Rules for breeding silver pheasant. Golden pheasant and other breeds of exotic birds for ornamental and meat production. How many eggs do silver pheasants lay?
The silver pheasant, or, as it is sometimes called, the silver pheasant, belongs to the pheasant family. Distributed in southern China, as well as in eastern Myanmar and Indochina. There are 13 variations of this subspecies.
Silver pheasants are kept for decorative purposes and for breeding, as they lay about 40-50 eggs per season.
In addition, pheasants are valued for exterminating a large number of harmful insects in gardens and vegetable gardens.
The description of a pheasant depends on its gender.
The average weight of a bird is 2 kg, however, according to some data, the maximum weight reaches 4 kg. Body length from 70 to 120 cm, tail length from 24 to 72 cm.
The plumage color is brown or black and white, there is a red color on the head, the beak is gray or straw, the legs are red, males have a crest on the head.
The silver pheasant makes a dull clucking sound. If he is alarmed, a whistle is added to the clucking. They also emit long whistles during mating.
The silver pheasant can behave differently towards humans. He can either get used to the owner and subsequently recognize him, or show distrust of strangers.
It is difficult to get along with feathered neighbors and can show aggression towards them.
Life expectancy in captivity is 10-15 years.
Breeding
These birds are not easy to breed at home, but if the rules are followed, they can lay 40-50 eggs per season and are therefore considered a suitable species for breeding.
For breeding, you should purchase pheasants from different breeders to avoid inbreeding, which produces weak chicks.
The silver pheasant usually becomes sexually mature in its second year of life.
Silver pheasants are polygamous. Groups contain 1 male and 4-5 females. You can add 6-10 individuals to an active male.
The mating season begins in February and lasts until August. During courtship, the male fluffs up his plumage and raises the crest on his head.
If during mating the female does not allow the male to approach her or the male shows aggression towards the females, it is necessary to change the partner.
Pheasant nests are a small hole in the ground covered with grass. In captivity, nests may be located indoors. It is advisable that the floor has a concrete coating to prevent rodents from entering. Boards are placed on top of the concrete and covered with sand. Dry straw is placed on the sand.
Only females incubate the eggs for 26-27 days. However, males help in raising pheasants.
You should not enter the enclosure too often during the egg-laying period, otherwise you may scare away the hen,
In order for the offspring to grow healthy when breeding silver pheasants, you need to follow the rules for raising them.
Pheasants hatch very small and with multi-colored fluff. After 2 weeks they begin to flutter a little. By two years they reach the size of adults and acquire the coloring characteristic of adult birds.
Pheasant chicks that are just born are fed from a special feeder. To prevent them from drowning, water should be poured into the drinking bowls no deeper than the tarsus or use a vacuum drinking bowl.
It is necessary to monitor the availability of food and water and replenish them on time. In this case, cubs under the age of 14 days are fed 10 times daily, chicks aged from 2 to 8 weeks - 7 times, up to 12 weeks - 4 times.
The optimal temperature in the first days of life is +28°C, humidity - no more than 60%.
In the first weeks of life, pheasant chicks can press against each other, forming several balls, as a result of which the chicks in the lower rows die. To prevent this from happening, it is necessary to check them and, if necessary, carefully place them around the room.
They can be released into an open enclosure separately from adults when they reach the age of 1 month, if the weather is cool - at 1.5 months. Until two months of age, dogs should not be allowed outside at night or in bad weather.
Some sources say that pheasants can be kept in cages, but this is not the best option. They need to grow well and feel comfortable, so it is best to keep them in an enclosure.
The size of the enclosure depends on the type of pheasants. For silver, 9.3-18.6 m² is recommended. The frame should be made in the form of a mesh with cells measuring 1.5 x 1.5 cm.
Chain link should not be used as it may injure the birds.
A wire mesh should also be placed on top of the aviary, which will serve as protection against birds of prey.
Males cannot be kept together, because they can show aggression towards each other, and females need shelter in the form of thickets where they can hide.
In the enclosure, it is necessary to place houses measuring 1.5 m x 1 m throughout the territory.
