help with a wild pheasant

[wildorchid053]

i live in upstate new york and there is a game preserve where they release pheasants for hunters. it is about 5 miles away.. i now have a male who has taken up residence in the wild part of our land borders about 10 ft off our chicken run. he has been there for over two weeks talking to the chickens in their run... he will not survive our rough winters and will die.. should i try to catch him in one of the runs and let him stay in one our our vacant coops and feed and water for him or should i let nature take its couse and let him die? they are not native here. i don't know if it is the cold that kills them or the lack of food. any help you give will be appreciated. here is a pic of the coop and run he will have access to. the little coop was unfinished in this pic.

 

[stoopid]

Don't know how to answer this one... If he has any diseases, they probably would have been transmitted to your flock already since he has been so close. Give it a try.

 

[greymane]

Is this a ringneck? If so, the state requires that you have a permit to have those in captivity. It isn't much, but it is required.

 

[Tony K T]

Ringnecks are not native to the U.S,but they will climatize to your temps.They can survive winters,it's the predators that will be his demise.If he had a disease he would not be alive as they don't usually last long once they get sick.I'm sure he is very healthy and will find a hen in his travels.He may catch a disease from chickens,as gamebirds are very suseptible to diseases that chickens can handle and pass on to them.They also can keep warm by burying themselves under snow.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[oesdog]

Oh - I just plucked and prepared a pheasent for roasting!!!!!! She was very pretty sadly she flew into Dhs car. So she got the freezer treatment.
Here folk do keep Pheasents much like hens on their property and you can get fertalized eggs to hatch. I think if you are going to catch this fellow you might have to keep him seperate from the hens.

DH says sure catch it and if it dies you can always eat it!!!!!!! If you catch a female to go with it well that would be good. Baby pheasent chicks next year!!!!!!!

Oesdog

 

[deserthotwings]

Catching a wild ringneck may be easier said than done. They are very smart birds in the wild. Good Luck Amigo