Breeding Phesants to free range???

[Tony K T]

I say go ahead with your plans.Then let us know how many birds you lost.They are gamebirds,instinct built in to run.Sure you may have a few that stick around for a while,but sooner or later something will scare them off.And predators?These birds stick out like a red flag at a bull.Hawks will have a good feed on them,coons will have dinnner waiting for them,foxes and coyotes will humt them down until they get them.I thought it people that wanted to raise pheasants wanted to preserve them for the next generations to enjoy.Everyone either want s to cross them up,free range or some other crazy sceme.These birds are still disappearing in their natural habitat.Why don't we help as much as we can to keep them from extinction?You say no,it will never happen!That's what the Indians said about the buffalo.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[pheasantfrenzie]

Yes your right it does take alot of time but it is so so worth it because I have gone to others breeders and most of them can get nowwhere near there birds because they run as fast as lightning and to me theres no reason to own them. Most of them I have visited only try to do the breeding to make money( which if you do it right there is no money in this hobby) instead of improving the breeds which I think is silly since we will always need good breeding stocks not just any birds that will mate.

I used to sell the eggs and ship them but then I would get people calling me saying there eggs didn't hatch because of my birds and then I had to explain to them that shipped eggs are notorious for not hatching or the air sacs being moved and by far the most factor is the Post Office. Until I showed them pics of my eggs hatching. So no right now I no longer ship eggs and all but my Blk Mutations and Ringnecks are still the only ones laying. I will only be selling the chicks from my birds.

As far as Free Ranging it all depends on the birds. The worst ones to stay around are the Ringnecks but I do have many that stay around or if they do get a FEATHER UP THERE BUTT

and do fly away they seem to come back because they know where the food is. I have a female that flew away in January when the wind helped pick her up and I found that she came back with alot of surprises ( 9 little chicks) it is so cute and so surprising. She is now teaching the chicks that coming close to me isn't bad because they get alot of treats (watermelon COLD) they don't come as fast as the ones I raised but I was surprised they were coming close at all. I think the ornamentals (RED, Yellows, Amherst) are probably the best but there are many that will still fly away and you will never see them again well unless your neighbors calls you

As far as my flocks it depends on what time of year it is because during breeding season I will only keep 1 male and 4 females togethers because other wise they will fight. During breeding season I do normally keep them closer and not roam as much because if you do they will find many places to make nests and you will spend to much time looking for the eggs and worst of all could step on some that were hiddin.
But after breeding season I will normally let out all the chicks and 1 Adult Female out that I hatched out in a covered area so they can learn from her on what to do and where to lay. I have hatched out reeves this year and so far have kept them also with them but next week I will have to seperate them because I'm sure they will turn mean but for right now there have been the sweetest of them all. I don't know if this is normal with them because this is the first time I have owned them but while they are like this I will enjoy it. I do keep them covered at this point because we have many many Eagles and Hawks and I have lost a couple to them so I don't take that chance any longer.

Then in another area I will let all the others out. They are seperated but still can walk up to the fencing to see each other without hurting the chicks because they would kill them I think. I have 12-Red,10- Yellows, 10-Amherest, 2-Reeves, 6-Blk Mutations, 120-Ringnecks. I will be keeping some of my chicks but don't know how many yet. Probably a couple from each hatching.

Hope this helps you and if you have any other questions let me know,
Patty

 

[pheasantfrenzie]

Hey Tony,
Just because she would decide to free range doesn't mean she doesn't care about the breeds REALLY?? Just because she doesn't do it just like you think she should there is nothing wrong with that. I have gone to many lengths and alot of money to preserve the breeds that I have and do a lot of research and talk to alot of people about improving them. and I free range alot of mine. PS they also "Free Range in China"so does that mean they don't care either about the birds they have?
What do you do to preserve them?
I don't believe in crossing the breeds either but there are many people that like it and it is there choice not ours!!!!! as long as they don't sell them as pure then it does become our problem.
Patty

 

[birdboy15]

Pheasants are not domestic animals and should not be treated as such. They are not breeds that need to be improved upon, they are wild animals that need to be preserved. Preservation means keeping their instincts, LIKE RUNNING AWAY!!! Yes people can do what they want with their animals but we don't have to like it and we have the right to speak out against what we think is wrong.

