Can you clip ringneck pheasants wings so they can't fly?

[fowlsessed]

They really need to be confined. Some people have reported success free-ranging silvers and eared pheasants, I believe. But I still think it very risky.

 

[Mikedero]

Momma always said you catch more with honey. But must be nice to know everything

 

[fowlsessed]

x2

 

[jcarter3]

I have clipped wings for my breeders before, it prevents them from flying up and breaking there necks. and to say flying is the main defense for pheasants you have not raised many pheasants, flying is there last line of defense, running and setting in cover is there first defense. they do not like to fly because of there biggest predator the hawk. as long as you have a fenced yard that predators can't get in, clip them , he will sit on top of the fence but they will soon learn what side is safe. provide plenty of cover for him on the safe side. J.R.C. Utah.

 

[fowlsessed]

I have clipped wings for my breeders before, it prevents them from flying up and breaking there necks. and to say flying is the main defense for pheasants you have not raised many pheasants, flying is there last line of defense, running and setting in cover is there first defense. they do not like to fly because of there biggest predator the hawk. as long as you have a fenced yard that predators can't get in, clip them , he will sit on top of the fence but they will soon learn what side is safe. provide plenty of cover for him on the safe side. J.R.C. Utah.

Good post. Make sure you have a good predator proof run, and what predators are they going to be trying to be getting away from? Should be none. And yes, running and siting tight is always their first choice, taking flight is their last resort as you say.

 

[Ntsees]

I have clipped wings for my breeders before, it prevents them from flying up and breaking there necks. and to say flying is the main defense for pheasants you have not raised many pheasants, flying is there last line of defense, running and setting in cover is there first defense. they do not like to fly because of there biggest predator the hawk. as long as you have a fenced yard that predators can't get in, clip them , he will sit on top of the fence but they will soon learn what side is safe. provide plenty of cover for him on the safe side. J.R.C. Utah.

I have seen, read, and heard of birds damaging/killing themselves in a cage when they become frightened so clipped wings probably will help solve that problem. I do agree that some pheasants prefer running than flying. I keep quail and they prefer running over flying too. I think when you're dealing with ground birds, flight would be the last line of defense like you say. When you are dealing with birds like doves and pigeons is when wing clipping is the bad idea because flight would be their main escape. Just depends on the bird I guess.

 

[billyv]

I raise pheasants (ringneck) on a regular basis. Sometimes I end up with some extras I can't sell and end up releasing them on my property with bands on their legs. I don't want the extra males fighting with my others at all. The problem with releasing a bird that's been hand fed from chick to adult is the fact they don't know how to hide from predators nor find food on their own. Pheasants that are hand fed tend to learn to stick around the cages, but they certainly can't be trained to roost inside a coup house every night. And because they are hand fed, the best time to turn a pheasant aloose is during the summer when they can learn to find food easily. If you do it in the fall when predators are also looking for food, they will be eaten quickly. And when it's getting close to winter the pheasants will surely die from starvation.

If you are planning to raise pheasants to be range birds, I would suggest raising them on hand fed food until they are about 6-8 weeks old. Always feed them with a pail of a certain color, that way they get conditioned to approach you for food when you have a green pail, or blue pail, or red pail. Only feed them once a day, usually mornings. Do not provide them with a feeder. Always throw exactly the feed the need for the birds for the full day, and throw it on the ground. This will teach them to find food on the ground rather than look for it in a feeder. Always throw the food in different spots everyday. If there is food still on the ground the previous day, don't throw any new food out until it is gone. You'll most likely have only 3-6 out of 14 birds stay close to your house when they start to pair off into mated groups. The rest will spread out on your property (assuming it's at least 30-50 acres).

If you are planning to have pheasants in a closed pen and clip their wings, keep in mind that you must clip the wings every 4 weeks. (I recommend using the pinion method if you wish for them to never take flight - pinion is to clip their wings bone joint completely off, it can be done at day old chicks, and is very harmless when done with day old chicks. Do have to keep in mind, doing it incorrectly will make males lose balance when mating and never properly fertilize eggs). The pen walls must be at minimum 6 feet tall. You should grow corn and wheat in the pen so they have plenty of cover to hide from predator birds. The fence must have a hotwire (electric wire) near the ground around the pen (about 6" off the ground) for large predators like foxes/coyotes/bears, and another wire 3 feet up so it shocks any climbing critters like racoons. Don't put any post cross bars at the top of the fence because that just creates false branches that predator birds can perch on.

