Old English Game Hen question

[KieksterChicken]

There is a stray hen running around at my husbands work place and he is thinking of trying to catch it to add to our flock. From his description and a quick search online it looks like she may be an OEG large fowl, not bantam. I will be out tomorrow to get pics of her to post so someone can hopefully confirm her breed. My current flock is comprised of Red Stars, Dark Cornish, New Hampshires, and EE hens with a DC roo.(5 hens & 1 roo) I have heard that OEG's are noisy, flighty and not good to add to a flock of more docile breeds like mine. I am wondering if it's even worth it to try and catch her to add to the flock since I live in the city and can't free range. I do have a large run topped with chicken wire though. Any ideas/info on this is greatly welcomed. She looks like the Black Breasted Red OEG in the link. http://breedsavers.blogspot.com/2011/04/standard-old-english-game-fowl.html

 

[Lady of McCamley]

OEG's can be very sweet birds, they also can be very flighty....which she is showing by the fact that she is on her own.

If you can catch her, it may be worth the attempt to integrate her. I enjoy my OEG mix. She is shy, and not a social butterfly in the flock, but she is very intelligent and sweet, and fun to watch.

You'll need to clip her wings to keep her from flying (she'll still do amazingly well on clipped wings) AND most importantly you will need to do a thorough health check AND keep her isolated from your flock for at least 2 weeks, a month being best. Be sure that the isolation is away from any wind carriage, and do not care for her and then your flock, care for her last so you don't carry any disease or pests to your main flock. Rescuing a bird that brings disease to your whole flock is not fun, and don't take short cuts with the isolation treatment...lesson learned personally the hard way.

Lady of McCamley

 

[KieksterChicken]

Ty for the help Lady of McCamley. Sorry you had to learn the hard way about rescued birds/potential threats to your flock. Losing birds is not a nice thing to have to go through. : ( I will remember your info for sure. I do have an area I can isolate her in if I can catch her. Unfortunately I may have been too late as she was not at my husbands work place this morning so she may have left the area. : (

 

[CCCCCCCCHICKENS]

I have 4 hens and 1 rooster, silver duckwing OEGBs. Though mine are bantams, their personalities should be close. Mine like to chatter constantly, but unless your neighbor is standing right beside your fence, they likely aren't going to hear her. Mine also never try to fly. Maybe mine are extremely calm. OEGs make great mothers, are excellent free rangers-so can fend very well on their own, and tend to be sweet birds (especially for a game breed). IMO they are docile. I have dark cornish and they aren't. This one may not fit in well, since she has obviously been fending for herself-she may be slightly wild now.

 

[KieksterChicken]

Ty for the reply CCCChickens. My problem is that I live in a downtown area 2 blocks from City Hall in a town that doesn't allow chickens within city limits..lol! Any noisy chickens will attract attention and unfortunately so will a free ranging hen in my parking lot. : ) So..as much as I would love to add her to my flock I'm thinking I will let her be. I don't think I'll be able to catch her even if she does show back up at my husbands work. Someday I hope to move outside of city limits where all my chicky girls can free range to their hearts content. : )