Golden Pheasants

Finch · **Posted:** Wed Jul 28, 2010 8:27 am

I have been breeding birds ( parrots and finches ) for over thirty years and have only recent contracted this "pheasant disease" so I am new to keeping and breeding pheasants. For the past 12 months I have been reading all I can about them, from enclosures, to breeding diets and setting up pairs but I still have some basic questions. Please forgive me if these questions are mundane and have been answered in previously posts. I have read that uncoloured Goldens will mate in their first year but that fertility will be very low. I am interested in your own experiences. Also my Goldens are in planted aviaries with bamboo and grasses, would I need to provide nesting boxes or will the hens just build their own nest in the grass? Do first year Nepals breed successfully? I thank you for your time.

andre · **Joined:** Tue Oct 13, 2009 5:21 pm **Posts:** 612

First year Goldens can mate and produce pretty much normal fertility in eggs. I don't have any experience with Nepals.

NSW Pheasants · **Posted:** Wed Jul 28, 2010 6:24 pm

First year cockbirds will mate but the fertility won't be too good as you wrote very low in my experience. No you don’t need boxes as they don't use boxes they will scratch out a shallow nest usually under plants or in the corner of your shelter. If you have some good ground cover that’s where they will nest especially under grass. They use dry grass and leaves in the nest and even a few odd feathers. I don't have nepals anymore but when I did they never bred in the first year and the second year was very average, it was the third plus years were they did ok but just ok. PA would be the best to answer about the rare pheasants.

Reeves · **Joined:** Thu Jul 29, 2010 3:33 pm **Posts:** 10

I don't bother trying to breed from young males they miss fire more time than not and they over do the hole courtship routine

Finch · **Posted:** Fri Jul 30, 2010 7:57 am

Thank you for your responses. So there is no issue with first year hens, the problem is with the first year cocks. They are still uncoloured and therefore less likely to be mature enough to produce a reasonable fertility rate. They have already started to display to the hens and they are very showy. The same cannot be said for the Nepals, the males have not shown any indication of breeding. Although they have brillant plumage but seem to have no interest in the hens.

Reeves · **Joined:** Thu Jul 29, 2010 3:33 pm **Posts:** 10

No first year hens I find are good layers so you can use them but use a 2 year old male to them because they know what to do

Finch · **Posted:** Fri Jul 30, 2010 10:47 am

Only problem is now I have to find a mature male..............which will not be easy. Thank you for the advice.

Reeves · **Joined:** Thu Jul 29, 2010 3:33 pm **Posts:** 10

I see them advertised on farmstock
http://www.farmstock.com.au/Classifieds ... 33037.html
Not a bad price if they are mature

Finch · **Posted:** Tue Aug 03, 2010 8:08 am

Thanks Reeves but found out they are only young plus I live in Melbourne and they are in Sydney so I would also have to freight which can be cost prohibitive. If I can't find a mature bird in time looks like this breeding season will be just experimental. I will just see what happens.

Zandra · **Joined:** Fri Aug 13, 2010 2:42 pm **Posts:** 1

Can I have golden pheasants and reeve together in an aviary that is 5m x 6m x 2m high

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