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As I'm getting closer and closer to actually getting my first batch of chooks (run completed apart from gate thes weekend) - I'm suddenly aware that I have a pheasant who comes into the garden from the fields on a daily basis. He chases my cats and my finches-tits etc away, although sometimes the cats fight back - I'm concerned that he might be a problem when I've got my chooks and allow them to free range across the gardens.

Any suggestions or previous experience on this one please?

Plus, how long should I keep the chooks in the run before allowing them to start free rangins from initially getting them and allowing for settling in?

All help appreciated. Cheers

Hi Bezzie. Not sure on pheasant thing, but 2-3 days is enough time for chooks in run. In that time they will know it is their home and come back. Especially if you feed them at the same place and time.

Robin

Thanks for the quick reply Robin. A neighbour said they'd kept theirs in for 6 weeks, and I thought this was a long time to be confined, hence why I checked out with you guys on the forum.

I'm happy that 3 days will be enough and then they can have some fantastic space to roam in. We've spent long enough preparing it for them!

The pheasant, well, if anyone else has ideas, that'll be great, otherwise, I'll just have to run the gauntlet with him. I've fenced everywhere in, but he's flying to the top of the fence in the car park (about 5ft), and coming through that way instead of from the fields. Guess there's always the gun ...........

I've had a male pheasant strut his funky stuff the other side of the chicken wire from my girls. They all preened and loved the attention!

Another time a female pheasant was at the bottom of their run. From my kitchen window it looked like she was in the run, and I was getting very confused thinking, 'I don't have a hen that colour'!

Obviously they were separated by the wire so I don't know if there would have been any problems if the girls had been out and about in the garden. I think they'd have seen the pheasants off quite honestly if they'd been unhappy. I've seen them attacking my cat when she got too inquisitive!