FARMS: meet this exotic bird, the pheasant

Hello, friends and brothers, blessings for all. In this opportunity I complasco in participating in the themes of farms, I ask: You know, what is a pheasant?

I give you the answer: the pheasant is a gallinacea bird belonging to the family of the fasianids and the genus "Phasianus" (A little bit of taxation does not hurt). It is a bird that is currently found in almost all the world under captivity or freedom, contact with man goes back to ancient times. The Greeks and Asians themselves were fascinated by its beauty. I present you with an image:

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More than 9700 different species of birds are known, of which very few have managed to be domesticated. Currently many wild species are in danger of extinction due to illegal trade, among the species that have been domesticated and are legal, are the pheasants.

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There is a great variety of these birds although not all are characterized by the plumage or the long tail, as there are also short tail and sparse plumage. Eye that I do not even speak of the sexual diformism that presents this bird, because it is quite accentuated so much so that Female and Male come to seem different species in the majority of the cases.

Another characteristic of these birds is their lack of sociability, except in the time of Zeal. It is more, a male should not be with another male because they will immediately face making their breeding unsustainable so it is recommended to have a single male with their respective (s) female (s). In the professional breeding is usually assigned to 6 to 7 females per male while the breeding Amateur enough with a female although it would be advisable more than one otherwise the male will discharge all his sexual desire on the poor female coming to lacerate her (the courtship of these birds is usually quite aggressive in some varieties).

The different varieties of pheasant exist in different captive breeding mode, there are some which can be lavished with the most minimal care (NOT MEANS LEAVING THEIR LUCK) as there are also those whose breeding requires a whole methodology, although this will depend on what kind of breeding do you do in breeding professional everything has to be done under a zootechnical methodology to have a good production, while Amateur breeding will not need much, although it would be good to start with varieties of pheasants relatively " docile "example: Silver pheasant or some variety of Golden pheasant. to not make your start so disappointing (Comment something in previous articles). Remember, I am an amateur breeder. but I'll give some councils.

Characteristics of pheasants

Pheasants are terrestrial birds, such as flamingos, hens, peacocks or ostrich birds, and they are characterized by spectacular colors. Smells are of various colors and depending on the breed and size, the colors may have different colors. tones; which is why in males there are differences between the plumage of the male and the female.

The male measures approximately 90 cm and has a weight around 3 kg, the feathers that are located throughout the body have a coppery appearance or their color is very similar to copper, in the region of the neck it is possible to appreciate a purple color with flashes of green and in males you can also see a necklace of white feathers.

The female pheasants, unlike the male pheasants, measure approximately 60 cm and have a weight around 1.5 kg, the feathers that are in their body have a brown color with very dark striations which allows them to pass unnoticed in wild environments , because it serves as camouflage.

These birds, although they are terrestrial, fly very short distances because they prefer to run and walk, they can reach a speed of 43 - 61 km / h when they are traveling but can reach 85 - 90 km / h. In the evenings, the pheasants take shelter in the trees. There is no doubt that pheasants are fascinating birds full of colors that captivate with their beauty.

Feeding the pheasants

Food intake by pheasants is characterized by plant-based foods (a wide variety of plant material) and animal source. The diet of these birds is made up of different and broad types of herbs, berries, grains of various species, many fruits, insects that are in the environment or even worms that are buried in the ground and in some cases also feed on lizards .

These wonderful exotic birds, spend much of their day pecking the ground to dig with their beak food; This process usually occurs in the early hours of the day and at sunset.

What do pheasants eat?

These incredible birds have a diet that can vary according to the species, some pheasants have a vegetarian diet, and some have a diet whose nutrients are obtained from an animal source.

The pheasant is considered an exotic bird and an ornamental bird, it is native to Asia; although it is wild it is a very common bird, in some places it is served as a succulent dish, for this reason the pheasant is raised as a bird in captivity, they only use it for reproduction and in addition they are bred to obtain the same meat and sell it in the market. The natural habitat of the pheasants are the mountains, the forests, the páramos and many times the jungle. These birds are considered as a family of chickens, have terrestrial life and trace very short flights when they feel threatened by a nearby threat.

Benefits of pheasant breeding

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The breeding of pheasants is in expansion, however, there are few veterinarians with knowledge in the area, which is why producers do not regularly request veterinary medical services.

Considering the individual cost, the faisanicultura turns out to be a profitable economic activity. At present, this activity is expanding, however, there are few veterinarians with knowledge in the area, which is why producers do not regularly request veterinary medical services.

The pheasants are native to Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and China) There are 52 species and 152 species of pheasants, of which 46 are domesticated and 18 are in danger of extinction. Historically, in ancient Greece, they were introduced by Jasson. In Rome and Egypt they were considered a delicacy. In North America they were introduced at the end of the 17th century. Its breeding in captivity does not differ much from that of the domestic chicken, except for some particularities.

