Mean pheasant

[yellowherb]

This is Chuck, I came across him and 3 hens at a livestock auction and since I wanted pheasants for a while I quickly snapped them up. They were in terrible condition (note the tail). We have had Chuck and his ladies for about 3 weeks now and his shimmer is coming back and his tail is growing again as are the hens. They were underweight, missing lots of feathers, lacking shine and just generally in really bad shape when I brought them home.

They have a large enclosure with a lot of natural wood roosts, some live plants now. But the problem is that Chuck hates my husband and daughter. Every time hubby goes in to feed them Chuck attacks him. Gpop1 is at the stage of Chuck being a table bird even though he's still underweight. I don't want to loose the only pheasant roo I've come across! I can sit outside the enclosure and Chuck stands near me calm, but let Gpop1 go out on the deck and Chuck starts pacing trying to get out to get to him, I mean he hate hubby fiercely. I can open the door and put cuttings in and Chuck just looks at me, but if hubby opens it Chuck will try to get out to attack him. Chuck even did get out one day but was so busy trying to spur Gpop1 he never even realized he was free and then followed G back into the enclosure attacking.

I have a couple of questions being a pheasant newbie.
1. What type of pheasant is Chuck other than a general ringneck.
2. Are all pheasants as mean as Chuck?
3. Why is he calm around me but nasty around hubby and daughter?
4, Is there anything I can do to get Chuck to quit being so mean?

 

[Tony K T]

This is Chuck, I came across him and 3 hens at a livestock auction and since I wanted pheasants for a while I quickly snapped them up. They were in terrible condition (note the tail). We have had Chuck and his ladies for about 3 weeks now and his shimmer is coming back and his tail is growing again as are the hens. They were underweight, missing lots of feathers, lacking shine and just generally in really bad shape when I brought them home.

They have a large enclosure with a lot of natural wood roosts, some live plants now. But the problem is that Chuck hates my husband and daughter. Every time hubby goes in to feed them Chuck attacks him. Gpop1 is at the stage of Chuck being a table bird even though he's still underweight. I don't want to loose the only pheasant roo I've come across! I can sit outside the enclosure and Chuck stands near me calm, but let Gpop1 go out on the deck and Chuck starts pacing trying to get out to get to him, I mean he hate hubby fiercely. I can open the door and put cuttings in and Chuck just looks at me, but if hubby opens it Chuck will try to get out to attack him. Chuck even did get out one day but was so busy trying to spur Gpop1 he never even realized he was free and then followed G back into the enclosure attacking.

I have a couple of questions being a pheasant newbie.
1. What type of pheasant is Chuck other than a general ringneck.
2. Are all pheasants as mean as Chuck?
3. Why is he calm around me but nasty around hubby and daughter?
4, Is there anything I can do to get Chuck to quit being so mean?

1. yes a ringneck
2.No,just like humans they all have a different personality.
3.must be a trust issue he had from previous owner(s).
4.Offer him treats like peanuts(unsalted only),fruit,veggies and try to get him to take them from your hand.But be on guard in case he tries to fly at you.
I found that mean roosters produce lots of fertile eggs,so that means lots of chicks if you decide to hatch the eggs.
Now you need to get more breeds of pheasants now that you've caught the bug.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[yellowherb]

Thanks Tony for the information. I have been reading your posts for a while and admiring your birds as I've lurked on the pheasant forum.

My husband likes the reds and I like the lady Amherst, but I also fell in love with ringnecks while living in England and seeing the ones who got away from hunters out foraging during winters. I love the pheasants and have spent a lot of time out watching them as they go about their business.