Pheasants can make interesting and beautiful additions to a backyard flock, but they do require some special considerations when it comes to their housing and care. In the opening paragraphs, we’ll go over some quick answers to common questions about keeping pheasants.
Are pheasants legal to keep? In most areas, yes. However, be sure to check your local ordinances. Some cities prohibit poultry.
Do pheasants get along with chickens? Generally, yes. Pheasants can usually be housed with chickens without issue. However, roosters may fight.
How much space do pheasants need? At least 10-15 square feet per bird in a coop or run is recommended. More space is always better.
What do pheasants eat? Commercial poultry feed or game bird feed works well. They also enjoy foraging for seeds, insects and greens.
How cold hardy are pheasants? Pheasants are quite hardy, tolerating temperatures down to -20°F or below with proper housing.
With those quick answers covered, let’s now dive deeper into what’s required to keep pheasants successfully.
Pheasant Housing Needs
When it comes to housing pheasants, there are a few special considerations to keep in mind:
Space: Pheasants are active, wide-bodied birds that need adequate room to move around comfortably. Each pheasant should have at least 10-15 square feet of space in an enclosed coop or run. More is ideal. Overcrowding can lead to stress, aggression and disease.
Cover: In the wild, pheasants spend much of their time concealed in tall grass and brush. They feel most secure when they have areas of dense cover in their housing where they can retreat out of sight. Long grass, brush piles, potted shrubs and tall straw bedding can help provide cover.
Roosts: Ring-necked pheasants prefer to roost up high at night. Provide 12-18 inches of roost space per bird. Roosts should be 2-4 inches wide and can be flat boards, tree branches or wooden dowels.
Fencing: Pheasants are strong fliers and can clear fences up to 6 feet tall! For flight pens, install fencing that is at least 6-8 feet tall with a roof or netting to prevent escapees.
Predator protection: Like chickens, pheasants are vulnerable to foxes, raccoons, hawks and other predators. Fortify coops with 1/2 inch hardware cloth under the run floor and around run fencing. Use sturdy predator-proof latches. House pheasants securely at night.
Here is an example of the minimum coop and run size recommendations for pheasants:
Number of Pheasants | Minimum Coop Size | Minimum Run Size |
1-2 pheasants | 4 square feet | 10 square feet |
3-5 pheasants | 8 square feet | 15 square feet |
6-10 pheasants | 12 square feet | 20 square feet |
As you can see, even a small backyard flock of pheasants requires significant space. It’s critical not to underestimate their housing needs.
Brooding Pheasant Chicks
One of the trickier parts of raising pheasants is brooding newly hatched chicks, which require some special considerations:
Heat: Pheasant chicks need supplemental heat for the first 4-6 weeks, as they are prone to chilling. Use a brooder lamp or chick heating plate to keep the temperature 95°F the first week, then lower by 5°F each week.
Small mesh flooring: Tiny pheasant chicks can squeeze through the wire floors of standard chick brooders. Line the floor with cardboard, hardware cloth or chick grit the first weeks to prevent escapes.
Height: Pheasant chicks can flutter upward more than chickies. Keep a lid or wire top over the brooder to contain them.
Cover: Provide plant cuttings, strips of cardboard or other hidey-holes where chicks can feel concealed and comfortable.
Space: Allow at least 1 square foot of floor space per pheasant chick inside the brooder. Expand brooder space as chicks grow.
Transition: Get chicks outdoors to a secure run by 3-4 weeks. Make the transition gradual, allowing them to return to supplemental heat as needed.
With attentive care during the first month, pheasant chicks can thrive and transition successfully to outdoor housing. Don’t rush the process.
Pheasant Care Tips
Caring for adult pheasants requires attention to some specific needs:
Feeding: Provide a quality game bird feed. Supplement with greens, sprouted seeds, fruits and insects for optimal nutrition. Provide insoluble granite grit.
Water: Give fresh, clean water daily. Pheasants tend to foul waterers. Use large, heavy basins they can’t tip over.
Foraging: Allow pheasants access to grassy vegetation whenever possible. They’ll forage enthusiastically for seeds, berries and bugs.
Perches: Place perches, branches or bales of straw in runs. Pheasants prefer to spend nights roosted up high off the ground.
Dust baths: Mound loose dirt or sand for dust bathing. Or provide bins filled with dirt, wood ash or sand for pheasants to bathe in.
Parasites: Check for mites, lice and other external parasites. Treat with poultry dust or insecticidal spray if necessary.
With attentive, frequent care, a backyard flock of pheasants can be a delight to care for and observe. But they do have some unique needs beyond typical chickens.
Common Health Issues
Pheasants are relatively hardy, but they can encounter certain health problems to watch for:
Bumblefoot: Swollen foot pads caused by injury or bacterial infection. Treat early with antibacterial ointment and Epsom salt soaks.
Flystrike: Flesh-eating maggot infestation of wounds. Monitor birds for injuries and treat immediately.
Coccidiosis: Protozoal intestinal infection. Cause is wet, unsanitary conditions. Improve litter quality. Give anticoccidial medication.
Endoparasites: Worms. Use regular deworming medication. Rotate poultry through fresh ground.
Predators: As prey animals, pheasants are vulnerable to dogs, coyotes, foxes and other predators. Secure housing is essential.
With prompt treatment by a veterinarian when issues emerge, most pheasant health problems can be successfully managed. Preventative care like clean housing, good nutrition and sanitation go a long way.
Breeding Pheasants
If you wish to breed your pheasants, here are some key considerations:
Sexing: Adult roosters can be distinguished from hens by their bright red cheek patches, longer tails and crowing. Juvenile sexing is difficult.
Ratio: Keep one rooster for every five to eight hens. More than one rooster risks excessive fighting.
Nesting: Provide enclosed nest boxes lined with straw, wood shavings or hay. Hens will lay eggs in clutches of 10-15.
Incubation: Pheasant hens generally only go broody occasionally. Incubate eggs in an incubator for 23-27 days at 99.5°F and 55% humidity.
Fertility: Collect eggs frequently for incubating. Allow roosters up to 14 days of mating before first collecting eggs for highest fertility rates.
From egg to chick, the pheasant breeding process requires attentive management. But the reward is beautiful young birds to introduce into your flock.
Reasons to Keep Pheasants
So should you take on the challenge of keeping pheasants? Here are some of the best reasons:
Beautiful appearance: With their vivid plumage, long tail feathers, and bright red faces, pheasants are truly gorgeous birds. Even their chicks are cute and colorful.
Insect control: Pheasants are enthusiastic foragers that will devour ticks, grubs and other lawn and garden pests.
Unique personalities: Pheasants have amusing, quirky behaviors. You’ll never be bored watching them interact.
Great eggs: Pheasant hens lay small, pointed eggs with a creamy flavor. Try one scrambled- you’ll be hooked!
Meat source: Surplus pheasant roosters provide an excellent alternative to chicken with a rich, wild taste.
So while pheasants do need some special care, they offer many benefits. If you have the space and are up for the challenge, pheasants can make outstanding backyard birds.
Conclusion
Pheasants require significant, attentive housing and care compared to typical backyard chickens. Their space needs, enclosure requirements, brooding considerations, foraging behaviors and health issues can all pose challenges. However, for those equipped to meet their needs, pheasants can be uniquely beautiful and enjoyable to keep. With research and preparation for their special considerations, pheasants can thrive and enrich any backyard flock. What challenges they present is outweighed by their lively, hardy personalities, rich meat and eggs and gorgeous feathering. Pheasants demand more of their keepers- but they give much in return.