For beginners, breeding pheasants at home seems to be very laborious and not always a successful process. But in fact, this decorative bird is not much different from ordinary chickens and it feels great all year round in an open-air cage. How to equip pheasants a safe winter in harsh climatic conditions, what to feed, how to avoid mortality and raise young offspring - we will tell about all this later in the article.
- Description and features
- Appearance
- Spread in nature
- Captivity
- Conditions for content
- How to endure harsh winters
- What do pheasants eat
- What other care is needed
- Egg production
- Does offspring give captivity
Description and features
The breed of the golden pheasant is the brightest of all the representatives of the Vorotnichkov family and differs from its relatives by its unusual plumage. But to see a bird in the wild because of its fearfulness is almost unreal. This opportunity is presented only in zoos and on chicken farms. In captivity, birds grow well, are distinguished by high egg-laying rates, and also provide tasty and nutritious meat. 
Appearance
According to their description, the males of the golden pheasant are distinguished by a thick golden yellow tuft and a shiny collar of orange feathers with a velvety black border. The back of the bird is colored bright yellow with a golden hue, and the upper tail is marked with a purple border. The lower part of the body is bright red.
The shoulder areas are dark blue with patches of crimson hue. The tail is long, wedge-shaped, brown-gray color. There are spurs on the legs. Male weighs from 1 to 3 kilograms with a body length of up to 85 centimeters. 
Females are characterized by rusty-brown plumage with black spot and stripes. Also, their weight never exceeds one kilogram. And the length of the body - within half a meter.
Spread in nature
Golden pheasants are considered Asian birds. Their habitat is mountain peaks and bamboo thickets of the foothills of Tibet. Compared to other species, these representatives of the genus prefer to settle in the lowland belts of the mountains, at an altitude of up to 2 thousand meters above sea level.
It is characteristic that the bird avoids a swampy and open area, and is also afraid of forest thickets. Chinese residents of rural areas can occasionally notice birds on tea plantations and fields. In search of food, they can reach far beyond their nests, breaking even the thickest thickets.A new population of semi-wild golden varieties was formed in the territory of Great Britain, numbering already more than five hundred individuals. Its founders are pheasants escaped from captivity.In a foreign environment, they preferred to settle in the dense forests of coniferous and deciduous types.
Birds love to sit on trees, can fly and move on the ground. One of their oddities is excessive fearfulness. In this regard, pheasants very quickly and abruptly take off in vertical flight, but suddenly they change direction, moving horizontally.
Captivity
Breeding a golden pheasant at home provides for a separate cage, away from noisy industrial areas and highways. And also the birds need food and special care. We will understand in detail. 
Conditions for content
To grow these decorative birds in the courtyard, you need to find a dry and cozy area, where you will equip a chicken coop, a canopy and an extended walking range. The minimum area of housing needed by each family should be within 1.5x2x2 m, and walking distance - 10 square meters. m
Many owners recommend to protect the walls and floor of the house with a galvanized grid with small cells. Such a construction will not allow rats and birds to get inside, which will reduce the risk of infection of the livestock with various infections. Only flooring must be sprinkled with a layer of sand so that the bird does not walk on steel. It is advisable to protect the rear wall of the structure with dense material and take care of a dark overnight stay. It is better to build roosts in it at a meter height from the ground. 
The side walls of the walk are made of metal mesh, but the top is covered with nylon material with medium cells. In no case should this be ignored, since sharp vertical flights of pheasants often lead to serious injuries.
Some poultry farmers build a small vestibule at the entrance to the aviary. It stores food and necessary equipment. Such a solution is very convenient and, according to veterinarians, correct in terms of preventive measures for common chicken diseases.
Inside at least one thick shrub or tree is desirable on a large bird territory, and you can also sow grass. On warm summer nights, the birds prefer to spend the night settling on the branches, so you should not drive them. 
But in small enclosures such an initiative is out of place. The fact is that the extra items will interfere with movement and will contribute to breaking the long tail feathers of pheasants.
At the beginning of the nesting period, it is important to build a small reed hut in the distant part of the territory and plant branches, dry grass, feathers and moss for the nest.
How to endure harsh winters
In regions with frosty winters for breeding and keeping pheasants at home you will need to build more reliable chicken coops. Their walls are usually insulated with foam, excluding all sorts of drafts. It is their birds that are most afraid. It makes no sense to install additional heaters, since the feather cover of pheasants is quite capable of protecting animals from the harsh temperature.
Veterinarians advise to take a preventive course of antibiotics in combination with Lipaza before the onset of cold weather. For this, half of the dose recommended by the manufacturer is sufficient. Also in the diet must be present vitamins and fish oil. On sunny frosty days, animals can be let out for walking. And in the house you definitely need to think about additional lighting.What do pheasants eat
Given the excessive fear of pheasants and the specifics of their flight, experts advise once again not to disturb the inhabitants of the aviary. Therefore, the feed must be poured for 2-3 days. But it is desirable to install the drinkers in such a way that it is possible to fill and clean them, without going into the aviary.
