Old English Pheasant Fowl

An Old English Pheasant Fowl hen
Photo courtesy of Sam Richardson

The Old English Pheasant Fowl is a prolific and cold-hardy breed which has been around for centuries in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it originated. Photographs of birds from the early 1900s show very little change in the modern birds. The Pheasant Fowl do best on free range. These fowl produce a good supply of large white to cream eggs, although the pullets don't usually begin to lay until around seven months of age. They also will go broody at times and are known as good mothers. The cockerels carry enough breast meat, at 6-7 lbs. (2.7-3.2 kg.) for this breed to be considered as dual purpose.