What should I have in my pens for my pheasant hens going into breeding season?

[mrwoodboat]

Hi All, 1st- thank you to everyone who has helped me get started with pheasants. This is my 1st breeding season and just want to make sure I am still doing things correctly. I have a pair of Red Goldens in one pen and a pair of Dark Throat in the adjacent pen. Each pen is 8' x 16' with a 6' enclosure on the end (3 sided). They are 6' tall with nylon poultry netting over the top. The bottom 2' is sheet metal so the birds cannot see into the pen next to them

In each pen, we have plants and boulders along with some tree trunks with multiple branches. We also have straw bales for the birds can "hide".

My question is what do I need to provide in the way of a nesting area for the hens? Is the straw piles sufficient? Should I put some sort of basket or crates in there with straw in them?

Thanks

 

[deserthotwings]

You might want to check some of the posts on the seasideduckman article. He has the same concerns.

 

[mrwoodboat]

Yeah I usually follow all the posts- that particular one is not based upon my husbandry practices though= looking for how to improve my set up....I am thinking that I need to add some baskets or crates with straw in them but was not sure...

 

[Tony K T]

I hang a bushel basket from the side of their pen,lean a piece of plywood against the side,and lean an xmas tree in the corner.I also scatter straw in their pen and in the basket.Give them choices and they will pick what they feel comfortable with.The may just lay in a hole they dig in a corner or right on top of the ground all over their pen.
I like to have mine set up at the beginning of Jan so they are used to the objects in their pen.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[mrwoodboat]

Thanks Tony- I have large boulders near the back walls (they are lava rocks about 24" tall) straw bales and branches- the entire back enclosure has straw everywhere about 8 " deep....
It sounds like I could add a pc of plywood and be ok..