Smallholders Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Pheasant eggs under a hen  (Read 4839 times)

suziequeue

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Llanidloes; Powys
Pheasant eggs under a hen
« on: April 01, 2012, 08:24:58 pm »
Whilst checking the fence of our pig enclosure prior to imminent piggie arrival, we disturbed a pheasie sitting on a couple of eggs. She flew off and - what with the pigs coming within hours and the uncertainty of whether the pheasant would return to the nest - we took the executive decision and popped the eggs under a broody hen.

We reckon the eggs are roughly the same age (maybe a little younger) as the ones the hen is currently sitting on.

Right or wrong - it's done now and the hen seems to have accepted them but..... Will they hatch? And will the hen look after them? Will the pheasant chicks tolerate chick crumb food and grit? And then - what to do with them when it comes to putting them back into the wood.......

Advice welcome please.

Many thanks
We do the best we can with the information we have

When we know better we do better

in the hills

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Pheasant eggs under a hen
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2012, 08:49:07 pm »
We let our daughter pop a couple of phessie eggs into our incubator last year. Didnt think it was a really good idea at the time but she and our elderly neighbour were upset because they had been watching the mother phessie laying and initially sitting them ( she then left the nest). They were in with hen eggs. They did hatch and were lovely but died within a week. I am not certain why but the gamekeepers wife said afterwards that they need a higher protein chick crumb. You can order it I think, cant remember where from but sure you could find out or someone on here might know.

Releasing them ..... dont know. We did discuss the problems that might arise with this. Probably get shot here. No experience here ..... guess you would just leave the pen open and they would gradually become wild or semi wild. Depends how tame pheasants can get? Would they imprint on mum hen and think they were part of the flock?

landroverroy

  • Joined Oct 2010
Re: Pheasant eggs under a hen
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2012, 12:22:40 am »
 You need to get either game or turkey chick crumbs, which are higher in protein and also have an anti blackhead ingredient, which poultry chick crumbs don't have. These will be ok for your poultry chicks to eat as well.
 You also need to ensure that when the chicks hatch they are in a totally chick-proof run, as the pheasant chicks don't understand "hen language" and will tend to wander off and not return when the hen calls to them.
 So what you find is that the hen will readily accept the pheasant chicks but they will not initially respond to her and can quite easily just wander off and die of cold.
Rules are made:
  for the guidance of wise men
  and the obedience of fools.

suziequeue

  • Joined Feb 2010
  • Llanidloes; Powys
Re: Pheasant eggs under a hen
« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2012, 06:50:29 am »
Thanks Landroverroy

I'll pop into the agri merchants today and get some.
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When we know better we do better

 

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