Peacock Pheasant-anybody have any experience with them?

[19hhbelgian]

I was on eggbid (tsk tsk!) and saw a grey peacock pheasant. He was stunning - even DH liked him. I'm wondering how hardy they are, and if they are an easy pheasant to keep, or if they are "fussy", and hard keepers. What I read also said they can become tame, has anybody found that to be true? Dumb question of the night... How well do they fly? Any information on these guys would be great!! Thanks

Pics are also most welcome

 

[Tony K T]

They require heat in the winter months.Need lots of veggies,nuts and fruits,live insects.They are excellent flyers.Yes they can be tamed,even eat of your hand.I am looking for a hen for this guy.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

They are one of the special care pheasants. They can be tamed down in most cases, well tame for a pheasant, they'll never be like a chicken. They can not tolerate northern cold, they are a warm climate species so you will have to have a fully enclosed heated pen for the winter months for them in PA. They are pretty much a must on heavily planted and covered pens. They produce very little, 2-6 per pair a year and you have done good, part of the reason they cost so much. The greys are the easiest to care for of all the peacock pheasants though. A good game bird ration is all that's needed, that and some greens and fruits to pick at (as mentioned they are a tropical species). Chicks can be hard to start at times, mealworms usually help out with that. They are best bred in pairs if you plan to breed them.
Oh and if you think the greys a pretty, look up the palawan and rothchild's mountain peacock pheasant!
Try Doug Mc Nutt at
http://dmcnutt.homestead.com/home.html
he has all of them, just a word the other 2 I mentioned cost a fortune, and should be left to seasoned pros as they are much tougher to keep healthy. Oh and for God's sake, dont put them near chickens or turkeys or nothing like that, they'll be dead in a week, they cant tolerate disease like the domestic fowl can. They live a very solitude life and just arent use to being exposed to the various diseases that barnyard fowl carry.
If you are willing to do the commitment to them, try them, there's nothing prettier than seeing their courtship displays, they fan just like a peacock, thus the name.
Good luck

 

[DMFarm]

The peacock pheasants can't handle the cold weather I see you are in Pa and they would need heat during the winter. I raise different kinds of the peacock pheasants the gray, germains, rothchilds and palawans. My gray and palawans are real tame the germains are a little flighty.

Palawan

Palawan with babys

Gray

Germain

Rothchild

 

[19hhbelgian]

Hmmm... Sounds like I need to just talk DH into a pair of actual peacocks!

Thank you for all the info - I had a feeling they wouldn't be "easy", and with all the critters we already have I'd just go completely

by adding even more onto my plate. I'll just oggle over the pictures

 

[19hhbelgian]

Quote:
They are just gorgeous! I have seramas, and had to put them in the shed this winter with heat, plus the 2 lights for the chicks I've been hatching, and the heat lamp for the wussy chickens out in the coop. If I added more birds that need heat I'm pretty sure I would be livin with the worms in our field

 

[chanda]

Quote:
Second that. My cousin raises LOTS of birds here in Mississippi, grey peacock pheasants being one breed. He tells me that the babies are REALLY hard to raise--has to teach them to eat meal worms, etc. He also keeps them in an enclosed pen with a light on them...but he LOVES them!

Chanda

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

me too, but man they are a beautiful bird, especially the Palawans

 

[Tony K T]

Would anyone have an extra grey peacock pheasant hen for sale?
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[kikescove.com]

I'm pretty sure there is no such thing as an extra peacock Pheasant hen. LOL


They are awesome birds and I LOVE mine. Being from a northern climate makes it a lot harder to raise them. THey aren't cheap, and certainly not easy.