In summer, the enclosure should be illuminated by the sun, but a canopy is needed under which the pheasants can hide from the heat and rain.
Thanks to thick plumage and strong immunity, this bird is not afraid of frosts down to -20°C. But drafts are destructive, so regardless of the season, shelters from them are necessary.
Despite the ability of birds to withstand cold, for winter it is necessary to equip them with a warm room. In addition, artificial lighting is required, since the optimal daylight hours for pheasants lasts 14-16 hours, and its lack can adversely affect health. But the lighting should not be too bright, otherwise it may cause aggression.
Pheasants require fine gravel or river sand to clean their feathers. You can place a bath or sprinkle sand on the floor if it is not clay, and change it as it gets dirty.
Daily care includes changing water, removing leftover food, droppings and dirt. Feeders and drinkers are washed once every 2-3 days or at least once a week.
Before nesting, cleaning and disinfection are carried out.
If a bird is sick, it must be separated from others.
As for behavior, you should not make loud noises in front of pheasants, because they are very shy.
Feeding
Silver pheasants are voracious, but not very picky eaters.
Among the plants, these birds eat woodlice, dandelions, plantain, and nettles. Raw vegetables - carrots, cabbage, pumpkin, potatoes. You can give peelings from vegetables and fruits. From grain - corn, oats, wheat, sunflower seeds. They can also feed on various insects, worms and snails.
In summer, pheasants are fed 3 times a day, in winter - twice. In addition, in winter they should be given more nutritious and fortified foods, such as fish oil, fish or bone meal, and chalk.
How to distinguish gender
Due to sexual dimorphism, the sexes can be easily distinguished.
The length of the body of males is 110-120 cm, the length of the tail is 70 cm. Females are almost two times smaller, the length of the body is 70-72 cm, and the length of the tail is 28-33 cm.
The main difference between a male and a female is their color.
Males have very beautiful colors. Their head is red with a black crest of long feathers. The plumage on the chest and abdomen is black, and the wings, hindquarters and tail are white or gray with dark lines. The beak is straw-colored and the legs are red. There are spurs on the legs.
The female's feathers are brown with a grayish tint, and in some places decorated with stripes. The featherless skin around the eyes is red. The beak is gray, the legs are red.
Another difference is the bubbling sound, which is characteristic only of males.
For professional rearing, the silver pheasant is a tempting proposition. Let's look together at the features of breeding silver pheasant and diet.
This is one of the most attractive and beautiful birds, which has a wide and long crest on its head with black plumage. The front of the head is without feathers, but it is painted in a bright red hue. The weight of an adult individual is from 4 to 6 kg, and its height is 30-40 cm. I would like to highlight the endurance of these birds: they easily get used to even the most unfavorable living conditions and are not afraid of cold weather. Moreover, the birds are perfect for growing in confined spaces.
Silver pheasants can be bred only for eggs - this individual has a high level of fertility. After one mating season, the female can lay up to 40 eggs. Moreover, the meat turns out to be dietary, healthy, and tasty. Therefore, this species of the pheasant family is ideal for breeding for meat.
Distinctive features of raising birds
The silver pheasant is perfect for breeding in captivity. If you are a beginning farmer, then this subspecies is a great start. Birds are unpretentious, love to eat everything, and are reserved during mating games. The pheasant has a good memory, so it can remember the face and behavior of its owner, gets used to it, and becomes docile.
Incubation period
In order for chicks to be born, pheasant eggs need to be heated. The main thing is that the floor in the house is concreted, since the penetration of rodents and predators in this case is dangerous. Wooden parts are laid on the concrete, then everything is covered with sand and dry straw. The chicks will stay in such a homemade nest for one and a half months.
Before the birth of the chicks, you need to disinfect the place: soda is ideal as an antimicrobial agent. The temperature in the incubator should be +37 degrees, and the incubation period itself is 25 days.
Caring for baby pheasants
When the chicks are born, they need to be fed through a special feeder; there is no need to let adult birds into the common enclosure. The amount of food and water should be checked regularly and, if necessary, replenished 4 times a day.
