free ranging ornamental pheasents...

[fowlsessed]

No dependable way. It's not in the nature of Pheasants to stick around one particular place. If they can't fly away, they'll walk away. I don't think they'll do good on tie cords either (LOL) and apparently the broody hen idea isn't sure-fire (I still think it would be your best bet, but certainly wouldn't change their nature, so go figure). I wonder, if you're in an area with no wild pheasants, if you could run all your males free and they would stick around because that's where all the females are (In pens)..maybe only during breeding season, IDK. But as someone said, what's a prettier "pheasant" than a Peafowl, and they stick around

 

[MinxFox]

Lady Amherst pheasants probably would not do well if you free-ranged them and clipped their wings. If a predator got after them they would not be able to get away that well without being able to fly. A stray dog could come and get them, a hawk, etc. You never know. I am sure even with clipped wings they could wander off. My advise would be make them a nice aviary. I definitely understand how it is fun to see birds free-ranging and exploring their environment, but you can make a pretty aviary for them to explore with ornamental grasses, shrubs, stumps and rocks to jump up on, etc. I am not a Lady Amherst pheasant expert, but I think it can be easy to keep a nice planted pen for them. From what I have read many small pheasants appreciate grass to hide in, to eat, find bugs in, etc. I am sure they would have fun in their pen even if they were not allowed to free-range.

I don't free-range my peafowl so I try to make their aviary interesting enough for them. They have clumping bamboo in there along with all sorts of plants, and lots of perches and two log stumps they jump up on. If a bird escapes the pen they pace the pen wanting to get back inside so they must not hate being penned up.

Here is an article I just found about keeping pheasants were it talks mainly about why it is best to keep them in an aviary:
http://www.allandoopheasantry.com/keeping_pheasants.html
On the same website it talks about aviary plants:
http://www.allandoopheasantry.com/aviary_plants.html

 

[adriano]

Is it not down to what predators you have in your area and how secure your yard is regarding fencing, electric wiring etc and nothing been able to get in.
Its possible in places like here that don't have big birds of prey or the bigger animals you have in the usa.
And the birds could be locked up at night like chickens ducks etc if used to it from early days.

 

[Trefoil]

Possibly if you lived on and owned a small island. But you would basically be stocking the island, not have pet pheasants.

 

[ST3PH3N]

Free ranging pheasants is possible and very rewarding, but I would not recommend that you turn your Amherst's free as they will most likely walk off and never be seen of again. I have free ranged blue-eared pheasants (a pair, and after the hen died a second hen) and golden pheasants with great success. What you have to be willing to accept is that the lifespan of "wild" birds is likely not as long as the 10-15 years your birds will live kept in their aviary. My last free pheasant was my golden male who was killed by a great horned owl last summer, he had been free for about 8 years.


Blue-eared Pheasant male, surveying the yard from atop a gravel pile.



Golden Pheasant male, with territory to patrol.



The idea of free ranging some pheasants first came to me when I was hatching golden pheasant eggs from two trios plus a pair. The chicks were quickly becoming juveniles and I was running out of pen space. I figured if I happened to lose a few birds it wouldn't be that big of a deal so I might as well give it a try. I began by moving my 8 "test" juveniles into a pen bordering the path to the barn so they would get used to people walking past often. After about a month I (blocked the cat door and) began opening the pen door (into the barn) when I was around to supervise. The birds became used to the front of the barn and the high traffic but could always go into their pen if need be and could still access the aviary through their pen. I did not proceed further for two or three months, then, I began opening the barn door. I would open the door and go sit outside. The birds were familiar with the area because it was right beside their aviary and I would let them walk out for 10 or 20 minutes each day under supervision before shooing them back inside. Once they were familiar with the routine I could open the barn door in the morning to let the birds out, and close it in the evening after the birds were roosting inside. The birds then learned to use the cat door.

Pheasants have a daily routine and are very much creatures of habit. They roost in the same spot each night; they have 1 or 2 favourite roost spots, but it changes seasonally, each summer roosting on the same branch year after year, winters spent roosting on the rafters in the hayloft. They are fine as long as they know where they are, but if they are in any wise put out of their familiar territory they freak out and "go wild". Here's an example, I was out for the evening and someone closed the barn door before dusk accidentally locking out the blue-ear. He was standing in front of the barn in the dark when a racoon tried to take him. He launched himself over the barn leaving the 'coon with a handful of rump feathers and flew 500 feet before hitting the ground running. I found him a week later on the neighbour's place freaked out of his mind, he was very wild and jumpy. I managed to walk behind him very slowly and guide him back home and once he could recognize the area he ran into the barn! The next day he was fine again, walking around the yard as if nothing had happened. If you just open the door to your coop without acclimating your birds they will without fail freak out and take off! Males sometimes will stick around if there are hens caged, but even that is not a given. If the bird doesn't know the area where it is it will be scared.

