Adding young pheasants with adult pheasants

[aronus magoo]

I have a question for ya... I'm new to pheasants. I have 6 hens and one rooster and hens are laying eggs like crazy. I'm incubating them and going to raise them. When they are ready for my flight pen can they just be put in with the adults? Or are they like my chickens and attack any new bird?

Thanks

 

[007Sean]

Depending on how large your flight pen is, in general, it's not a good idea to mix juvenile birds with adult birds. If your flight pen is huge, you might be able to get away with it....but even then, it may result in a blood bath. The adult birds consider the pen as their territory. You can introduce a male to a pen of females but the opposite doesn't usually work, because the male considers the pen as his territory. Even hens have been know to fight with other hens when introduced to an established pen of female birds. These are some of the experences I've had, maybe others will chime in with their experences.

 

[PheasantBreeder]

The best thing to do, is if they are planned for breeding, keep them separate until one month before breeding season. Never keep a young cock with a adult cock during breeding season. With my Cabot's, I have to let the young hen in the main pen until a month or so before breeding begins so that way we has more dominance over the pen and knows it better for the older cock.

 

[aronus magoo]

My flight pen is 30x15 with 7 birds. I done the math and I can have around 20 according to the SF per bird rule.20 SF / bird.