Silver Pheasants

[phasianidae]

What can you tell me about them? How much space do they need? How tame are they? What kind of feed? Can they handle a Minnesota winter? Any and all advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Ryan

 

[utah impeyan]

Silver are very easy birds to keep. They tame down nicely. Some will eat out of your hands. I keep mine in a 10 x 10 pen and they do great. I feed them all sorts of fruits, greens, scratch, pellets. They do good in the cold. They are sometimes aggressive to theirs hens during breeding season. And occasionally you will get one aggressive towards people also. So just keep a eye on them. They are a beautiful bird. And I enjoy having them around. Their cool to watch drum their wings during breeding also.

 

[phasianidae]

Thank you!

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

As with all pheasants the more space the better. When I had silvers I kept them in trios in a 10 x 15 x 6 pen. They are the best pheasants out there if you ask me, not flighty, very social, they are better than alot of chickens I have had as far as temperment goes. Watch out in the spring, broody hens are agressive and mine liked to go for the face when you get near them. There are hardy up here in North eastern Washington. The first year I had them we got down to -30 with 4' of snow, they burrowed into the snow and had a tunnel running from their hut to the food/water area. I used courregated metal roofing bent and attached at the bottom with 2x2's making a little dome shaped place for them with a piece of plywood on the back to give some privacy. An old pheasant breeder told me to put some pine branches in with them during the winter because they eat the needles. I didnt believe him until I had some broken lodgepole/scotch pine branches that I tossed in with them. They went to town eating the needles, from what I have heard it is instinct that tells them to eat the needles in the winter for extra nutrition but dont quote me on it, its just what has been passed on to me by some long time breeders. Another thing I have learned is that while poultry feed is good for them, also toss them some cat/dog food from time to time for added protein. I've also seen them kill gopher snakes and feild mice as well.

 

[phasianidae]

Thank you very much! They sound like great birds! How much does a pair commonly cost? Who sells them?

 

[flyingmonkeypoop]

Generally up here a pair sells for $20-30, theyre generally cheaper than the goldens it seems