Chickens and pheasants, overall, get along pretty smoothly. Both chickens and pheasants are relatively docile birds, and as long as the integration process is handled properly, they will not fight frequently, if at all.
Yes, pheasants can coexist with chickens. There are some general rules to follow to ensure both your chickens and pheasants are safe.
Both species require space and each has its own set of requirements, but it’s not difficult at all.
So, before you put your birds together, learn everything you need to know so they can live happily and healthily together.
Feeding pheasants and chicken together?
Pheasants and chickens may both consume the same foods. With pheasants, a higher protein meal is advised.
When it comes to raising chicks, high-quality scratch grains and mash are essential.
You should feed the pheasants game bird feed if possible.
As previously said, as the popularity of rearing exotic and game birds develops, so does the availability of game bird feed.
Pheasants that are allowed to roam freely would be extremely good for one’s nutrition.
Bugs, worms, grass, alfalfa, the neglected tomato, seeds, and weeds are all edible to pheasants.
The more diverse their diet is, the better.
Pheasants and hens both enjoy it when it’s made with sprouted grain or corn.
Fermented grains are a fantastic way to increase your flock’s good “gut bacteria.”
Pheasants and hens can also benefit from fodder made from sprouted grains and corn.
Additionally, keeping their feed separate to avoid fighting is a good idea.
Who can blame either creature for becoming territorial over food?
Of course, when it comes to searching for bugs, anything goes.
You’ll observe that pheasants tend to venture further afield and find their delicacies, which your hens are unlikely to find.
Related: Here is an article I wrote on pheasants being colorblind
Housing pheasants and chicken together?
This is a topic on which there are a variety of viewpoints. Some think it’s fine to raise them all in the same pen, while others argue it’s not a smart idea.
Let’s take a closer look at both of these viewpoints.
Yes, Raise Them Together No Problem:
Some people have successfully raised pheasants and chickens in the same pen without incident. And that’s fantastic.
This means that no infections were spread by the hens, no pheasants pecked anyone, and no one died.
This could also indicate that they had the ideal circumstances to raise their children together.
There was enough room for both the chickens and the pheasants to roam around, the birds weren’t overcrowded, and the pheasants had something to do.
If you are dead set on raising them together, starting with both sorts of chicks is a terrific way to go.
When you group the chicks, they will be able to get to know one another.
They’ll be able to recognize one other’s habits, sights, and noises, as well as everything in between.
This method will help “domesticate” the pheasants, allowing the chicken to feel more at ease around them.
It’s also a fantastic technique for both birds to build immunity to one other’s diseases.
No, Don’t Raise Them Together, You Will Regret It:
On the other hand, you aren’t always as fortunate to have things go as planned. There are a slew of potential pitfalls.
If you’re not careful, pheasants might become hostile and show signs of cannibalism.
They can peck a chicken or chick to death, catch infections from chickens, and breed infertile offspring by mating with hens.
As a result, you should avoid placing them together, especially if you are a newbie who is still learning how to raise poultry.
You don’t want to be overwhelmed, so keep them apart for your peace of mind and the birds’.
Can you raise them young together?
Starting with both kinds of chicks is an excellent method to nurture these birds.
When you group the ladies, they will be able to get to know one another.
They’ll be able to recognize one other’s habits, sights, and noises, as well as everything in between.
This method will help “domesticate” the pheasants, allowing the chicken to feel more at ease around them.
It’s also a fantastic technique for both birds to build immunity to one other’s diseases.
Will chickens kill pheasants?
These birds are vulnerable as infants and need to be fed game bird starters. They are often aggressive as adults, especially some pheasant species, and frequently kill hens.
Can pheasants and chickens cross breed?
Yes, technically. Pheasants and chickens are both capable of reproducing and producing progeny.
Their hybrid progeny, on the other hand, are sterile and have a high death rate.
Should pheasants and hens be allowed to breed just because they can? Is it okay to raise them all together?
We’ll look at why you should crossbreed pheasants and chickens and why you shouldn’t.
Why You Should Not Cross Chickens and Pheasants
Here are a few things to think about:
The Offspring’s Development, Hatchability, and Growth Rates are Extremely Low — Only 3.48 per cent of the eggs in the study above exhibited indications of development.
Only 6.12 per cent (five eggs) of the few eggs that matured made it to the hatching stage. One of the five eggs was a female, with the other four being males.
While all six chicks were able to pip their shells, only the female and two males were able to hatch. This indicates that out of 1406 eggs, only 3 offspring hatched.
Chickens and pheasants have sterile offspring – All three surviving pheasant-chicken hybrids reached adulthood in the same experiment, but no sexual behaviour was observed.
They were later discovered to be infertile or sterile after being dissected. This means that pheasant and chicken progeny are unable to reproduce.
Pheasant-Chicken Hybrids Have No Advantage Over Their Parents So Far – What is the purpose of the hybrids?
What can you get from hybrids that you couldn’t get from their parents? It’s possible that you’ll be wasting your time.
Also check out this article I wrote on the best feeder for pheasants
Why You Should Cross Chickens and Pheasants
Despite all of the foregoing, you might want to try crossing pheasants and chickens.
Here are some reasons why you would want to breed pheasants and hens together:
For the sake of their eggs – Even if the majority of the eggs do not hatch, they are still eggs.
Do you think you’d eat such a hybrid egg? The eggs hatched and brooded by a mother chicken or pheasant will look identical to other eggs laid by their mother.
To Research Their Children –
You might wish to try crossing pheasants with chickens to examine and analyze their progeny if you’re a scientist or just curious.
How to introduce pheasants to chickens?
Brood the birds together – Young pheasants and chicks should be raised in the same brooder box.
Raising the young birds together will help them grow acquainted with one another and reduce the likelihood of them fighting when they reach adulthood.
Keep your birds busy — bored pheasants can engage in combat to keep themselves occupied.
Pheasants will engage in combat with other pheasants as well as hens. Keep your birds occupied to avoid regular clashes.
You can keep your birds free-range during the day so they have plenty of things to do. You can keep them occupied at night by giving them a green plant (vegetables) to peck on.
Provide separate roosting areas – pheasants and hens do not share roosting areas. Few farmers have ever witnessed their birds roosting together.
Provide separate roosting areas for your pheasants and chickens.
Keep fewer males — Males of both species can fight for mates, food, space, and other resources. Reduce the number of males in your family to avoid frequent fights.
It will also assist to keep your pheasants and hens from reproducing if you raise fewer males.
Keep them in a spacious place: pheasants dislike crowded areas, so provide plenty of room. Every bird needs adequate ventilation.
In the pen, each bird should have at least 2 square feet. It’s best to let them roam free. However, if you’re using free-range, keep an eye on your pheasants to ensure they don’t fly away.
Clean their poop regularly – Diseases can be contracted by pheasants and chickens when they are exposed to poop. Make sure the pen is free of excrement regularly.
Consult the veterinarian frequently — If you notice a sick bird, separate it and make sure the other birds are well. Chicken illnesses can infect pheasants (and vice versa).
Conclusion
Pheasants and chickens can get along perfectly if they have enough space and the males are kept in check.
Seeing them interact with one another will be a lot of fun.
Keep in mind that pheasants are not the same as chickens. They require different nourishment, are more likely to travel further afield, and biosecurity must be considered.
