Square footage, mixed aviary

[maynben]

Hi,

I'm plotting out an area in my back yard to build a pen for Golden Pheasants. How many square feet per adult pheasant do I need? What other species of birds can i house with pheasants? Maybe a couple quail? Also, do I need to provide a wind break on the pen? Or will Goldens be fine in the elemnts?

 

[007Sean]

The minimum is 15 to 20 sq ft/bird. Bigger is always better. Personally, i wouldn't run a mixed aviary, yes, it can and is being done but just too many variables to deal with IMHO. Here's some pics of mine.

 

[maynben]

Thank you. Great advice. I like your setup. Thanks for sharing. I'm considering golden pheasants. I'm thinking I have enough room for about 6 birds. May I keep 2 males and 4 females together and have a successful breeding configuration? Or would you prefer 1 male and 5 females? Do Goldens bread well in captivity? Thanks for your time.

 

[007Sean]

Thank you. Great advice. I like your setup. Thanks for sharing. I'm considering golden pheasants. I'm thinking I have enough room for about 6 birds. May I keep 2 males and 4 females together and have a successful breeding configuration? Or would you prefer 1 male and 5 females? Do Goldens bread well in captivity? Thanks for your time.

Yes, goldens breed successfully in captivity. I would keep a trio, 1 male, 3 females. Unless the pen is insanely huge, running 2 or more males together will result in the death of one. You can run several males together, provided there are no hens inhabiting the same pen. Even doing that is "ify". They may get along or may not. Every situation is different. I have run several males of different species together in a 50' x100' pen before, without problems but there were no hens within their sight, smell, or hearing. BTW, the plywood siding enclosure of mine is 40' x 30' total with 8 pens. The sheet metal enclosure is 20' x 24' total with 4 pens. I run pairs in some and some have trios, 1 has a quad. I have Red Goldens, Yellow Goldens, Amherst, Elliot, Reeves, Bianchi, Idaho Blueback Ring-necked, Kansas Ring-necked, Green melanistic, Black melanistic, Spanish Red Legged partridge, and Prairie chickens. No, not all are kept in the pens in the pics, i have 6 other pens of similar dimensions to house all my birds. Also, have outdoor and indoor brooders. Another recommendation would to have automatic waterers. Im in the process of converting mine over to automatic now...saves alot of time. Hope you can find some of this info, helpful. Good Luck

 

[Midnightman14]

Goldens can be colony bred with multiple males mixed in together with hens but the amount of space it takes makes it impractical unless you are breeding on a large scale. As for the mixed aviary you can do it if you're not putting in other pheasants. Many people who run mixed aviaries put passerine birds like finches or parakeets in but if this is done you'll have to do alot of cleaning to keep it from becoming a place for diseases to develop.