Had an idea

[Eddie the Yeti]

OK, not a chicken coop, but part of my temporary set up for golden pheasants. The aviary is an old dog run 10x10 that i wrapped in chicken wire. This is dense suburbia, no predators, and I have a 100 pound great pyrenese that discourages cats. Anyway, these guys are ground nester and like to nest under dense shrubs, or so I read. So, 3x3 raised bed with 3 blueberry bushes for cover and food for them and my grandson. Bermuda hay under the bushes. The black dog crate half is the hide they have been using and between it and the fence adds a little more cover, at least until the shrubs fill in. The birds were all three in there already, if course when i didn't have the phone. There is also a bumper crop of unripe blueberries. Any thoughts?

 

[Eddie the Yeti]

Couple of pics of the birds under the bushes. Seem to be loving it and eating blueberry leaves, which i didn't expect.

 

[townchicks]

Well, I think you have more predators than you realize. I have lived in suburbia all my life, and we have raccoons, skunks, opossum, hawks, owls, coyotes. Just because you don't see them, doesn't mean they aren't there. Even in cities, there are raccoons. At the very least, you will have rats. They may not harm the pheasants, but they will go for eggs, spilled food, and for sure the blueberries. You may want to cover the chicken wire with hardware cloth , put down an apron and something over the top. Raccoons climb well, and can rip chicken wire and poultry netting like it's nothing.

 

[talkinboutchickens]

I don't know anything about pheasants, but maybe @007Sean can help you here?

 

[Eddie the Yeti]

Well, I think you have more predators than you realize. I have lived in suburbia all my life, and we have raccoons, skunks, opossum, hawks, owls, coyotes. Just because you don't see them, doesn't mean they aren't there. Even in cities, there are raccoons. At the very least, you will have rats. They may not harm the pheasants, but they will go for eggs, spilled food, and for sure the blueberries. You may want to cover the chicken wire with hardware cloth , put down an apron and something over the top. Raccoons climb well, and can rip chicken wire and poultry netting like it's nothing.

First, I have raised chickens in areas with predator and built coops that kept them all out, so.e details are still on this site. Second I have done other projects here, including raising a clutch of whistling duck chicks in an open pen. They were wild rescues and free to fly away when they got old enough. I am very sure of what predators are here. And, even when you don't see mice and rats, you will see evidence of them, droppings, chew marks. And eggs, if and when there are some get gathered 3 times a day. I will take my chances.

 

[Eddie the Yeti]

OK, this girl has been in the most secluded spot all morning. She has stood up a couple coffee times and no eggs, but still interesting. Usually by this time of day they are all under th hide boxes, it is a little overcast and cooler than usual. Sorry the pics are not clearer, they are taken fron the "observation deck" which is what we call the bathroom window. There is a winsow screen and chicken wire that seem to limit the ability to focus, but it lets me watch without disturbing them. Plus I don't have to go anywhere when I need to pee.

 

[ChaosMom]

* hammering on bathroom door *

“How long you gonna be in there?!”

 

[Eddie the Yeti]

* hammering on bathroom door *

“How long you gonna be in there?!”

I'll be right out, dang!

 

[Eddie the Yeti]

Not sure if anyonexis followingcso I am mostly posting for my own records. One of the girls was nestled down under one of the bushes for a good long time, clearly working on something. When she moved off a bit I went out kinda hoping to see an egg, instead there are 2 round depressions each about the size of her body. The guy I got them from said the hens never sit a nest their first year and just deposit eggs anywhere. The nest box experiment is to see if can get them to lay where I want them to by providing a more natural option. I am thinking, so far, so good.

 

[chickengr]

nice set up. what plants are safe for pheasants? blueberries probably wouldn't survive summer heat and drought here.