Breeding Phesants to free range???

[floridapoultry]

State and federal rules need to come into thought also when allowing any bird to freerange. I certainly would not let my emu range without a fence........

Annabell, Interesting thoughts and perhaps your knowledge of genetics could be beneficial in the ways you mention. Chickenzoo also makes a good point to be aware of applicable government rules on free ranging that may apply in your area. Many states don't allow free ranging of captive bred pheasants. Game farm licenses issued in many states require pens in which pheasants are kept to be completely enclosed (including topped). Important to check on DNR and state agric. regs in a particular state as fines and penalties for violations can be severe. Interesting to note that many scientific studies have shown that the survival rate for game farm raised pheasants released into nature is very low.

 

[Tony K T]

The reason for low survival rate is they are released to be hunted.The hunters know where and when they are released also,so lots disappear quickly.Those that aren't killed by hunters are usually dinner for foxes,coyotes,hawks,owls,coons and whatever predator that's in the area.Some even get hit by cars.They are a very versatile part of the food chain.This is just the ringnecks though.There are 40 more species,some on the endangered list already and more close to be added to that list.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[pheasantfrenzie]

FloridaPoultry:
Yes I have posted pix about my birds and HAVE asked for help. Since you posted this does this mean you know something more than I do becuase if you do I would like to know about the necks?? Those chicks have been nowhere near my other birds that are outside but because nobody comments on my posts but a few that I thank I guess we will never know will we.
Also if you look at my posts I do try to learn by what has been done with blinders but I guess you haven't posted things to try to learn?
Yes it is worth free ranging for the birds and the ones that do get out my neighbord never handle them only myself.
Patty

 

[annabell254]

I am planning on putting up an 8-12 foot fence around the 13 aces closes to and surrounding our house...we have 50 but I have an organic orchard on the 13 and that is where I want my free ranging done as there is plenty of wind fall fruit and plenty of the bugs that eat them! and this helps immensely with the pests in the orchard as well I also was planning on clipping one wing for the 1st season they are allowed to free range...I have heard people have great success with this method...I will also be purchasing a license as I already have to be licensed for my dogs and she said it will be no problem for the pheasants.....
Now to find the perfect house for them
I was thinking more along the lines of a tower...maybe 12' tall, with 6" boards put along the sides, slanted, so that they can run up and down them to the top of the tower, where I will have a roost...I have read that they like this more than simply jumping to the perches as it reminds them of their natural habitat of the sides of mountains....anyone here, hear of this?
I will be doing most of it in wire mesh (not chicken wire but the hard steel kind) on the bottom and with see through tin for a roof...in hopes that them being raised where they can see their surroundings will make them less nervous for their first few outings...I will also probably start with a 40x40 8' tall fence around the tower for their first 2-4 weeks out of the tower and then depending on how they are doing maybe expand it to 100x100....only once I feel they are comfortable with their surroundings and know how to get back to their tower for safety will I begin my free range experiments
Right now I have a bevy of banie roosters haha every time they hatch out eggs all the babies are roo's...we are up to 10 roo's with only 3 girls! but they do not bother the girls, though I keep hoping some of the hachings will eventually be female! They have their own flock and do not mingle with our egg chickens....We have one baby right now that is 4 weeks old...and yes another boy! but they get along and they are excellent sky watchers and they have taught the rest of my poultry...even the ducks and geese that when they crow you run for cover...I am hoping that the pheasants will pick up on this as well! but only time will tell

 

[chickenzoo]

Another worry besides natural predators, hawks, dogs, bobcat etc etc... Would be human neighbors. I know on 50 acres it may not be as big a problem as on less... But if they make it to the edge or beyond the property someone may hunt them. My friend had some Melalistic get out, stayed around for months till they wondered too far and a neighbor shot them as hunting trophys.

 

[jak2002003]

It is very interesting to read all the different views people have about their birds!

I can not agree with statements about keeping the birds wild for conservation reasons. I have heard this talked about so many times. Can anyone give me an example when they have bred and released their endangered pheasants back into the wild in their native country for conservation? I think no one has. So this argument is pointless as its clear this will not happen. This type of work is best left to large zoos and conservation groups.

My golden pheasants still free range fine with my chickens and ringneck doves. The predator issue is not unique to the pheasants.....if you have predator problems in your area then you should not let the birds out......same as your chickens.

Pheasants can and do survive very well in the wild. In my native UK with have a large wild population of Golden Pheasants that established themselves form escapes. Same as some parrot species. In the UK there are thousands of ring neck parrots now living and breeding in the wild.

Keeping pheasants in captivity and getting them tame and comfortable around humans will in no way get rid of their natural instincts. Just look at feral cats , wild pigs and wild dog in some areas of the world. Just try to tame one of them! Animals will quickly revert back to the wild state. Even take a chicken egg and place it in the nest of a wild jungle fowl. The chick will grow up and behave the same as the wild bird, and if a human were to go near it, it would flee.

People keep many endangered species as pets: macaw parrots, gouldian finches, and even the humble hamster. In fact the hamster is though near total extinction in the wild, but all these animals have very healthy populations in captivity. The reason none are released back into the wild is there is no longer the correct habitat or WILD left the release them.

If people preserve the wild habitat or ecosystem of a particular species then that animal will reproduce and grow in number in the wild. That is what needs to be done, not breeding captive animals......which will never have the opportunity to go back to the wild, where their home is degraded or destroyed, or pressure from hunters and poaches is hight. Unless we can address these problems then the rare animals have no future in the wild.

 

[miss hen]

I would think you could breed some good genetics into the bids. You will always still have some wild instinct in them just as you would a dog or cat but some will use it and some will not.

I will not free range mine because there are a lot of hawks around my place and I live on a busy road.

I must live in an area with ethical hunters. I hunt and I am also an animal lover. I will help an injured animal and cant kill my own chickens. 99% of the hunters around here would NEVER shoot at a bird that looked like it should be captive and had no open season and 95% of us would never hunt Ringnecks around here even though there is an open season. Due to habitat destruction the natural born Ringnecks are almsot gone and most around were raised to be released and hunted. Hunters would rather see the Ringnecks come back than disappear like the turkeys once did.

 

[pheasantfrenzie]

Wow nicely put and good info.
Patty

 

[chickenzoo]

Miss hen, it is so nice that you are a considerate hunter. I wish everyone was that way. Were i live, if it stands still long enough some dough dough is going to try and put a hole in it...... Im afraid to stand too long.... Lol

 

[Tony K T]

Miss hen, it is so nice that you are a considerate hunter. I wish everyone was that way. Were i live, if it stands still long enough some dough dough is going to try and put a hole in it...... Im afraid to stand too long.... Lol

I bet that's just what a pheasant thinks when you clip his wing and throw him into a field so you can free range him.I can't fly away from this hawk"I'm a gonner".In N.H.,Tony.