pheasants have been visitng my chickens!

[tunaoftheland]

Two male ring necked pheasants have been visiting our yard every day, pecking under the wild bird feeders and running away from the crows (who are equally nervous of them) and the hawks. This is neat, but the funny part is that they keep visiting my chickens! They go over to the run and stand there, looking in at them, and the girls will come over and look out. I don't know if they talk to each other, because the pheasants run away if we even walk by the window too fast so I can't hear. But it is so funny to see!

When I came home from work yesterday I panicked for a moment thinking the girls had gotten out, but no, it was the pheasants sitting on top of their run! I sat in the car and watched them for a while but eventually I had to go in so of course they then flew away (I assume, they first ran onto the back of the coop, so I couldn't see)

Today is in the teens so the chickens haven't really wanted to leave their coop. I guess the pheasants were suspicious because I came downstairs and there right outside the front door was the larger one, calling angrily to one of our cats! OrangeCat decided he was safe, and lay down on the mat and took a nap, but the pheasant just kept yelling at him, then finally after five or so minutes strutted away. It was the funniest thing I've seen, and I wish I had my camera! Sadly it is in the shop

But hopefully they will keep visiting all winter!

 

[chickenbuddy]

Give us pictures! I scream, you scream, we all scream for pictures! (I know, it doesn't ryme

)

 

[tunaoftheland]

That's why I'm hoping they stick around, well, that and they're neat

I definitely will try to get pictures though!

 

[FrontPorchIndiana]

That's cool! This summer we had a wild turkey that kept visiting for a couple of weeks. Weirdest thing.

 

[chickenbuddy0]

same here! We had a wild hen turkey visit our chickens so often that eventually when she wandered into the hen house, we ran up and slammed the door. Well, that turkey was one wild cat! At night one of our chicken swappin friends came and took her to his place. She settled down with one of his males and eventually hatched poults. We recieved 4 babies for giving the man the hen. And there's my wild bird story. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.....errr... evening.

 

[Birch Run Farm]

Pheasants are so beautiful, you must get some photos!

 

[geareduplyn]

I once had some accidental Ringneck/Chicken Hybrids from a little hen who refused to stay in the yard. She came walking in one day with about a dozen strange looking baby chicks. The chicks are mules and are not susposed to be able reproduce.

 

[tunaoftheland]

Oh how funny! I was wondering what would happen if the girls somehow got out or the boys got in. It seems like it would be a pretty cross. We've been putting more seed on the ground under the feeders, I do hope they stick around.

A wild turkey would be another fun interesting visitor I would imagine because of the size difference. Sadly, I haven't seen any in our area for several years.