Broody chicken, Pheasant eggs

[amysue2012]

Has anyone every tried letting a broody chicken hen hatch Pheasant eggs? I got some ring neck eggs today at an auction and was thinking about letting my two broody cochin hatch them out.

Also if this works does anyone know how old they would have to be until I could turn them loose? We have several wild ones in our area and I would love to see a few more if I can help repopulate them.

 

[patyrdz]

A broody will do just fine with the pheasant eggs. I would remove the chicks once they hatch, sometimes chickens will reject non chicken babies. I'm not sure how old they need to be before turning them loose, but I think they need to be at least 6 months old or older. Good luck!!

 

[amysue2012]

Thanks patyrdz. Wow I was hopeing Id be able to turn them loose after 6-8 weeks. Does anyone else have any ideas?

 

[wilds of pa]

7-8 weeks should be good...they will be fully feathered.. hopefully you have a good release site with lots of cover and some high grassy areas and possible water source near by.. Should be plenty of bugs around by the time you let them loose..


~Wilds~

 

[amysue2012]

We are surounded by CRP ground that is all grassy and a few marshy ponds. There are some wild around but they have been hit hard this last winter.

 

[Cock-L-Doodle Garoo]

Hatching pheasant eggs with a broody hen is the ticket for me. I prefer bantams. Though they're small they make great moms for the pheasants. I only place six or seven eggs under each, but hey...no incubators...that's for me. Here's a pic of one of my best hens, Thelma, with Lady Amherst chicks. What a mother. She hatched them out on 5-19-09. I have seven more eggs under another bantam hen due in about two weeks. I've done this before about twenty years ago with ringnecks with great success. It's too cool to watch a couple of dozen of pheasant running around the yard wild. I would keep them in pen until you run out of room for there size. Sorry for the late response, but I just signed up yesterday. This site is great.

 

[amysue2012]

Well its been 11 days so far, I have two broody cochin with six under each. I havent candled yet so I have my fingures crossed for all twelve.

Do Pheasant take a little longer to hatch than chicken? I thought I saw 28 days or something?

 

[Cock-L-Doodle Garoo]

Yeah like 28 days for ringnecks. I took this pic this morning. They (Lady Amherst) grow super-fast. Check-out the previous 1st day old pic to this one at 23 days old.

Good Luck

 

[Tony K T]

Quote:
Those look like reeve chicks to me.
In N.H,Tony.

 

[Cock-L-Doodle Garoo]

Hey, I think your right Tony.
I started two clutches under two bantam hens. One was Lady Amherst only and the other was Reeves only. The hens swapped nest a few times and only one clutch hatched. I thought it was the Lady's...daa...daa

Thanks Man

I have a pair of Red Goldens also, but they didn't produce well this season.