If it is a hot summer, you will also have to control the temperature in the room to ensure comfortable conditions for the chicks. Chicks can be allowed into an open cage a month after their birth. The pheasants should not be crowded in the cage: there should be 30 chicks per 1 square meter.
In the first days after birth, chicks need a temperature of about +28 degrees, then the temperature gradually decreases to +20 degrees. The diet of phasonites should consist of hard-boiled eggs and finely chopped greens. In the second month of life it is necessary to give adult food. Once the chicks are 5 months old, they are considered adult birds.
The room for breeding pheasants should be in a dry place on a small hill. It is better to cover the floor in the aviary with fine gravel or river sand - such a covering will provide good sanitary and hygienic conditions for keeping birds. On the outside, the frame of the enclosure must be lined with a mesh with cells of 1.5 by 1.5 cm.
You cannot use chain-link mesh to cover the aviary, as birds are often injured by sticking their beaks and heads into the cells. In summer, it is better to equip the aviary with a canopy, under which the birds will hide from the sun and rain. There should be 1.5 square meters per pheasant: build the enclosure based on this. If you plan to breed several pheasants in one enclosure, 4 square meters will suit them.
A group of silver pheasants will comfortably fit in an enclosure with an area of 10-16 square meters. Silver male pheasants should be kept in different enclosures, as these birds are aggressive and often get into fights. The enclosure must be kept clean and tidy, and the room must be constantly treated with antimicrobial agents. It is also important to regularly remove any remaining food from bowls and drinkers and change the water to prevent bacteria from growing.
Silver pheasants are unpretentious and eat all types of feed with great pleasure. You can feed the birds the following foods:
- fresh and dried herbs;
- insects;
- fruit and vegetable peels;
- grains
The basis of the diet is grain mixtures of corn, wheat and barley. If you want to increase the productivity of pheasants, you can include the following nutrients in the menu: fish oil, chalk and flour. The main condition for except is quality and freshness.
If the pheasants suddenly eat rotten, expired food, the sensitive silver pheasant will experience an upset stomach, and if its immunity is low, it will catch an infection. This breed of pheasant has an excellent appetite. And if the diet is carefully thought out and balanced, this will have a beneficial effect on further reproduction throughout the year. In winter, the diet should be nutritious and consist of fortified feed.
The silver pheasant is not an ornamental species, like the golden one, and rarely gets sick. The main signs of bird disease are changes in behavior:
- lethargy;
- loss of appetite;
- loss of activity and energy.
At the first symptoms, you need to call a veterinarian who will examine the bird, place it in a separate cage and prescribe treatment. As for the diseases common to the silver pheasant, the following can be distinguished:
- Viral respiratory diseases.
- Smallpox.
- Bacterial diseases such as pasteurellosis and tuberculosis.
Now you know who the silver pheasant is, what its reproductive characteristics are, and what to feed it. This variety can be easily grown to produce meat, which is distinguished by its fine delicacy properties. Additionally, we highlight that the silver pheasant is not picky, so it is perfect even for beginners.
There are 6 silver pheasants of the nominal type living in the Russian zoo. They live outside in an enclosure on the Old Territory. Reproduction occurs regularly, with females themselves incubating the eggs and raising the chicks. The diet is the same as for other pheasants: 400 grams of plant and animal food for each bird.
Silver pheasant, or Silver Lofura, (Lophura nycthemerus) belongs to the chicken pheasants and is one of the most famous and prominent representatives of the species. Your name silver pheasant received thanks to the white-silver color of the plumage of roosters, which covers the bird from above, including the tail. Silver pheasants can be called large birds, the length of the entire bird is 110-120 cm, of which the tail occupies 60-70 cm. Like most pheasants, females silver pheasants significantly fewer males. The coloration of females is predominantly protective with predominant brownish-gray tones.
Habitat silver pheasants– Southern China, Burma, Thailand and southern Vietnam. The vastness of the territory occupied by birds makes it possible for the formation of many subspecies. At the moment, there are more than ten subspecies that are not very different from each other. silver pheasant. Northern birds are usually lighter in color and larger in size than the darker, smaller subspecies found in the south. Settle in silver pheasants at an altitude of 500 to 2000 meters above sea level. As a rule, they live in flocks, preferring mountain slopes overgrown with forests and shrubs, as well as river valleys. Diet silver pheasants very diverse. It is based on vegetative parts of plants and invertebrates.
