Ornamental pheasants

[brideofchaos]

Hi, all,

Currently keeping a nice flock of chickens and small group of turkeys, my husband has an itch to try red/golds or gold pheasants. We have even found a local breeder who offers some chicks for $20/each. My question is, is there anything I should know about housing or feeding pheasants vs. turkeys & chickens (besides needing game feed)?

I was thinking of making a separate run for them with a small coop and all is covered by 6' tall aviary netting. A friend who kept pheasants in PA only had a small pen for them, not much bigger than a dog kennel but I believe in making all my birds extra happy. Also, do they prefer to be in pairs or harems?

Thanks all and Happy Fried-day!

Wendy

 

[Tony K T]

Hi, all,

Currently keeping a nice flock of chickens and small group of turkeys, my husband has an itch to try red/golds or gold pheasants. We have even found a local breeder who offers some chicks for $20/each. My question is, is there anything I should know about housing or feeding pheasants vs. turkeys & chickens (besides needing game feed)?

I was thinking of making a separate run for them with a small coop and all is covered by 6' tall aviary netting. A friend who kept pheasants in PA only had a small pen for them, not much bigger than a dog kennel but I believe in making all my birds extra happy. Also, do they prefer to be in pairs or harems?

Thanks all and Happy Fried-day!

Wendy

For goldens you can run pairs,trios or quads and even more provided their pen is big enough.A good size pen for a pair is minimum 10x10,but the more space the better.They can not be housed with or near chickens as chickens carry diseases which they can handle,but over time will kill pheasants.Gamebird feed is needed,fruits and veggies wild bird seed grass is always a treat for them,a covered pen so they will not fly out(either,wire,wood,netting,metal),perches.If you have predators in your yard you may want to put a wire apron around the perimeter of the pen,either buried or lay it on top of the grass and stake it down.They like hiding so branches,x mas trees.Logs make a pen look nice and they will love to sit on them and look around to see what's in the area.The 20.00 each for chicks seems a little hi as adults in full color go for 60.00-70.00 here in N.H.I sell my chicks at 6 weeks old for 10.00,but I don't trust shipping pheasant chicks.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[brideofchaos]

Hi, Tony!

TY for the great info. We have 10 acres, so we can definitely locate the pheasant pen away from the chicken run. We have a nice bit of woods (Pinon, Ponderosa Pine, Alligator Cypress and Scrub Oak) and and if we can figure out how to build the pen securely enough to also encompass some tree limbs for them to roost on, that would be idea (netting, am guessing). If not, we'll do roosts and such.

Wasn't sure if $20 was high but am guessing it's supply and demand. Dunno if there are too many pheasant breeders in Albuquerque area (we're east of the city, in the mountains) but am definitely going to hit the regular Poultry Swaps in the area and ask around. If we don't start pheasants this year, probably next season.

Thanks!

 

[Tony K T]

Zuni Buffaloman in Ribera,Mike Cross in Aztec and Roger Spence in Carrizozo all raise pheasants in N.M Also Saul Villangra who is on this site is somewhere in N.M. also.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[brideofchaos]

Tony K T,

WOW! TY so much for that info! I will definitely try to find them. I travel thru Carrizozo every other Friday and Monday on the way to and from Ruidoso. So that would be fab if I could find them there.

Y'all are a plethora of birdy goodness! lol

Wendy

 

[Tony K T]

I could pm you phone #'s if you'd like them.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[brideofchaos]

I think I found Roger's (googled him lol) but please do! I'd love to find out who's keeping what, so my hubby can start sorting out what he likes (currently fixated on Red Golds).

Thanks, guys!

 

[Tony K T]

PM sent.Just wait until he sees the impeyans,temmincks grey peacock ,germains.The list is big.
Here's a few of my birds.
! temminck tragopan
2 impeyan
3 mikado
4 eliot
5 lady amherst
6 grey peacock
7 swinhoe
8 blue eared
9 grey peacock displaying
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[brideofchaos]

I know! I'm drooling. I emailed Saul about both his pheasants and jungle fowl. Am sure we can't afford many of the breeds but it'd sure be fun to try!

 

[quackers57]

Hi what female to male ratio is there for pheasants.