Do Golden pheasants make good pets

[Cheese60]

Hi, the other day we were driving along when I brought up the topic of getting me a couple of Golden pheasants for Christmas. I have never kept pheasants, only quail, and I know that if you buy them as adults and let them out, they either fly away or circle the fence perimeter until they find a hole big enough to squeaze through. If I buy them as chicks and spend heap of time with them will they do this when I let them out? I am planning on keeping them with ducks that my have ducklings this spring/summer and love to nibble weird looking tails like pekin bantam tails. Will they attack the pheasants if they have ducklings and if not, will they possibly damage the pheasants tails? If I shouldn't keep them with the ducks then could I keep then with chickens? Would I give them blackhead by keeping them with the chickens? And do they need to have a sleeping place or will they provide for themselves?
Thanks!

 

[miss hen]

Read my "new to Goldens" post, a lot of helpful tips there. Mine are about 12 weeks and I tried to be close with them but they are fast. They seem curious and friendly and will walk right up to me but as soon as I try to touch them they run. Everything I have heard about letting them run is a NO, almost every one will take off on you but maybe someone here with expereince has had better luck than what I have read.

 

[pheasantfrenzie]

Just be patient with them.
If you offer them broken up peanuts in your hand without moving and sitting down or bending down to become smaller you won't look as much of a threat to them. They like treats and you can normally win them over but only with time and alot of patience and never chase them.
Patty

 

[miss hen]

Patty, at what age can they start eating peanuts?

 

[pheasantfrenzie]

As long as you make them small enough you can start at any age after 3 wks. Just make sure they are unsalted peanuts. You can also do watermelon and in the fall they love love pumpkins or mine do anyway.
Patty

 

[Cheese60]

Thank you all for the info, will read the topic. We were thinking maybe day old chicks, and then raising them like chickens or ducks, would this help in making them tamer?

 

[Birdman18]

Yes I do think by raising the chicks that will tame them down a bit since they get attached to you after a while. I have one red golden chick that I spend time with daily and find he's gets attached to me more and more. I believe that's called imprinting when the chick gets attached to who is raising and spending time with them.
Last fall I've seen an adult golden pheasant at a farm and boy was that pheasant wild. Its makes sense if your going to keep golden pheasants you might as well raise them from chicks to help them become less wild and more tame to better suit becoming a pet. It does make it harder to keep a wild pheasant that one that isn't as wild.

Hope this helps!!