New Aviary finished for Red and Yellow Goldens!!

[Charlton Ellis]

Hi all

Quite new to pheasants, just thought i'd share my latest development, a new aviary, you guys think its ok? Also some pics of my birds...

have 2 pairs, one red golden, one yellow golden, any ideas as to what to put on the floor to avoid bare mud?
Thanks in advance

Charlton

 

[007Sean]

Housing two males in the enclosure with the hens will result in a blood bath...you may loose 1 or both males due to fighting over females and territory. Seperate enclosures would be best for the birds.
Bark mulch or pea gravel will help to keep the ground from becoming a mud pit.

 

[Charlton Ellis]

OK Thanks
Also, when spring comes and i was to let the hens incubate and hatch themselves, should i separate them from the cocks or not?

 

[007Sean]

OK Thanks
Also, when spring comes and i was to let the hens incubate and hatch themselves, should i separate them from the cocks or not?

More than likely the hens will not go broody. It's been bred out of them. Sometimes a hen will go broody, I've had them go broody and set for half way through and some even hatched their clutch but they didn't know what to do with the chicks after they hatched. It's better to collect their eggs and incubate them yourself.
If by chance one goes broody I would partition off the area where she is nesting.

 

[Sam - poultry enthusiast]

I prefer small pea gravel in areas exposed to rain. The rain helps wash any droppings below the gravel.

I would expect most hens won’t go broody. I have also noticed that eggs 10 days or older have an extremely low hatch rate.

Multiple males in close proximity during breeding season won’t work.

We have one pen with 3 cocks and 6 hens for non-breeding season that is 12x24. It is a great exhibition pen. However, by early spring, the males will all be separated. We leg band the birds to make sure none are mated with related birds.

To have an exhibition pen I think you must have plenty of space, hiding areas, multiple roosting spots, and a fool-proof method of keeping track of bloodlines, ie. leg or wing bands.

Hopefully that helps a bit.