, I have live oak trees for them.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thank you for the information! I am excited to be adding these to my flock! And tree roosting is cool, deep South here, I have live oak trees for them.

I think they will be fine. I don't blame you, I'd be excited too.
Post photos when you get them!

I would prefer for all of them to come in to sleep in the run rafters, but it is what it is. Of course, things can happen even if you lock them up at night, something could grab one while they are roaming. I've had a Coyote grab a stag in broad daylight. A Hawk kill a pullet during the day. There's risk to it all, everything likes chicken. Owls might flush them out at night. I had a Raccoon flush them for a couple of nights before I was able to trap him. Soo....
I do enjoy watching them fly out of the trees in the mornings though

 

[SOHC-FTW]

I like her!
I like them too, but I like her

She’s their momma. Original mug/blue cock from havoc and breed him to his own sister out of them I got this gal and her sister which is also speck but black and grey.

 

[SOHC-FTW]

I have a small separate enclosure to start off with but would like to have them all together, eventually. My current birds are a barnyard mix aged 6 months to 4 or 5 years, all are laying breeds.
They free range over 4 acres when I am home and are brought in around sunset. The coop/run combination is open with 4 different sleeping areas that is about 30 x 60. I have just covered it with 2" netting about 8-10 feet above grade.
I have had chickens in this location for 30 years and prior to that, had a small flock in NC -- that's when I had a few game hens.
I really want to know what the problems may be and, if this isn't reasonably doable, I won't get them.

My question is what are you going to do with the off spring? Some may act like layers then some may take more towards the game side. I have nothing but gamefowl and sometimes ya just can’t round em up fast enough before they off one another free ranging as young stags/pullets.

I’ve never cross breed em with layers, but I’d accept you’d get some that like to fight. Heck I’ve got hens that will off one another or fight males until they can’t.

 

[raingarden]

You will have to quarantine them so having a separate space for the trio is not really an option. By the end of that month of quarantine you will probably have figured out what to do next.

 

[alwaystj9]

Quarantine pen is ready, just trying to sync my days off with the owner's day off.
My plan is to eventually switch over to a game flock. Despite Louisiana's reputation, these birds are a bit hard to find locally if you're not a locally bred kind of person...
I had such a close call with the last bunch of mail order chicks I am wary of ordering any by mail. I was driving all over trying to find that last box of biddies before their time ran out.
I will also have the seller as a resource if I have a problem.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Quarantine pen is ready, just trying to sync my days off with the owner's day off.
My plan is to eventually switch over to a game flock. Despite Louisiana's reputation, these birds are a bit hard to find locally if you're not a locally bred kind of person...
I had such a close call with the last bunch of mail order chicks I am wary of ordering any by mail. I was driving all over trying to find that last box of biddies before their time ran out.
I will also have the seller as a resource if I have a problem.

Well, that tells some more info!
You will definitely need to think about what you will do with extra stags/roosters especially. Stags can run together for a short period of time, but at some point they will need to be penned or culled.

You may want to read back through this whole GF thread and take a look at how the birds are kept. You have the seller you are building a relationship with, take time while you are their place to look how the birds are kept and ask questions.
Hovoc and the guys on this forum have been extremely patient and helpful to me, answering questions, giving tips, etc.

It can be a bit misleading I suppose to see photos of birds running loose together, for example one of my recent ones. The stag in the photos is only around 5 months old there - he's the only 1 I have loose - his brothers are already penned. He's getting ready to be penned here shortly. Hens/pullets generally can run loose all the time.
Having a rooster with the hens is a nice idea, but if there's more than one male, even if penned, that loose rooster is going to be all up at the pen trying to fight.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/american-gamefowl.1307560/post-25175250

 

[RingedTeal]

Quarantine pen is ready, just trying to sync my days off with the owner's day off.
My plan is to eventually switch over to a game flock. Despite Louisiana's reputation, these birds are a bit hard to find locally if you're not a locally bred kind of person...
I had such a close call with the last bunch of mail order chicks I am wary of ordering any by mail. I was driving all over trying to find that last box of biddies before their time ran out.
I will also have the seller as a resource if I have a problem.

Pen fighting and knowing when to seperate them at the right age is gonna be the major problem. I prefer to free range all my stags and pullets until they start fighting but not everybody has that ability. Accidents happen and having gamefowl is a whole different set of challenges compared to normal chickens but it’s also a lot better to me. You’ll lose a few free ranging and if you aren’t set up with Atleast Hotwire you’ll lose a lot more than a few. I have Hotwire, traps, and I still manage to lose a few birds every year. I don’t have many problems with foxes, coons, or possums mostly hawks and owls.

 

[Chiduckn]

Pen fighting and knowing when to seperate them at the right age is gonna be the major problem. I prefer to free range all my stags and pullets until they start fighting but not everybody has that ability. Accidents happen and having gamefowl is a whole different set of challenges compared to normal chickens but it’s also a lot better to me. You’ll lose a few free ranging and if you aren’t set up with Atleast Hotwire you’ll lose a lot more than a few. I have Hotwire, traps, and I still manage to lose a few birds every year. I don’t have many problems with foxes, coons, or possums mostly hawks and owls.

You ever try those red flashing light things to try and deter the owls? I haven't myself.