CHUKAR PARTRIDGE

The Chukar is part of the pheasant family. It is a rotund bird that can grow up to 35cm in length. Chukars are a challenge to hunters because they are quick, prefer to live in hilly terrain, and choose to run rather than fly. When they do fly, it is only for a short distance. Chukars in the wild travel in groups of 5-40 called convoys and eat a variety of seeds, insects, and grass. These bird nest on the ground and usually lay 8-20 eggs. Both sexes are very similar in features with the only differences being smaller bodies and smaller knobs on the legs of the female. Chukars are a great bird for the beginner in the hobby because they are easy to keep and breed well in captivity.

-We currently have 3 breeding pairs on our farm due to the increased demand in the late Summer. Most of our Chukars are sold for either release or for dog training before the start of pheasant hunting season.





Above: A group of our mature Chukars roosting on a high ledge in the indoor game bird house.

Ringneck Pheasants

 Year old Ringneck Pheasants in outdoor pen

YELLOW GOLDEN PHEASANT

Yellow Golden Pheasants come from the mountains of Central China. Its name comes from the male's beautiful yellow and gold plumage. The plumage and features differ greatly between the sexes. Females are rusty red with finely barred black feathers.

Male Golden Pheasants are fully colored by their second year and are usually sexually mature by the time they are 1 year old. One fertile male can be used to service up to four females. Breeding occurs in the spring with the males consistently displaying their ruff even when no hens are around. The hen will begin to lay her clutch of 5 to 12 eggs in April. If eggs are removed for incubation, another clutch will usually be laid in June. The incubation period is about 22 to 23 days.

The chicks are generally easy to raise and are often used as role models to teach the chicks of other species to eat on their own. Golden chicks are easy to sex when they are very young with the color of the female's iris being a dark brown and the male's being much lighter.

The Golden pheasant is one of the best known and easiest pheasants to keep and breed in backyard aviaries. These beautiful and hardy pheasants breed readily and are, therefore, a great choice for beginners. These are small pheasants and do not require a very large aviary. They are hardy birds and able to withstand cold temperatures with little shelter. Plenty of shade is required for them during the hot summer months with direct sunlight causing the male's plumage to fade.Golden Pheasants are fed on mixed grains and greens. These pheasants are extremely compatible with other types of birds but it is not recommended to keep them in the same aviary with other species of pheasants.

Pictured above: A young Yellow Golden Pheasant rooster from a Spring 2009 hatch

RED GOLDEN PHEASANT



Young Red-golden Pheasant Rooster

Hatching Eggs

    

Pheasant and Bob White Quail eggs

Hatched Chicks



Pictured above are 2 day old Pheasants and Bob White Quail

PEAFOWL

Meet Jake, our 1 year old Black Shouldered Peacock. Jake came to us this year from a farm in Ohio and has been growing and adjusting to his new home better each and every day. He was recently introduced to a new friend, Sadie, and together they moved into our new facility. Over the Winter Jake's tail feathers will grow and will hopefully catch the attention of his new friend. We suspect that Sadie is too young to lay a clutch this Spring, but hopefully she will suprise us!

The Black Shoulder Peafowl is a mutation that has all the physical characteristics and colors as the India Blue, except the wing feathers, which are black with dark green mixed. The train feathers also have a more bronze appearance. Black Shoulder breed true Black Shoulder offspring when bred Black Shoulder to Black Shoulder.

The Black-shouldered peahen is not as dark as the India Blue peahen, but is a very attractive bird because of her lovely coloration of white, cream, tan, and brown.

Peahens begin laying eggs in April and will lay eggs every other day until a clutch of seven to ten eggs is achieved. The eggs are light brown in color and are similar in size to turkey eggs. Peahens will hide their nests in tall grass, around shrubs, and in brush piles. The nest is a depression scratched out in the ground and lined with grass.

The Black Shoulder chick, when hatched, has a light yellow body with peach or buff wings. After several weeks, the chick begins to exhibit shades of brown and black in the wings. The male secondary flight feathers will be darker than the female. After a few months the male will become distinctly darker than the female. The male will now begin to mature much like the India Blue and will be fully colored by his second year.

Peafowl are very hardy, get along great with other birds, and have a broad diet consisting of grasses, grains, seeds, insects, and many other foods. Preventive steps should be taken to insure the health of the birds because health is a major factor in peafowl fertility. The easiest way to keep adult peafowl healthy is to worm them at least twice a year.

Black Shoulder Peacock
and
Black Shoulder Peahen