Pheasants can make a good pet if they are kept separately from other animals. However, pheasants have considerably different nutritional requirements than chickens.
They require A LOT of space, a different diet, and if kept with other birds, the male’s attractive long tail will be damaged.
When paired with other birds, pheasants just do not thrive.
Additionally, not all pheasants are friendly birds. Some will allow you to hold them, while others will not.
Further, not all that will run up to you in the manner of chickens. It’s entirely up to their temperament.
Can You Domesticate A Pheasant?
Yes, but with a lot of caution. They are wild animals, so if they are not properly housed, a lot of them will escape.
Also, they don’t free range all that well. Pheasants are housed initially indoors, in broiler house sheds that were densely packed, poorly ventilated.
However, compared to the chickens, these wild birds are not suited for enclosed confines.
As a result, they grow hostile and are prone to attack and even cannibalize one another in such conditions.
Are Pheasants Hard To Raise?
Pheasants are not exactly hard to raise, but they require special care when housing them.
This type of bird requires ample space to function correctly.
If they are too crowded, it can lead to feather pulling and cannibalism. In addition, pheasants are highly mobile animals.
When you opt to keep them in a cage, you must make adjustments to ensure they have adequate space to move.
They also actively travel on the ground in their natural habitat, searching for food such as grains and insects.
You can place your pheasant in a cage that is sufficiently wide and has a perch.
Related: Here is an article I wrote on feeding pheasants with potatoes
Are Pheasants Aggressive?
Yes, but it’s mostly the males. Male pheasants get violent against one another during the breeding season.
This is a physiological reaction induced by hormones and pheromones and facilitated by the swelling, red wattles that surround the face. In the animal kingdom, red is a potent stimulant.
Additionally, pheasants may attack if they see another bird as a threat to their food or territory.
They’re quite capable of attacking and killing smaller birds and chicks if they perceive them to be a threat.
Do Pheasants Make Noise?
Indeed, they do—Male pheasants “crow” throughout the day, particularly around dawn and dusk in the spring, resembling a shortened form of a domestic rooster crowing.
When males flush, they also make a series of loud, eager two-note cries. Additionally, adults of both sexes make specialized cries for flight, alarm, distress, copulation, and incubation.
Finally, the hen uses one call to warn her brood to flee danger and another to call them.
Males’ crow creates a drumming sound with their wings.
They occasionally make a faint fluttering sound after copulation by shaking their tail feathers.
Both sexes generate a sound when they take flight by beating their wings together.
Can A Pheasant Bond With A Human?
To some extent, pheasants can bond with humans. This is mainly with the tamed birds. They get attached to anyone that feeds them regularly.
Although they mostly just eat and leave once they are done. Some don’t enjoy interacting with humans at all.
They will probably wait for you to put their feed in the feeding trough, and when you leave, they’ll come and eat then go back to the area they claimed as their spot.
Are Pheasants Messy?
Pheasants can be quite messy at times. For example, they dust bath everywhere. Also, if you have a garden, chances are they’ll spend a lot of time there, which might cause a fair amount of damage.
Also check out this article on pheasants mating for life
Will A Pheasant Attack Humans
Pheasants are generally shy creatures, but some ferocious ones will attack humans. They mostly do this when defending their territory.
Or a female may be nearby, and he sees that a human has a rival, which can lead to an attack.
So it’s best to stay clear of them when they are territorial. Territorial pheasants are quite aggressive.
Although their peck won’t kill you, it can still cause some injuries to the body.
How Do You House Pheasants?
When keeping pheasants, great care should be taken with their housing. Aviaries require plenty of cover and bushes because pheasants are clandestine nesters who construct their nests on the ground.
You can house your pheasant in a draft-free building or area of about 200-300 square feet in size, if possible, with a concrete floor, but dirt or wooden floor is acceptable as long as the floor surface is clean of any remnants.
In any case, the interiors of the buildings should have been washed, disinfected, properly aired out, and dried approximately one week prior to the chicks’ arrival.
Provide an aviary for your pheasant to keep them safe from predators. Predators in your area may include foxes, coyotes, dogs, and cats.
In addition, other predators on the lookout for little prey may steal young pheasants.
Ensure you have more than one pheasant in the pen. For example, you might have two females or add a male as a third pheasant.
Also, don’t keep more than one male in each aviary to prevent them from fighting.
Provide your pheasants with an aviary shelter that allows for light but prevents drafts.
Allow ample space for birds to enter, escape, and provide perches above the floor – the higher the better, there is nocturnal roosting.
Give your young pheasants diets containing at least 28% protein. Once they reach two months of age, reduce the protein diet to 17%.
Commercial feeds can give a balanced nutritional profile, and different diets are advised for various seasons.
Provide your pheasant with treats like fruits, as well as “grit” — a gritty substance they will consume to aid in the digestion of his diet. Food for your pheasant should be provided in a dish beneath a protected place.
Ensure that the water in your pheasant’s cage is replaced every day. Do not give them chilled water to prevent them from freezing to death.
Instead, add electrolytes and vitamins sold for pheasants to supply additional nourishment.
Conclusion
Pheasants do make good pets. Although they exhibit different behavioral characteristics compared to chickens, they can still be raised indoors.
Pheasants can be mean little creatures at times, but they can also be great pets. Once they’ve bonded with you, they’ll come around anytime you show up.
However, some might only show up when they want you to feed them.
Also, keep in mind that pheasants, especially males, are territorial. So they might end up attacking your guests if they feel threatened.