There's a lot more I could say but this seems enough for now, I hope you enjoy these photos as they are of birds who were free to be themselves.

-Stephen

 

[JJRS]

Great post.

 

[fowlsessed]

AWESOME. I stand CORRECTED, and very gladly. I had heard of free-ranging eared pheasants, now I have proof, it just takes some work. And now Goldens!-The ones I want. I will bookmark this or better yet, they should sticky this thread. I've got to try this............

 

[Bayrider16]

Lady Amherst pheasants probably would not do well if you free-ranged them and clipped their wings. If a predator got after them they would not be able to get away that well without being able to fly. A stray dog could come and get them, a hawk, etc. You never know. I am sure even with clipped wings they could wander off. My advise would be make them a nice aviary. I definitely understand how it is fun to see birds free-ranging and exploring their environment, but you can make a pretty aviary for them to explore with ornamental grasses, shrubs, stumps and rocks to jump up on, etc. I am not a Lady Amherst pheasant expert, but I think it can be easy to keep a nice planted pen for them. From what I have read many small pheasants appreciate grass to hide in, to eat, find bugs in, etc. I am sure they would have fun in their pen even if they were not allowed to free-range.

I don't free-range my peafowl so I try to make their aviary interesting enough for them. They have clumping bamboo in there along with all sorts of plants, and lots of perches and two log stumps they jump up on. If a bird escapes the pen they pace the pen wanting to get back inside so they must not hate being penned up.

Here is an article I just found about keeping pheasants were it talks mainly about why it is best to keep them in an aviary:
http://www.allandoopheasantry.com/keeping_pheasants.html
On the same website it talks about aviary plants:
http://www.allandoopheasantry.com/aviary_plants.html

Thank you so much and thank you to everyone else who replied to my post!

 

[Bayrider16]

Free ranging pheasants is possible and very rewarding, but I would not recommend that you turn your Amherst's free as they will most likely walk off and never be seen of again. I have free ranged blue-eared pheasants (a pair, and after the hen died a second hen) and golden pheasants with great success. What you have to be willing to accept is that the lifespan of "wild" birds is likely not as long as the 10-15 years your birds will live kept in their aviary. My last free pheasant was my golden male who was killed by a great horned owl last summer, he had been free for about 8 years. Blue-eared Pheasant male, surveying the yard from atop a gravel pile. Golden Pheasant male, with territory to patrol. The idea of free ranging some pheasants first came to me when I was hatching golden pheasant eggs from two trios plus a pair. The chicks were quickly becoming juveniles and I was running out of pen space. I figured if I happened to lose a few birds it wouldn't be that big of a deal so I might as well give it a try. I began by moving my 8 "test" juveniles into a pen bordering the path to the barn so they would get used to people walking past often. After about a month I (blocked the cat door and) began opening the pen door (into the barn) when I was around to supervise. The birds became used to the front of the barn and the high traffic but could always go into their pen if need be and could still access the aviary through their pen. I did not proceed further for two or three months, then, I began opening the barn door. I would open the door and go sit outside. The birds were familiar with the area because it was right beside their aviary and I would let them walk out for 10 or 20 minutes each day under supervision before shooing them back inside. Once they were familiar with the routine I could open the barn door in the morning to let the birds out, and close it in the evening after the birds were roosting inside. The birds then learned to use the cat door. Pheasants have a daily routine and are very much creatures of habit. They roost in the same spot each night; they have 1 or 2 favourite roost spots, but it changes seasonally, each summer roosting on the same branch year after year, winters spent roosting on the rafters in the hayloft. They are fine as long as they know where they are, but if they are in any wise put out of their familiar territory they freak out and "go wild". Here's an example, I was out for the evening and someone closed the barn door before dusk accidentally locking out the blue-ear. He was standing in front of the barn in the dark when a racoon tried to take him. He launched himself over the barn leaving the 'coon with a handful of rump feathers and flew 500 feet before hitting the ground running. I found him a week later on the neighbour's place freaked out of his mind, he was very wild and jumpy. I managed to walk behind him very slowly and guide him back home and once he could recognize the area he ran into the barn! The next day he was fine again, walking around the yard as if nothing had happened. If you just open the door to your coop without acclimating your birds they will without fail freak out and take off! Males sometimes will stick around if there are hens caged, but even that is not a given. If the bird doesn't know the area where it is it will be scared. There's a lot more I could say but this seems enough for now, I hope you enjoy these photos as they are of birds who were free to be themselves. -Stephen

Yes thank you so much, your birds are beautiful! Lucky you to have golden and blue eared! I just can't wait until I get mine!