I have raised them and when released they will roam and rogue further than you might imagine.
The reason they cannot establish here is mites. The chicks do not tolerate a mite infestation at all and the adults do not practice dusting or any practices to help prevent the infestation so factor in predation, natural expiration and reproduction failure and you have a species that will not sustain.
This is one of the reasons cedar and pine trees are so valuable to birds in the wild in the south.
As roosting trees for many species these evergreen seep sap at cracks, injuries and other points. At night many mites will come down off the birds and get stuck in the sap. There is also a belief that the odor from evergreens is a repellent for mites and other insects. Lastly notice the absence of bugs weeds or other trees under big evergreens, notice the absence of any hills or many insects at all. As evergreen needles decay they give off a gas that prevents seeds from sprouting and is believed to be an irritant to insects. I don't have proof beyond generations of belief and free range chickens will almost always take to available evergreen trees for roosting and those have little problem with mites.How do the cedars and pines mitigate mites?
Wolf Creek, about half a mile from the dam by water. Where is the preserve?What part of spring city? There is a preserve up there that does quail. The owner might have released pheasants on it. Also there is a gun dog trainer up there that could have released it.
Those suckers did some movin if they got here.Coincidence but I was working with my dog last week here in east knoxville/ straw plains and two roosters got away.
I raise my own
Directly due west of you. Other side of Cumberland Trail State Park on Davis RdWolf Creek, about half a mile from the dam by water. Where is the preserve?