Pacing???

[jrsqlc]

I have found with pacing that either:

A: Not enough room
B: There is something outside of the pen that cought the birds attention and they want to examine it.

 

[centrarchid]

My critters pace at first because they want to be somewhere else, thereafter because they lost their marbles from trying to go somewhere else for so long. The smarter they are the more likely they are to loose their marbles.

 

[BobwhiteQuailLover]

How can I stop them from pacing?

 

[Robo]

Either give them a bigger cage or move their current cage.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Aha. That explains why mine paced. Dirt floor for them, pasture full of grass on the other side of the pens walls!

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
GO INTO THE PEN AND STAND STILL WITH A BOAT PADDLE.... EVERYTIME 1 PACES BY WHACK IT!

NO WAIT! DONT DO THAT!

GIVE THEM LOTS OF THINGS TO PLAY WITH... PLANTS AND BOXES TO HIDE IN, MULTIPLE PERCHES TO PLAY ON, YOU KNOW THINGS TO DO? STOP AND THINK ABOUT IT, IF YOU GOT BUSTED BY MOM AND DAD AND WAS SENT TO YOUR ROOM INDEFINATELY WITH NO TV OR GAMES YOU'D GET BORED PRETTY QUICK TOO... HECK YOU MIGHT EVEN START PACING. GIVE THEM A VARIETY OF ACTIVITIES, MAKE THEIR PEN AS CLOSE TO THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AS POSSIBLE. RUFFED SPECES ARE FOREST SPECES. IN THE WILD THEY WOULD HAVE LOTS OF TREES TO ROOST IN OR FLY UP AND PLAY IN, LOWER LIGHT SETTINGS DUE TO THE TREES, THICK DENSE UNDER BRUSH TO HIDE AND FORAGE IN FOR BUGS OR WHATNOT. TIERS OR ROOSTS OF MULTIPLE HIEGHTS... GIVE THEM MANY PERCHES IN DIFFERENT HIEGHTS AND BRUSH OR TREE LIMBS TO HIDE IN. NESTING BOXES ON THE GROUND CAN BE COVERED WITH OLD TREE LIMBS TO LOOK MORE LIKE A NICE PLACE TO HIDE. COVER THE TOP OF THEIR PEN WITH ROOFING OR A TARP TO HELP DECREASE THE LIGHT. OFFER THEM TREATS OF FRESH FRUIT. AND MOST OF ALL DONT STAND THERE STARING AT THEM OR CHASE THEM AROUND IN THE PENS.

IF YOU WANT TO MAKE THEM MORE DOCILE AS YOU HAVE POSTED PREVIOUSLY GO INTO THE PEN WITH FRESH FRUIT FOR TREATS AND PLACE TO FOOD WHERE THEY CAN GET TO IT AND GO TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PEN AND MAKE NO MOVEMENTS TOWARD THEM,,, JUST SIT DOWN AND BE QUIET. ALLOW THEM TO ACCEPT YOU... AFTER A FEW MONTHS START TO MOVE IN A LITTLE CLOSER, AND THEN CLOSER STILL, EVENTUALLY OFFER THEM TREATS AT OR NEAR YOUR FEET.

 

[BobwhiteQuailLover]

Thanks!!!

 

[turkaholic]

Pheasants pace because they want to move to where they see, and when they are behind wire, they naturally pace back and forth trying to get to the other side. A simple method that has worked for me is sight barriers. I have a 24-30 inch wall from the ground up the entire perimeter of the pen that prevents the pheasants from looking out. The less they see beyond the confines of the pen from ground level, the less they are prone to pacing. It also helps to put the barrier between separate pens so the roosters don't fight through the wire. I made my barriers from vinyl house siding. They can be cut to length and snap together to create as high a barrier as you want. They can be nailed to the pen supports or zip tied to the wire and give the pen a neat finished look. It will not cure all pheasants, but I have some of the most relaxed ringnecks you ever saw. And like others have said, plenty of natural cover helps too.

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
VERY GOOD POINT

IT ALSO HELPS TO STOP ANY WOULDBE PREDATORS FROM REACHING IN AND SNAGGING DINNER (YOUR BIRDS). HERE IN THIS TROPICAL CLIMATE I USE ROOFING METAL SHEETS. THEY SEEM TO TAKE THE ABUSE OF OUR CLIMATE BETTER AND HAVE MORE TENSTILE STRENGTH AS FOR THE PROTECTIVE END OF THINGS. MORE OF A PAIN IN THE BUTT TO CUT TO LENGTH THAN VINYL SIDING THO.... OR SHOULD I SAY HANDS???

 

[BobwhiteQuailLover]

Thanks!!