Family arrangement silver pheasants based on polygamy. During the wintering period, several females are usually concentrated around one male. With the onset of the mating season, these flocks form families.
Pheasants nest on the ground. Females dig holes and line them with grass and leaves. The number of eggs in a clutch can vary from 6 to 8-10 pieces, the average weight is about 42 grams. The incubation period is 24-25 days. Chicks begin to fly at the age of 2-3 weeks. The plumage of young birds is more similar to that of females. Roosters acquire full color in the second year of life.
Silver pheasants They were kept in captivity at the courts of the Chinese emperors, and the birds were brought to Europe in the 18th century. Since in European countries silver pheasants were often released to live in gardens and parks, they spread into the wild. Recommendations for keeping these birds in captivity are almost identical to those usually used for keeping pheasants. It is only necessary to take into account the aggressiveness of roosters, which is especially evident in small enclosures.
Silver pheasant(Lophura nycthemera)
Class – Birds
Order – Galliformes
Family – Pheasantaceae
Genus – Broad-tailed pheasants
Appearance
The male silver pheasant has a long black crest and a black chin and throat. The belly is glossy bluish-black. The rest of the body is white or gray (depending on the subspecies), with thin black lines. The tails can be quite long, the central tail feathers being pure white. One of the most noticeable features is the bright red head mask with wattles, which are used during courtship. Young silver pheasants acquire their characteristic adult plumage only in their second year of life. Males of the year often have many black markings on the chest, and the plumage of the rest of the body is mostly brown with light gray stripes.
Female silver pheasants are inconspicuous and generally olive-brown in color. There are many variations in the striped belly pattern on hens of this species, and as some breeders have noted, it is very difficult to find two female Silver Pheasants that are exactly alike. Typically, females are smaller than males and have a paler coloration, devoid of plumage, and the skin of the front part of the head. The beak is gray. Legs are red.
The sizes of males of large subspecies of silver pheasant have a total body length of 120 to 125 cm, including a tail of up to 75 cm. Males of the smallest subspecies barely reach 70 cm, including a tail of about 30 cm. The body weight of males can vary from 1.13 to 2 kg. Females of all subspecies are noticeably smaller than their males. The total body length of chickens varies from 55 to 90 cm, including the tail 24-32 cm. The body weight of females ranges from 1-1.3 kg.
Currently, 15 subspecies are officially recognized. Among them are:
Common silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera nycthemera) Berlioz silver pheasant(Lophura nycthemera berliozi)
Levi's silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera lewisi)
John's silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera jonesi)
Habitat
The nominate subspecies of silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera nycthemera) is distributed in southeastern China.
In nature
The main food spectrum in the natural environment includes fruits, berries, seeds, buds, vegetative parts of plants, bulbs and tubers, as well as various insects, worms, slugs and small reptiles. The newly hatched ones eat various invertebrates, then they include fresh greens in their diet and gradually switch to adult food.
Reproduction
During the mating season, males emit long, loud whistles; during the rest of the annual cycle, only muffled clucking. When alarmed, cackling is accompanied by a whistle. This species is polygamous, and in the natural environment the sex ratio in flocks of silver lofura is 1 rooster per 4-5 hens (1: 4.58). Silver pheasants usually become sexually mature in the second year of life. The courtship of the male is accompanied by ritual demonstrations - he fluffs up his plumage, opens his crest, and inflates his earrings. The clutch size varies from 6 to 15 (10-18 according to other sources) eggs. The incubation period is 26-27 days. Males, despite their reputation, also participate in raising the chicks. And in the absence of a mother, the male silver pheasant is able to take upon himself all the care of raising pheasants. The chicks grow quickly and can fly within a couple of weeks after hatching.
Life expectancy is about 15 years.