Foremost, keep in mind that each adult pheasant requires 25 square feet of space if they are going to live comfortably. If you want to just have a breeding cage, you can place 1 male with 9 hens in a 8'x16' pen, but when the egg season is over, you should move them to a 10'x25' pen for 10 birds. Also bear in mind that putting two males in a 8'x16' or 10'x25' will require peepers (blinders) or you will have bloody/injured birds constantly.

Finally, pheasants have many defenses against predators. They can run, hide and fly. Taking the flight out only makes the birds prey to animals that can outrun them. This is usually the canine family of predators (coyotes, dogs, foxes) but there are occasions where bobcats can run them down too. Flight is not a defense against predator birds. If a Goshawk were wanting to kill your pheasants, there is nothing you can do short of a net covering the top of the pen. While clipped wings on pheasants limits their flight, it doesn't stop them from gaining vertical lift nor gliding short distances on pure muscle strength when they are scared. I've had clipped pheasants still fly upward 5 feet and glide 30 feet because a dog startled them.

 

[LyrebirdJacki]

I've lost numerous gamebirds to self injury and had to switch to a shade cloth roof as to not loose my pheasants like the many quails before them ever going in there, however if something really wanted to get into the aviary I don't think the shade cloth will do much good apart from just cutting back some visuals of the birds from the outside (the whole thing is shade cloth with wire around the bottom and some of the roof, with plastic corrugated plastic sheets over part of the roof for the rain), however I don't have the predators like foxes, coyotes and our native hawks are quite small, never taking anything bigger than a quail and native pigeon as I have never lost a homing pigeon; however the neighbours' wandering cats are my main issue and they never try anything on my chooks unless they are very young. Clipping wings sounds like it would work as a safety factor as people mention, though I made my aviary to suit my pheasants so I can let them stay whole, and not have to put them through the stress of cutting their fight feathers every time they grow new ones. You are doing the right thing though by doing a bit of research and asking people with experience and knowledge, as we all have to start from somewhere!

Plus watching a bird with newly clipped wings is painful, especially for birds that naturally like to perch high. I was sold a pair of peacocks that were clipped and they spent the whole afternoon trying to get up in the trees, falling down often when trying to leap from the ground to cages, branches etc and then falling down in the morning when they tried to come down again. Did this for months until they grew their wings back again. I'd assume pheasants would be similar, especially if grown to adult size from a breeder without ever having their wings clipped (as in never clipped daily from a young age consistently) and then having it done right away and thrown in their new pen to figure it out.

I'd say either make an enclosed roof for the run if you want to keep them, since guessing you are in the US, I'd listen to all the informative people here who live in a similar situation as you with predators etc. And if one did escape and not want to stick around your property, they won't last too long out in the wilderness or near public roads etc.

 

[Jamie1981]

I don't like to beat around the bush,that's the way people read into what they want.Straight forward is the best way I can think of.People are always trying to think of ways for the birds to fit their lifestyle, and not thinking of the birds needs,and if you choose to raise birds,you need to protect them,not change them to your lifestyle.They want to raise them because they are beautiful creatures,and then they feel the need to change the colors in the birds.God created them the way he intended them to be.I believe the topic was clippimg their wings so they can't fly.Like I said flight is their only defense,and clipping their wing so you can watch them in your yard,only makes it easier for predators to catch and eat them.
In N.H.,Tony.

Keeping birds in a pen constantly where they can never freerange does not provide optimal health either. Disease, infighting, and insufficient exercise can easily be avoided by allowing birds to free range during the day and locking them up at night. They also are great for keeping bugs down around the property. Two birds, one stone here, because foraging is great for their diet. I’d hate to pick on someone who can’t tell a wing from a leg, but your self righteous obsession with keeping the bird safe, even to its own detriment, shows a real lack of understanding of life on earth. It’s probably a foundational issue too, like you don’t understand creation properly. Take a look at Genesis. It’s a really helpful guide.

 

[Funnyside ofthe FenceFarm]

Only when I feel it neccesary.My post state facts!
In N.H.,Tony.

Not everyone has a predator problem!!! FACT'S!!! As for the posters question. Absolutely you can clip the wing's! They're very fast runner's though so if you have a wooded area abutting the yard they may head there regardless of clipping.