Pheasants just started laying! What should I expect?

[Lazuli]

My year old ring neck pheasants just started laying a few days ago. I have 7 hens and 2 roosters, one rooster is separated though. The hens made two nests and I have also found a few eggs out in their run and in random places in the coop. A dozen eggs have been laid so far. I have a few questions as this is my first time dealing with pheasants during breeding season.

1. Should I collect the randomly laid eggs and add them to their nests or just leave them?
2. Can I expect the hens to be broody or should I be looking into getting an incubator?
3. If the hens do decide to sit, should I remove the male when it gets close to hatch date or will he not bother the chicks?
4. Is it best to keep my hen/rooster ratio at 7:1 or would it be okay to split the hens so the other rooster isn't so lonely? Or could I switch the rooster out every other week, so they each get a chance with the ladies?

 

[BobDBirdDog]

I am having the same experience and this is my first year with pheasant as well, but not with quail and chickens....so I am speaking from quail and chicken experience, as well as pheasant research. I incubate as well.

1. Should I collect the randomly laid eggs and add them to their nests or just leave them?
The hen will lay anywhere at random in the beginning but later start to lay a clutch of eggs in a nest. The first year nesting/clutch you can expect about 12 eggs in the nest before she starts to set the nest. Depending on your intentions, raising lots of birds or hobby'ing a few birds will dictate what to do with the eggs.However, picking up the early randoms is always a good idea. From what I have seen with my pheasants so far is, if I pick up the randoms and put them in the nest with other eggs in the nest the hen will cull/move/kick it out....so you might want to consider and incubator which answers your question #2..
This act of egg culling may be because the egg(s) are not viable or something else, but an incubator will give the egg a second chance at life either way. If you want more eggs to incubate, or more eggs in general, pick them up and store them in a cool area until you have 12 or more to incubate, the hen will or should keep laying more eggs. Other hens will often lay in the same nest, this is true with chickens, quail, pheasant; it all depends on whats available and how much territory they have. This community nest may also effect all the hens laying cycle I don't know.

2. Can I expect the hens to be broody or should I be looking into getting an incubator?
Bob Whites Quail will not set the nest in pens in captivity but pheasant will from what I have read, and from the protective nature I have witnessed when I get near the nest with my PHsnt it suggest they will set the nest.Still an incubator will come in handy at some point so you might want to go ahead a look for one.You can make a DYI cooler incubator cheaper than you can buy a commercial one but you have to turn the eggs every day (3-7 times a day) or make some mechanical turner.
If you want the hen to keep laying the incubator is the way to go and you will need to rob the nest so that a clutch of eggs do not collect thus sending the hen into setting the nest. When nature tells the hen she has enough eggs she will stop laying and start setting thus no more eggs for a while, that is unless you rob the eggs she is setting, then she will start a new clutch to set nest. Buy some crushed oyster shell to supplement calcium else the hen may start using her own bone calcium to make the eggs. While your at it I would bump up the feeds protien percentage if possible.
To note, hens may/will adopt strays/incubated chicks, which may also stop them from laying as they will need to tend to the chicks. The hen may even come off the nest to tend to the chicks if put in the pen.
3. If the hens do decide to sit, should I remove the male when it gets close to hatch date or will he not bother the chicks?
This one is unknown to me but momma hens are protective to some degree. Also 2 male Phsnt roosters are territorial aggressive during this time and may try to cull the chicks at some point, I don't know. Keep in mind pheasants are/can be cannibals and will peck and fight for territory and may carry into chick culling as well. While the hen is setting the roosters should not be a problem, but when the chicks hatch it may if you have more than one roo. I would keep seeking for this answer because it seems to be a wait and see and I cannot offer any thoughts here. Other hens will adopt/accept the chicks according to text.

4. Is it best to keep my hen/rooster ratio at 7:1 or would it be okay to split the hens so the other rooster isn't so lonely? Or could I switch the rooster out every other week, so they each get a chance with the ladies?
One roo will collect as many hens that will come to his call, therefore it is kind of your call on what you want to do. But consider the 1 male roo that did breed the hen is just like turkey breeding, one single male breeding can fertilize the hen for 20 or more days worth of eggs.
If the one roo has already bred all hens giving the other male roo a chances at the goodies may be futile effort but worth a shot. In saying that, I would wait until next year and breed with the other roo with the offspring/chicks and you will have two slightly different generations to continue future breeding without direct inbreeding. Inbreeding is okay up to X number of generations in most cases then expect sterile birds/eggs/roos....thus if you are careful and keep the generations separate you could extend your breeding flocks longer.


Well as I said, most is from experience and some with my own research from .gov and other wildlife sites so it should be fairly accurate. if not someone will surely chime in and correct any errors of misguidance on my part. Hopefully. LOL

Hope this helps.

 

[BobDBirdDog]

Update, I just read that a Roo will help in the rearing of the chicks, so that might help answer the question about removing the rooster after they hatch.

http://www.gbwf.org/pheasants/phasianus_colchicus.html

Never hurts to keep researching that which we think we already know.

 

[Lazuli]

Wow! So much good info, thank you! That link was helpful too. I wonder if when one of the hens goes broody, I took her and the eggs and put them in their own little area, if the rest of the hens would continue to lay? I don't need dozens of chicks, although I do have enough room for them.. I kind of just want to watch and see what happens. But I have fed these birds for over a year and they haven't fed me at all.. it would be nice to get something back from them! How long will it take for the hens to start laying again after the chicks hatch?

 

[BobDBirdDog]

Wow! So much good info, thank you! That link was helpful too. I wonder if when one of the hens goes broody, I took her and the eggs and put them in their own little area, if the rest of the hens would continue to lay? I don't need dozens of chicks, although I do have enough room for them.. I kind of just want to watch and see what happens. But I have fed these birds for over a year and they haven't fed me at all.. it would be nice to get something back from them! How long will it take for the hens to start laying again after the chicks hatch?

If you dont want a bunch of chicks, I would let them be as they are "all together" and pull the extra eggs after the start setting, you might want to remove that rooster as well (lol). Only nature will stop the production lines otherwise. Remember that 1 breeding is good for about a month of eggs. The rest will keep laying until they are satisfied with their own nest and the fertility is egged out, or so it would seem.

When they start setting the nest, and the rooster is not there to breed them again, pull the excess eggs that you dont want to hatch. They will restart laying eggs, but hopefully they new ones will not be fertilized.

Still, it is early season and i bet they are not setting yet, just laying so I would not jump the gun. When they go to setting is when you might need to place an add in the paper if you have more than you want........or make plans on putting them in the neighbors mail boxes along with a happy birthday card. lol

As for the ROI, raise them up and pretend you are eating at a fancy diner (pheasant under glass) and think of all the money you are saving by eating the same dinner at home. Dont forget to tip the waiter!

 

[aaronclements8]

Will the Roos fight each other until one gives up or to the death?

 

[Lazuli]

In my experience, they kill each other when they reach maturity. Had to learn that the hard way..

 

[Pheasantguy2010]

Same here when we first started raising pheasants!! Its fine to keep them together after the breeding season though.

 

[Lazuli]

How do I know when breeding season is over? Will the male stop making his screeching noise?

 

[Pheasantguy2010]

We know when its over when eggs are scarce or the eggs are white.