The ideal size for a silver pheasant is about 10-12 square meters. The territory of the enclosure should be planted with various shrubs (the more thickets the better; if the male is aggressive, the females will have a good opportunity to hide), herbs, it is advisable to place logs and stones in the enclosure. Silver pheasants are extremely hardy and resilient birds and require little shelter during the winter months. It is recommended to shade most of the enclosure for this species in summer. Experienced breeders do not recommend keeping silver pheasants with other types of birds. Many owners of these birds keep them semi-free in their gardens and plots.
The silver pheasant is an omnivore and happily eats various types of food: special feed mixtures for pheasants and chickens, wheat, herbs and fruits. When kept semi-free (in gardens and parks), it can be an excellent assistant in the fight against various insect pests of fruit and vegetable crops. Silver pheasant chicks in captivity are fed the same food as young animals of other pheasant species.
In the past, pheasants were rarely raised at home, but these birds have now become widely popular due to their delicious meat and eggs. Keeping pheasants is practiced both for personal consumption and on an industrial scale.
This article describes the main points of raising these birds at home. You will learn what kind of care and living conditions they need, and you will also be able to use practical examples of arranging enclosures with photos and videos.
Features of care and maintenance of pheasants
The main feature of keeping them at home is the aviary, in which the birds will stay even in winter (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Keeping females and males in enclosures Representatives of this species tolerate cold well, which is possible due to the thick feather cover. The aviary must be surrounded by a net and covered with a roof, since the birds can fly away.
For adult pheasants
Adults are picky about food and require only high-quality products. They also love cleanliness in the enclosure and independently maintain the cleanliness of their plumage, and replacing water in drinking bowls and removing uneaten food from the feeder should be done in a timely manner.
Note: Raising such livestock on a personal plot requires special care, but this process pays for itself in meat products and a high level of egg production.
The diet of adults mostly consists of wheat, barley and corn. However, they can be given cake and raw vegetables, which are given in crushed form. If you need to increase productivity, you can add the following components:
- Fish fat;
- Fishmeal;
- Nutritional supplements for breeding birds.
Raising productive livestock at home is impossible to imagine without proper care of young animals, the main nuances of which will be described below.
For the little ones
Chicks require special conditions during the first month of life. In the first three days, the temperature in the room should be at least 28 degrees, which is then gradually lowered until the chicks are one month old. Already at the age of one month, small individuals can be released into the aviary, but when the temperature drops below 20 degrees, they should be driven into the house (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Keeping chicks in a brooder and aviary For food, small animals are given a hard-boiled egg, which is mixed with herbs. From the age of two months, young animals can begin to be fed according to the diet of adults.
Rules of care
Caring for pheasants at home requires maintaining cleanliness in the enclosure throughout the year. In the summer, it is worth changing the water in the drinking bowls more often and cleaning the enclosure. During the winter cold, it is necessary to regularly remove snow from the enclosure. However, the water does not need to be heated (it should be cool, but not icy).
It is also necessary to treat birds with care, as they are very sensitive to stress. There should be enough feeders and drinkers in the enclosure, since stronger individuals may not allow weaker ones to approach the feeds and drinkers.
Conditions
One individual requires 1.5-2 square meters. area in the enclosure for good growth, and for a pair during the breeding season, 9.3 square meters are needed. The aviary should be surrounded with a metal mesh and its upper part covered with a soft mesh, this way you can prevent possible injury to the birds. Also, along the outer perimeter of the enclosure, various green bushes should be planted, which are readily eaten by adults and young animals.
Single males should be housed in one enclosure with four females, and family ones should be housed separately. Also, partitions should be made between such cells, since males may start fighting.
How to keep pheasants at home: video
You can see in detail how to keep pheasants at home in the video. It shows what growing and feeding conditions should be provided for birds to maintain high egg and meat productivity.
Fortunately, these birds tolerate even severe frosts well. However, individuals tolerate such cold weather best with a large amount of food, but at the same time it is worth making a cover with warm bedding in the enclosure (Figure 3).
The features and conditions of winter growing at home will be described in detail below.
Peculiarities
In a household, you can practice keeping it without building a poultry house for the entire livestock. It is recommended to build a cover or a small booth with warm flooring in each cage so that the birds can keep warm at temperatures below minus 20 degrees.