In the wild, the golden variety of pheasants eats foliage and young shoots of various bushes and bamboo, as well as rhododendron inflorescences. Sometimes they eat small insects. And at home, many novice poultry farmers are lost, what to feed pheasants, because the brighter the plumage of a bird, the harder it is to care for it. In addition, the view is different gluttony. 
In the summer feathery wards recommended to offer the same food as the musky geese, and in the winter in the diet additionally appear vitamin complexes and biological additives. They are needed in order to protect the bird from the risks of reducing appetite and the development of disease.
In the cold season caring owners compensate for the lack of herbs with 2 grams of fish oil, which is added to the drinker. In addition, for every kilogram of food, 5 g of ascorbic acid are mixed in, since in winter birds cannot eat fruit.
Some experts talk about the appropriateness of adding sugar to the mushy feed. According to them, it enhances the immune function of the body. 
The basis of the daily menu of pheasants consists of corn kernels, barley and wheat. They also eat fruit cake, vegetables.
In winter, excluding vitamins, the daily ration of poultry should consist of:
- 50% concentrated grain mixes and raw mash beans;
- 20% succulent feed (recommended to give grated carrots and cabbage);
- 16% of food of animal origin (bone meal, cottage cheese, minced meat).
What other care is needed
It is important for domestic pheasants that the aviary is always clean. Therefore, besides regular feeding and watering, do not forget to remove litter and litter from the poultry area, as well as wash the drinkers, feeders and disinfect the inventory. Doing it every day is not worth it, because the frequent stress will be reflected in the productivity and health of the inhabitants of the house. But do not run the farm, because in dirty conditions the residents will get ticks, bedbugs and lice. 
Ensure that there is always fresh sand on the floor in the aviary, cold water in the drinking bowls. In winter, it can be replaced with pure snow. Remember that new tenants and objects, noise, fuss, sudden movements, as well as the tightness and lack of feeders affect the flock negatively.
Egg production
2 weeks before the topping of the female, golden pheasants begin egg-laying.This period lasts about 3 months. Moreover, in the initial phase it occurs sluggishly, and towards the end it is characterized by increased intensity. On condition of daily dredging, during the breeding season, the layer lays about 50 eggs. In shape and shade of the shell, they resemble chicken, but differ in size. The weight of one piece ranges from 25-35 g.
Pheasants do not have good maternal instincts. They can rush anywhere and often do not reach for the appearance of chickens, throwing nests. Therefore, poultry farmers prefer to trust eggs to incubators. Especially since their fertilization in artificial conditions reaches 91 percent. 
Does offspring give captivity
Many novice poultry farmers doubt that in captivity you can get a new offspring of ornamental birds. But in fact, this is quite realistic, although we are not going to be cunning - the reproduction of a golden pheasant causes a lot of trouble.
The main thing is for productive purposes to lay clean and unwashed eggs, store them in a dark room at a temperature of 10 ° C and 70% humidity. But remember that the longer the eggs lie, the lower their reproductive chances. For example, in specimens that are more than 15 days old, the hatchability of chicks is reduced by 26%, and for those that are 25 days long there are high risks of failure. 
If done correctly, a brood will appear after 24 days. It requires special care and special conditions of detention. Chickens are weak and therefore need warmth and regular feeding. Chickens are often used as a hen for them, since females of pheasants are completely unsuitable for this role.
If you plan to grow young stock on the floor, be sure to take care of a solid thick bedding and the absence of drafts. Per square meter permissible up to 25 heads.
For the first month, pheasant members need special heating at 34 ° C. But in the first week after hatching, it is desirable to adhere to 28 ° C, gradually increasing heating.
In the first period of the life of chicks, it is important to ensure that they do not die in the water bowl.To this end, it is better to give preference to vacuum devices. Organize pheasant feeds for the first 2 weeks, 10 times a day, up to 2 months of age - 7 times, and up to 3 months - 4 times. Next, reduce meals to three meals a day. 
In the diet of young animals should be:
- 1 day of life - chopped protein of chicken eggs and sour milk;
- 2-3 days - ant eggs, finely chopped nettle and green onion feathers;
- 4-5 day - wheat porridge, chopped egg shells, green clover and spinach;
- Day 6 - it is recommended to add salt and chalk to the above feed (by 0.02 g per each head);
- 8 day - you can enter bone meal and wheat bran (respectively, 0.05 g and 0.3 g for each chick);
- Day 12 - begin to give millet;
- From one month of age, youngsters are taught to oatmeal and ground wheat grain.
Difficulties in cultivating a golden pheasant at home lie in the stresses that a bird gets at the slightest unnecessary movement of the hosts and abrupt changes in the situation. They are not easy to avoid, but still need to be kept to a minimum. After all, pheasants will never cease to be afraid, and this fear affects livestock productivity and meat quality. Give them peace of mind - and they will generously thank you with a choice product.
