Taming pheasant chicks

[Sunblast]

I recently had 5 pheasant chicks hatch and am letting my silkie hen raise them (I have another post about this but if you have advise on the matter I will take it here or there).

I was hoping the hen would raise the pheasants and they would just kinda think they are chickens. But I am debating on hand raising 1 or 2 (or them all) in order to try and tame them.

My intention is to have them be free range and hang out in our deer, sheep, and horse pastures surrounding our house, but I would love if they were tame enough to come for feedings with the chicken.

Any advise is greatly appreciated

 

[centrarchid]

My suggestion is you leave them with the silkie and use her as they ambassador. I presume the silkie is very tame. Get some mealworms (live) and start offering them to her so she can transfer them to the pheasant chicks. Make her take them from your fingers / hand. Then encourage pheasant chicks to do the same. Then start trying to train chicks to fly up on your hand for the meal worms. All this needs to start early as you are likely trying to manipulate the imprinting process.

 

[Sunblast]

thank you for the reply centracid!

I will definately try that. I was going to get mealworms today, but wasn't able to find live ones so it'll have to wait until monday. The silkie hen is semi tame, lets me pick her up and eats from my hand for the most part, I think this method would work. She's tame enough she lets me hold her babies (these pheasants and ones in the past) without much fuss.

I just hope that they will stick semi close since I have enough land for them to be comfortable on, even if they don't come for feedings, it would still be nice to see them around in the pasture when they are grown.

 

[centrarchid]

I suggest not holding pheasant chicks or even hen in front of chicks. To them it can be decidedly stressful. Allow birds to control contact by perching on you at their own discretion.

 

[deserthotwings]

If they are Silver pheasants they will tame down well. Lady Amherst and Golden, maybe with a lot of contact. Ringnecks, no chance. They stay wild.

 

[fire370]

If they are Silver pheasants they will tame down well. Lady Amherst and Golden, maybe with a lot of contact. Ringnecks, no chance. They stay wild.

Yep. Every Ringneck I've ever hatched is as crazy as the day is long.