Figure 3. Features of keeping an enclosure in winter Pheasants can be kept in a cage almost all seasons of the year, with the exception of rain or snow. It is also imperative to install partitions between enclosures, since fights over territory may occur between males.
Content Rules
The floor of the enclosure should be covered with gravel or sand. The frame of the aviary should be sheathed with a mesh with a mesh size of 1.5 * 1.5, since chain-link is not recommended for such purposes due to the high level of injury to birds.
Note: Installing a canopy will help protect birds from the summer heat and any precipitation.
Family individuals should be placed in separate cages, and single ones in one enclosure (one male for four females). On average, one individual needs 1.5 square meters of area.
Arrangement of the enclosure
Pheasants are considered ground birds that will happily perch on low tree branches. Instead of branches, you can install small poles and the leisure of the individuals will be organized. You can also install various stone structures to decorate the interior and provide opportunities for birds to climb on them (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Options for arranging an enclosure The ground can be sown with different forage grasses so that birds can feed directly from the growing greenery. Forage grasses are of great importance for a complete feeding ration.
Silver pheasant: breeding and maintenance
Representatives of this breed have a wide and long crest, on which there are thread-like plumage of black color. The front part of the head has no hair and is bald, but it has a bright red color.
Breeding this breed allows you to obtain meat carcasses containing a low level of fat.
Rules
In households, silver pheasants are unpretentious in terms of keeping conditions and can tolerate low temperatures well (Figure 5). When kept in an enclosure, males should be separated into separate cages, since they are pugnacious and can attack other individuals. Males can also attack other birds in the household.
Figure 5. Features of the silver content Thanks to their strong plumage, representatives of this breed can withstand severe frosts and gusty windy weather. It is also necessary to arrange a pond near the aviary, which will serve as a large drinking bowl for birds.
Peculiarities
You can add food for geese and chickens to the feeding ration. The biggest feature of birds of this breed is their high level of egg production.
They can produce up to 40 eggs in one season. Individuals also have strong immunity and can survive most different diseases.
Diamond pheasant: content
The back and neck of the diamond pheasant are green, and the crest is red. In the belly area the plumage is yellow, but the tail is colored black. Females are much smaller in size and weight, but they begin to lay eggs from the age of six months.
Rules
Note: In aviary conditions, the birds behave very calmly and go into the arms of a person.
The feeding diet of this species is identical to that of chicken. To speed up weight gain, you should add fish oil to your food.
Figure 6. Rules for keeping representatives of diamond rock in summer and winter They tolerate winter cold conditions very well, but it is recommended to build a covered shed or poultry house, which will be insulated and the floor covered with warm bedding.
Peculiarities
Diamond pheasants eat almost all grains, root vegetables and greens. The use of fish oil and phosphorus has a beneficial effect on the easy digestion of food, as well as on the gain of live weight in birds.
Golden pheasant: breeding and maintenance
The golden pheasant was bred in the highlands of China and is popular among poultry farmers for its tasty meat, and is also kept as a beautiful ornamental pet. The decorative effect is based on the bright colors of the plumage of the individuals.
They have a golden crest on their head, which has a black border and an orange rim. The area of the back and rump is gold, but the belly is bright red. Females do not have such a bright crest; they have it gray-brown.
Rules
This breed does not get along with its relatives, and they should be kept in separate enclosures (Figure 7). It also doesn’t hurt to install partitions between the enclosures to limit contact between birds. In enclosures it is worth making various stone slides or perches, which will give individuals the opportunity to actively spend time. You can also plant a variety of green grass for them to pluck.
Figure 7. Keeping golden pheasants in enclosures at home Young females produce up to 20 eggs in one season, and older females produce up to 45. With timely removal of eggs, the efficiency of egg production can be increased by up to 35%. In addition, they can withstand low temperatures (down to -35 degrees).
Peculiarities
The meat of golden pheasants is highly valued among culinary gourmets for its exquisite and excellent taste, and it is also dietary. However, despite their strong resistance to low temperatures, they have very weak immunity, and they are easily susceptible to various diseases. To prevent diseases in livestock, it is necessary to give birds broad-spectrum antibiotics.
