Red Golden Pheasant

[reallemons1]

I have a pair of yearling Red Goldens. The hen laid a clutch of eggs and now is busy setting. I know they are fertile because we found one broken and it had a small chick in it. YEA. They are in a pen that is about 12'x12'. Should I take the male out so he don't hurt the chicks when they hatch or will he okay with them? I'm new to pheasants and don't know much about their behaviour. Thanks!

 

[Lophura]

Quote:
You'll be fine with the male in with the hen & chicks. Many male pheasant species will help the female with the rearing of the chicks and it is awesome to watch the family foraging together - a natural behavior that has since been lost in many captive pheasants. Congrats!!

Dan

 

[ticks]

Will you brood them or would the hen brood them herself?

 

[reallemons1]

I'm playing it by ear... If they seem okay with her they stay, if not I'll take them. I am want to learn their natural behaviour so I will better know how to brood them.

 

[Lophura]

Quote:
Let the hen do it, that's the best part!!

Take precautions in the aviary before the chicks hatch - ensure the water pan is small or contains objects to prevent the chicks from drowning; double check your perimeter wire, make sure you some type of barrier to keep the chicks from wandering off or add some hardware cloth. Pheasant chicks are quite small and can slip through 1" mesh quite easily (and to an awaiting predator). I have allowed many hen pheasants & francolins to rear their own families over the years and have made some of these mistakes!! Simple corrections make for a rewarding experience.

Dan

 

[equus2]

I'd like to try to build a flight pen/pheasant run myself......shouldn't be too hard, I know. Any recommendations, links, on-line tutorials to help someone who can barely drive a straight nail?

 

[Lophura]

Quote:
I'm not the best carpenter myself, but have managed to a get a few (not so straight) aviaries up!! I've never really seen a "set plan" for pheasant aviaries online, it really is up to you imagination. Always go for the biggest your budget can allow and shoot for adding as much natural interior items such as shrubs, rocks and logs as you can find.

We have a frequent poster on our forum who has described buidling aviaries in L shapes and with "tiers" or layers inside. Something I'm planning on trying when I start a new one. I've always gone with the rectangle or square design, if was a better carpenter - would love to try an L shape or angles.

We have numerous aviary photos on our forum and advice from seasoned pheasant aviculturists - http://www.gbwf.org/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=23 - Can get some great ideas on how you want to set your aviaries up by looking at those pics.

Here is one of my rectangle Amherst aviaries -

This photo was taken 2 years ago and the Cypress and Willows have since filled out nicely creating a "mini forest". This aviary is 7' high, 16' long and 8' wide. I used treated 2x4s as the frame; I placed 36" tin along the bottom as a site barrier; the sides are 48" galvanized 1" square wire from the ground up and 48" 1" hex chicken wire meeting the hard wire to the top; the roof is 1" hex. I planted 4 young Leland Cypress and 3 Globe Willows, both species can handle a great deal of trimming. With the logs, rocks and shrubs, the pheasants always seem busy and the grass can get out of hand!! I do trim with a weed eater and try to create "tufts" of the tall grasses. This small, basic aviary would be good for the Chrysolophus as well as the smaller Lophura species. Always though, if you can go bigger, do it.

Dan

 

[equus2]

Hi Dan, thanks for the post. Took me awhile to get back on line.

Great info, maybe I can do this.

Lisa