Backyard Poultry Forum

Well this year all over for trying to breed my Goldens, I had introduced a second hen in winter all was well. He had been displaying well this season and thought all was well, I went on holiday for a week, my sister had been looking after my animals/birds etc and said she checked one morning after night shift and found both hens dead. they had been scalped. Looks like this time the cock bird went too far when he got agro. Thanks Mycoola.

Damn! Some males are just not meant to breed.

Breeding season pretty much started this week. Some cocks will hunt hens hard. If it's noticed, clipping the cocks wings hard and let the hens stay free flighted with access to high perches is usually enough to take the wind out of his sails. Unfortunately in your absence, these things go unnoticed. I wouldn't write the cock bird off, just change future management.

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Danny, i noticed the week before just displaying from the cock and no violence, do all cock persue after this . When they mate is it like chooks with the hen crouching and submitting or is it allways violent after a chase. Last year as only a pair no eggs that were laid were fertile and the male got violent then too but i caught it in time and removed him for the rest of the season.thanks Mycoola

Pheasant males typically pursue hens with some aggression. If the hen is ready to breed not much comes of it and it becomes less violent. If the hen is unreceptive she usually flees. Problems arise when the fleeing hen cannot flee appropriately.

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Breeder of Exotic waterfowl, wild type Muscovy, Dutch bantams, Phoenix and Yokohama Fowls.

Thanks Danny, for your advice will think about new hens and clipping he's wings at comencement of breeding season, maybe i will remove him from avairy for awhile and add some more plants for cover, avairy is about 4m square so enough room for bushes, and some higher perches,thanks Mycoola

I came home yesterday and found a worried golden pheasant hen with a patch of feathers missing from her head and hiding behind a bush.
So this morning i clipped the cocks wing and he spent most of the day feeling sorry for himself up on a high perch.
She looked so relieved and perched out in the open for the day.
My question is will they still breed with the clipped wing?
Thanks for the info DannyB .

Yes, it doesn't seem to effect them.

_________________
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The CHOOKSHOP http://www.geckodan.com/the-chookshop/
email geckodan@bigpond.com

Breeder of Exotic waterfowl, wild type Muscovy, Dutch bantams, Phoenix and Yokohama Fowls.