New addition...

[SunAngel]

Just thought I would share a cute story and maybe get some opinions.

I get a call today from our elderly neighbor telling me that she thinks one of my chickens is loose and running around in the street in front of her house. Hubby, the kids and I are giving each other puzzled looks wondering what she could be talking about. My coop is almost brand new and I don't think theres any way a chicken could escape unless someone held the door open for it lol. So we take off for the street and the neighbor points out where it is. We sneak up slowly and this is what it was....

My guess is some sort of pheasant, maybe 3-4 weeks old? DD ran back to the house for a net and we caught it. It was alone and kept coming back into the street. We caught it after about 20 mins and on its one wing close to its body it is missing about an inch or 2 long row of feathers, ripped out/broken off right at the wing. But theres no sign of infection. It has some other healed battle scars but it seems mostly healthy. I am pretty sure one of the many stray cats roaming my street got ahold of it.

Questions...
Can I feed it chicken food and scratch grains? )I already gave it some, which it inhaled, like it was starving. But not sure if this is an ok diet for it.)

Can they be put in with chickens, or will it need its own pen?

Are they ok alone, or will it need a friend? Can I get a domestic bred pheasant to put with it?

I've seen no other ones around here lately, and there was no sign/sound of other babies or adults in the woods. So I am guessing it is going to become a pet. Any and all suggestions are welcomed!

 

[chickn]

i would say pheasant also
you can feed it starter or grower if thats what you have but it should have game bird crumble, it can be kept with chickens as long as you dont open the door because it will fly off.
you will get a million opinions, i will tell you that my fathers have lived with his chickens for yrs with no problem at all.

 

[SunAngel]

Thanks for the help.

Hmmm, its probably too young yet to put with my 10 week old chickens, I dont want it chased. And I want to keep it separate for awhile anyways, to make sure it isn't sick.

But that would be cool if it could share the same area as my chickens. Although its no problem to give it its own pen and coop.

Does it appear to be a female, or is it not easy to tell?

 

[SamG347]

I would make it a pen seperate from the chickens. And get it a mate. The bird does appear to be a young female and the Chicken feed with scratch is okay...but a higher protein feed is recomended for gamebirds. But 16%-20% should be fine. All you need now is a male pheasant and you are in buis!

 

[ticks]

It looks 6 weeks old probably wild.
Feed it a 20% starter for about 4 weeks then a 15%
It needs a covered run and they are escape artists. You deffinatley need more than one. Or just let it go.

 

[BirdBoy88]

look at that cuteness

 

[karanleaf]

It's so sweet lookin, you certinally had to take the poor thing in. I would keep it if it were me also.... Keep us posted on how she's doing and if you find her a mate.. That would be nice

 

[SunAngel]

If I let it go, it will certainly become cat food. Specially without a mommy to finish teaching it how to survive. It must have been looking for 'help' because it kept wandering back up onto the road. Probably because it heard the elderly ladies talking on the porch.

It is so sweet, but very skittish. I need to take a look at where the set of feathers are torn off today and make sure its going to heal ok. Some look chewed/broken off, but theres a hole where at least one looks completely yanked out. Will that grow back?

I will go to TSC and see if they have wild game starter. If not, where can I buy it?

And now comes the hard part of finding someone to buy another pheasant from. As if I wasn't having enough problems finding more chickens lol.

 

[SunAngel]

Is it a Ringneck pheasant? Or is it 'just' a pheasant?

Does it matter what other breed of pheasant I find as a mate or friend?

 

[ticks]

Ringneck Pheasant. You would be surprised how well they can survive. Just relocate it into a field with cover, water, and food. Right now in the wild it wouldn't have it's mother, she wouldn't still have them. They can fly right now too, that's why it wasn't with it's mother. Good luck with it.

Ringnecks pretty much are the regular pheasant