Questions About Game Birds

[RollTideChicken]

I've been kicking around the idea of getting some game birds. They are beautiful and free to me since my brother raises them. And he has some very beautiful cocks. My questions are about how to house them and a concern my brother has that I can't find any proof of.
1. Is it really good to coop them up in the really small cages I see everyone keeping them in, my brother included?
2. My brother tells me keeping laying birds close to game birds makes the game birds sick. Is this an ole wives' tell?
Now just so everyone knows, his bird all are very healthy and well taken care of and he doesn't participate in any of the illegal activities that are sometimes associated with these birds.
Here's a couple of his cocks:

 

[sannabelle]

@centrarchid

 

[centrarchid]

I've been kicking around the idea of getting some game birds. They are beautiful and free to me since my brother raises them. And he has some very beautiful cocks. My questions are about how to house them and a concern my brother has that I can't find any proof of.
1. Is it really good to coop them up in the really small cages I see everyone keeping them in, my brother included?
2. My brother tells me keeping laying birds close to game birds makes the game birds sick. Is this an ole wives' tell?
Now just so everyone knows, his bird all are very healthy and well taken care of and he doesn't participate in any of the illegal activities that are sometimes associated with these birds.
Here's a couple of his cocks:

I use the 4' x 5' pens for most singly kept adults. A hen and cock are often kept together for months on end when producing chicks although the male usually removed once hen gets broody. Flypens we used to have were 4' x 10' x 10' where a pair or even trio could kept year round. I currently use 10' x 10' dog kennels for keeping breeding groups of one cock and up to 4 hens. My birds under such conditions can easily live to 10 years of age. Compare that to what is realized with other breeds, regardless of how they are housed.

Laying birds managed like the games with respect to disease management will not be an issue. Laying birds can be a challenge if they are free-range kept and come in contact with cages housing penned games.

Assumption made that you are familiar with how to prevent fighting even among hens and immature birds. No to adult males together or even where they can contact each other through pen wall.

 

[RollTideChicken]

Thanks! I was just thinking about getting a cock and a couple hens. Maybe raise some just to see what colors I get but no real kind of breeding program. I just think they are beautiful. My brother says the hens go broody real quick sometimes too.
So the hens fight each other? More than just pecking order squabbles?
I was palnning on keeping them coop'd permanently, maybe do a movable pen or something. I have Bielefelder roosters and I free range my laying birds a few hours each day.
Hmm I may have to rethink this then if free ranging near the game bird pen will be a problem.

 

[Chickassan]

The hens don't so much fight as they just don't take any crap off anything. And if they have babies they are absolute tiger moms.

 

[cottontail farm]

Wow these birds are stunning. No wonder you want some, wow!

 

[RollTideChicken]

Wow these birds are stunning. No wonder you want some, wow!

Thanks! He takes great pride in them. He has an elaborate (to me any ways) breeding program where he knows exactly what % breed is in all his lines. He has a couple hundred in all. It puts me in awe considering how redneck we both are. It's his passion...
To me his cocks are as beautiful as peafowl and some are every bit as colorful.