They need 2 square meters per pheasant, the reproduction occurs in spring-summer (March to June) and they are polygamous.

Collar pheasant

Within the domestic species, the collar pheasant (Phasianus colchicus torquatus) is the easiest to breed, making it the most common. It is also known as Mongolian, Mongolian or collared pheasant. It reaches the sexual maturity at the year of life, initiating the posture between March and June.

Its incubation period is between 24 and 24 days, with 40 - 80 eggs per season (in the wild, 8 to 12 eggs are obtained per nest). Its zootechnical end ranges from the production of meat and game hunting, to decoration in the case of the male. There are jumbo varieties for meat.

Golden pheasant

Originally from China, the golden pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus) reaches sexual maturity at 2 years of age, initiates the pose at the end of March and incubation period is 22 days. Up to 20-30 eggs are obtained per season (wild 8 - 12). They do not present sexual dimorphism in the first year.

The golden yellow pheasant (Chrysolophus pictus luteus) is also known as Ghigi pheasant or canary. It is a color mutation developed in 1952 in Italy and Germany.

Pheasant Lady Amherst

Originally from China and Burma Chrysolophus amheritiae, reaches sexual maturity at 2 years, beginning the posture at the end of March. The incubation period is between 23-25 ​​days, obtaining 20 - 50 eggs per season (wild, between 8-12 eggs).

Other varieties

Other varieties, mainly ornamental, include the silver pheasant, eared pheasant or Tibet, venerated pheasant, impeyán pheasant.

Management and feeding of pheasants

Pheasants are naturally granivorous, herbivorous and insectivorous. In commercial form, it is possible to use food for replacement chicks and laying hens supplemented with grains and insects (earthworms, tenebrios). 3 feeding phases are known:

1-Initiation
It covers from birth to 30 days of life. The chicks should remain in the incubator at 37.5 ° C for 24 hours. Later they are transferred to a brooder where they will remain 48 hours at 32 - 33 ° C, during which time they are fed with flour feed.

By the second week the temperature is adjusted to 29º C, to the third week to 26º C, and to the fourth week to 24º C. The expected mortality is between 5 to 10%. Fresh water should be offered ad libitum. This can be added with electrolytes, vitamins or antibiotics. One m2 must be provided for every 35 to 40 birds.

2-Development
It covers between 30 to 60 days of life. The living space is one square meter for every 3 - 4 birds. Normally, a 2 x 1.2 x 1.5 m drawer with 40 cm drawer is used to provide heat and protection.

3-Completion
It comprises from 60 days onwards. The necessary space is 1-2 square meters per bird. During this period, ringing and selection are carried out. The expected weight at 20 weeks is 1.5 kg.

The minimum necessary facilities are: Cages for reproducers, cages for fattening, cages for juveniles, cold room, incubator, hatcher and brooder.

Main diseases

The main health problems facing phantom farmers are: picaje and cannibalism, Newcastle disease, infectious laryngotracheitis, mycoplasmosis, smallpox, histomiasis, coccidiosis and infection of the yolk sac.

Preventive medicine

A deworming program should be established every 2 months with broad-spectrum dewormers such as ivermectin, albendazole and praziquantel, febendazole, albendazole; and it is advisable to repeat the treatment after 21 days. Live vaccine against Newcastle disease, La Sota strain via gout to the eye is used.

Other peculiarities that manifest the majority of species of pheasants are the dichromatism and sexual diformism. The female reaches a size much smaller than the male and the coloring of its plumage is much less suggestive. On the other hand, the male acquires greater wingspan and, most species of pheasants, exhibit a striking and colorful plumage. In addition, ornamentally they are very coveted specimens.

One of the distinctive qualities of pheasants is their great aptitude for flight, which requires completely closed cages both on the sides and on the roof to prevent pheasants from escaping. A pheasant that is about to reach maturity needs an area of ​​at least one or two square meters. The pheasant is a bird that is easily disturbed and stressed by being enclosed so that the greater the space available to each pheasant, its development will be completed in a more appropriate, aspect that will be reflected both in the physiognomy of the pheasant as in its bodily state. In this last stage the ringing of the pheasants is usually done, an action that allows, in addition to distinguishing the birds, to trace the lineage and identify the date of birth of each animal. In addition, it is at this time when the breeder must choose the birds intended for the next breeding season. The selection criteria are usually the size, plumage coloring, weight or precocity and especially the physical state, so the most robust birds and those with the best body appearance should be selected. It is advisable to avoid the reproduction of excessively aggressive individuals, egg eaters or birds that present some physical anomaly, since these deficiencies in the physical state are usually hereditary.