 

[pheasantfrenzie]

Hello,
If you own any type of Pheasant YOU ARE already domesticating them! Owning any animal and keeping it captive IS taking there natural instinct away whether you want to admit it or not.They are meant to be free ranging just like they are in the wild.Yes everybody in this country has the right to speak and say what they want nobody said you couldn't!! But everybody that logs onto any information page is looking for and or researching anything about pheasants is trying to learn about the breed they own and to what standards they should be at and if they don't find the answers they are looking for they will just like you and I post something on a site like this to try to learn more.
Patty

 

[Tony K T]

Absolutely,and then we try to teach them about our hobby we have been involved in for over 30 years.Pheasants do not need any improvements!They need people to raise them and keep them pure.And then someone says they are their birds they can do what they want.True,but if you care about something,why would you try to change it?Pheasants are beautiful birds and most can be tamed,not friendly enough to pick them up whenever you feel,but tame as when you enter their pen that they don't jump up and break their necks.They tolerate their keeper and see that they mean no harm to them.All I am asking is to preserve them in pure form.Is that to much to ask?
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[pheasantfrenzie]

Yes we do try to improve them. If you say you don't I don't believe you. The reason I say we try to improve them is if they have a crooked toe We Don't Breed Them, If they have a feather or coloring that we don't like We Don't Breed them so on and so on. When they come across each other in the wild they don't look at each other see something wrong and run away if they are in the mood they mate if they didn't we wouldn't pick the birds we want breed to!
Yes we do look to alot of you that have breen breeding for awhile to get advise or if we have a problem we go to those of you to help us.
Nowhere in this post was anything brought up about if it's there birds they can do whatever they want and that was only brought up by BirdBoy15. I totally disagree with this because if you are doing something to change the purity OF ANY ANIMAL or hurting any animal not just birds it is our problem and I DO hope people speak up. That is also why we have Animal Control Officers because people think they can do whatever they want.
Also if you read the post I DO NOT FORCE THEM TO BE HELD. I stated I sit on the floor and I place my hands down and I have many that jump on my lap or into my hands when I enter and NEVER chase them if they don't want to be held. All of which does nothing to hurt the breed by any means. It does improve it for me to own them and for anyone else that may be interested because if I would have known somebody that took the time like I do for them for my first birds I would have bought from them before buying anywhere else.
Don't get me wrong they are still wild and when spooked or if somebody or something else comes around they arn't used to they will still run and fly as far as they can without hesitation.
Patty

 

[birdboy15]

Dude, they are not BREEDS, you talk about them as someone would chickens or cattle or sheep. Wild animals do not need improvement, mother nature has already done that. Yes, in the wild animals will skip over a mate that is unfit and I don't see culling for physical defects as improving anything. I have a fair amount of experience with a few different types of wild animals and it is not nearlly as easy to domesticate them as you seem to think it is.

 

[chickenzoo]

Perhaps the Op can find the crossbred or deformed peasants no one wants and use them for their experiment..... Then it wouldn't be any big loss.......
I understand about wanting to preserve........... But i also understand that
The more appeal an animal has to people the more people want to learn about them and care about them.... So it works both ways. I have a pair of African crowned cranes that freerange my acreage. Most people do not but keep them penned. In a pen people see them... Watch them for a bit...then move on. Freerange allows people to see them act more naturally.... I have people stop at the road just to watch all the silly stuff they do. Then they want to learn about them.... Which is the ultimate goal.... To have others care about them as you do.
My red golden, yellow golden, silver and some of my ringneck pheasants will come up to me and eat from my hand. They are use to my great pyreneese dogs that protect them...and to some point my.stupid cats....he he. All animals were wild at some point. I think if you pinned them as chicks and kept them in an enclosed yard fenced with small dog fence type wire and prune back all the trees near fence line.... You'd have a start. Ideas have to start from somewhere
...weither it works or not. Its funny how people want others to preserve and enjoy pheasants but i find this part of the forum always filled with some of the most unkind people on here....... Its enough to make new people who do not know yet their joy....not even want to get into pheasants..... I know it would have Put me off if i came here first before getting them.

 

[annabell254]

Wow! lets see where to start...1st off every domesticated animal that we own was once wild...so if you own any type of animal then well...2nd) if you keep a wild animal in a cage that is animal cruel in my opinion, wild animals should not be kept and bred and sold to the average person and if it had to be kept and bred for the preservation of the species then let the zoo's do it...3rd) Pheasants are still hunted so they are not yet that rare 4) many, many people breed pheasants and there are hatching eggs and chicks all over the net, many of whom buy them to hunt... 5.) if pheasants are already being kept world wide then is it not in there best interest to be more domesticated? As I stated before wild animals do not belong in cages, domestic animal however have been bred for centuries by us and now are happy to be with us and tolerate cages much better...though no animal should be kept in a cage for its entire life. There for by my reasoning I would be enhancing the lives of pheasants by breeding them to be more able to fit into today's world...as humans are not going anywhere and the animals that are able to best live with us will live on as well 6.) if they were more easily taken care of and more friendly then more people would own them and that would mean more pheasants...Right? 7.) I'm not talking about a nationwide mandate on the management of pheasants here...just about a few people rising to the ever growing demand for the beautiful pheasants to be more friendly and manageable...if you do not agree then by all means do not do it