New addition...

[SunAngel]

Honestly I would like to keep it. I would worry about it too much out there on its own now, with all the predators around us. Especially seeing how easy it was for us to catch it. Plus it is injured right now.

I just want to make sure I can keep it happy and healthy and find it a friend.

 

[dutchhollow]

It is a young ringneck pheasant, probably a hen. Probably released by someone that was training dogs. It sounds like she has had flights trimmed or pulled out. You would not catch a wild pheasant with a net even if it couldn't fly and it certainly wouldn't being hanging around on a street with people around.
Keep her if you want, she will be fine with the chickens. Or if you want to let her go, pull the damaged flights out and she will grow new ones faster them if they are cut and have to wait for a molt to fall out, then let her go. If you turn her loose without full flights she will be dog or coyote food.

 

[SunAngel]

That's what surprised me, how easy it was to catch. It did take us a bit because it kept sitting under brush that we couldnt get the net into, but she didnt start running and keep running like wild birds usually do. She would only move a couple feet and stand still again. Almost as if she wasn't totally afraid of people being around.

Aren't flight feathers more on the ends of the birds wings? I will have to go out and take a pic of the injury area. It really looks as if an animal got ahold of it and chewed off those feathers. Yanking 1 out in the process. Its right up next to her body, near her neck.

Thanks for all the help. I am checking with people to see if I can find her a friend and have had some hints on how to tame her.

 

[SunAngel]

I tried to get a couple pics. They aren't the best but should show what feathers are gone.

Most of the wing feathers on her left side look somewhat mangled with pieces missing.

 

[chickenzoo]

Yep, if she was that easy to catch, she is domesticated. I raised one with my peacocks and she will come up to you if you talk to her and she will eat grapes from your hand, she doesn't like to be held though. She thought she was a peacock for the longest time and did not know what to think when I got her a male. Now I have some babies from them.They are beautiful birds.

 

[ticks]

Well, hens are easy to catch, you could almost step on it. I bet it is a wild bird, that was hurt some how. I doubt a hunter would train a dog on a 6 weeks old hen Pheasant.

 

[SunAngel]

We have a lot of stray cats, hawks, owls etc, not sure what would have tried to make this little girl its dinner, but something sure did.

A friend of ours that lives about 1/2 a mile away, said she was going to call us over the weekend because she found a young quail in her garage and thought we would come save it, but guess they let it escape. She wonders if its the same one we caught. That would be a stretch though, seeing is it would have to travel past a lot of houses and a couple roadways to get over to here.

According to another friend, pheasant is kind of rare here now, hunters dont even bother going out for them anymore. So its hard to tell why these ones are popping up all of a sudden and split up from their families/friends/mates.

 

[ticks]

I would let the wing heal then release it. I didnt' know it was in such bad condition. Just take lots of pics of it so you will remember it. It would be better off for it.

 

[MrsCountryChick]

I'd educate yourself & keep it if you wish.

Plenty of people on here sell the chicks or fertilized eggs, you just happened to get a 'bonus' one come to you instead.

Alot of people think birds like that belongs left alone in the wild. But it's not as if you went 'hunting' to find it, it "found" you.

Nice "new addition",

Good she's happy enough to let you handle her for pics, Imagine how she'll be after you've worked with her.

 

[SunAngel]

It took a few minutes to catch her, but once I held her for a bit, she didn't seem to mind at all.

I'm not usually one for taking animals out of the wild to keep, specially if found as an adult. I have rehab'd chipmunks, turtles, birds, bunnies, etc and sent them back out to find their families.

But this chick is so young and I have no clue where other pheasants would be around here, so I would hate to just stick it back out there alone.

If I can find her some friends (still working on that) and raise her happy and healthy, I think she will be ok adjusting to life as a pet.