Diamond pheasant: keeping and breeding

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

According to many experts, one of the most beautiful birds successfully bred in captivity is the diamond pheasant. The photos attached to the article will allow the reader to verify this. It is also important that they can easily adapt to the climate of many regions of our country and will become a real decoration of any farm.

Appearance

Of course, the main decoration of a diamond pheasant is its tail. With an average body length of 150 centimeters, about 100 of them fall precisely on the tail. It is without exaggeration luxurious - the black and white pattern enchants and, alas, is the reason that the bird is almost exterminated in its homeland. In females, the tail is much less beautiful - although they themselves are larger, its length rarely exceeds 40 centimeters.

The weight of the birds ranges from 1 to 1.5 kilograms, which makes them very interesting from a gastronomic point of view.

The plumage of the male is striking in its beauty, richness and brightness. The head is painted bright orange, and the sides are black. A gray, not too large, but sharp beak stands out. There is a hood of motley black and white - very beautiful and elegant. The chest and back are painted blue-black. The lower back is rich orange. However, they acquire such a rich coloration only in the second year of life.

Females, like most bird species, are much less beautiful - gray or brown alternates with black, so they are closer in color to the usual discreet sparrow.

Habitat

When you know the description of the diamond pheasant, it is worth saying a few words about the habitat of this amazing bird.

In nature, they live mainly in China, but small populations are found in Nepal and Myanmar. Alas, in the homeland the birds are practically exterminated. Local peasants hunt them simply because of the tasty meat. Bright feathers also cause a lot of problems for the unfortunate pheasants - quite often hunters want to get not so much meat as chic tail plumage.

Fortunately, a few copies were brought in the nineteenth century from China to England. Here they took root - as it turned out, high humidity and relatively low temperatures do not cause serious problems for the birds. At first, it was popular to keep the diamond pheasant in parks and rich estates - they did not meet at all in the wild. But one day, several birds managed to escape and settle in deciduous and coniferous forests abounding in shrubs. There was quite enough food (the pheasant eats buds, seeds, young shoots and leaves with pleasure), and there are relatively few natural enemies. Therefore, today, with some luck, the bright plumage of birds can beseen in many UK forests.

Storage space

Before you start a diamond pheasant, it will be useful to know the features of keeping and breeding. It all starts with an aviary. It should be large enough - a bird whose body length is one and a half meters needs a spacious room. Otherwise, the pheasant starts to get sick, and some males are left without their luxurious tail. Of course, this should never be allowed.

Therefore, first you need to prepare an aviary - its area should be at least 10 square meters. It is desirable - several times more. One corner should be densely planted with bushes, where birds can spend time, relax and enjoy natural fresh food.

Also, we must not forget about the houses in which the pheasants hide from the cold and wind. It is advisable to make the railings thick, at least 3-4 centimeters in diameter, so that the birds can comfortably sit on them.

Optimal floor covering - fine pebbles or coarse sand. A concrete surface will not work - the birds out of habit try to rake the ground and get seriously injured.

You can keep them both in pairs and whole families. In any case, only one male should be present in one enclosure. Otherwise, a fight cannot be avoided, during which chic tails may be lost.

Choosing the right diet

Every owner wants his pets to please the eye with beauty, brightness and excellent he alth. In this case, when starting a diamond pheasantyou need to know the features of the content - first of all, this is proper feeding.

The basis of the diet is grain - about 50%. This includes wheat, corn and barley. But corn should be given in relatively small quantities - because of it, the bird quickly gains weight, so it is better to focus on it before the autumn slaughter.

Don't forget about fresh food - dandelions, plantain and nettles. In summer, it is desirable to give as much of such greenery as possible so that the pheasant receives the microelements and vitamins it needs. Otherwise, the plumage will fade over time.

You can give a variety of food waste - from leftover porridge and bread crumbs to vegetable peels.

Any insects and snails will be a good addition. Enriching the diet of juveniles with them is a great solution - earthworms, spiders, snails and even the Colorado potato beetle are nutritious foods high in protein.

Finally, it is worth adding mineral and vitamin supplements to the diet - the same ones that are given to chickens, geese and other poultry.

Captive breeding

In the spring, females begin to lay eggs - an average of about ten. It depends on age, as well as the correctness of the diet. Shortly before this, males spend almost all their free time from sleeping and feeding on courting them - peculiar dances, a demonstration of chic plumage.

It is worth seizing this moment, provide the birds with enough hay, smallbranches and straw so that the females can build a nest in which they will lay their eggs. At the same time, you can install plywood boxes in which the bird will hide from overly prying eyes.

The incubation period ranges from 22 to 24 days. After that, tiny, but already completely covered with fluff chicks are born. Females take care of them, and in some cases males also look after the young. But in most cases, the latter are rather indifferent to their children.

Fry care

It is advisable to move the female together with the chicks from the rest of the birds. Otherwise, young birds will not receive enough food, and aggressive individuals may well harm them or simply accidentally step on them during feeding.

But in no case should a female be removed. In general, pheasants tolerate low temperatures well, but chicks have rather poor thermoregulation of the body, so you need a hen that will warm them at night. You can replace it with an infrared heater - in this case, the temperature in the cage should be maintained at about 38 degrees Celsius and, of course, drafts are unacceptable.

From childhood, pheasants need space. So one square meter cannot contain more than 30 chicks. The best food at this time is finely chopped hard-boiled eggs with herbs. In the second month, you can give adult food, adding a lot of greens there.

Common diseases

In general, diseases rarely disturb pheasants. But anywayit is extremely important to know about them, especially since some are infectious, which means they pose a great danger to the entire livestock. These include several diseases.

Viral smallpox - is determined by the appearance of special rashes on the scalp and paws. The treatment is quite simple - you need to add an antiviral drug to the water, and also lubricate the rash with Lugol's solution.

Aspergillosis is a fungal disease that affects the bronchi and air sacs. As a result, the bird develops an incredible thirst, and the paws and beak also turn blue. Treatment is with an antifungal spray.

The most common non-communicable disease is emphysema. Tubercles appear on the body - by pressing on them, you can easily release the accumulated air. Birds do not eat well, almost do not move. The most reliable way to solve the problem is to pierce the blisters and treat with an antiseptic.

Conclusion

This article ends. Now you know enough about the keeping and breeding of the diamond pheasant, and you will also be able to diagnose the most common diseases, raise juveniles. This means that there will be no problems when working with these amazing birds.