Pheasant compatability

[Shadowfire]

Hello everyone, I was just wondering how many male pheasants (lady Amherst, golden) could I keep in a properly-sized coop with females? I am just planning for the future.

Thank you!

 

[007Sean]

Rule of thumb is 1 cock bird for 5 to 6 hens, maybe a few more hens but that's the ratio I use and works best for me.
If you put 2 cock birds together in a pen with the hens, you will have a blood bath between the 2 males and may lose both, most certainly 1 male will be killed.
Also, you will want to introduce the male and female birds to the pen at the same time. Preferably at night, that way when it gets light they will be on equal ground, so to speak. Adding hens to an estabished pen with a cock bird, can lead to the cock bird killing the hens ( sometimes) It's his territory and will defend it, even against hens.
The more cover, perches, objects to break line of sight, the better, especially during breeding season, to prevent overly aggressive males from harrassing the hens to death.
This has been my experience, yours my differ. HTH

 

[Shadowfire]

Rule of thumb is 1 cock bird for 5 to 6 hens, maybe a few more hens but that's the ratio I use and works best for me.
If you put 2 cock birds together in a pen with the hens, you will have a blood bath between the 2 males and may lose both, most certainly 1 male will be killed.
Also, you will want to introduce the male and female birds to the pen at the same time. Preferably at night, that way when it gets light they will be on equal ground, so to speak. Adding hens to an estabished pen with a cock bird, can lead to the cock bird killing the hens ( sometimes) It's his territory and will defend it, even against hens.
The more cover, perches, objects to break line of sight, the better, especially during breeding season, to prevent overly aggressive males from harrassing the hens to death.
This has been my experience, yours my differ. HTH

So would it be all right to have a pen of just males, assorted breeds?

 

[Tony K T]

So would it be all right to have a pen of just males, assorted breeds?

Yes all males are fine as long as there are no hens around them.It's best to keep all breeds separate from each other.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[007Sean]

So would it be all right to have a pen of just males, assorted breeds?

My experience for all male enclosures has been that the Ruff pheasants get along fine together. The true pheasants, bartailed and a few others would seem to get along, then one day they would start fighting, I'd have to seperate them, these were in 50' x 50' enclosures. It's kinda a hit or miss, lots of factors can come into play. Even chicks that were raised together from hatch, would get into fights. All the Reeves I ever raised could not be run in a community enclosure, they would eventually kill every other male in the pen. Even at 1 month of age, I have to seperate the Reeves chicks from other species because they will peck the other species until dead.
You may have a different experience and probably will but try it, if they start fighting be sure to have another enclosure to move the aggressor and avoid a blood bath.