ChookieCaz Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Around 1.30 pm, I heard a strange squawk in the back-garden, but not quite like one of the hens. I saw something darker than Rosie's colouring and soon discovered its a pheasant ! I've been able to go in the garden and scatter some chicken-corn without scaring him off, but our hens do seem to be bothered by him. He's still there as I type. Any other town dwellers been had similar visitors Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 I am a bit more rural than you & can honestly say that Pheasants are the most stupid creatures to walk this earth. There is an estate near me & they have a pheasant hatchery to give them all something to shoot at So the whole village is scattered with dumb pheasants standing by the side of the road,just waiting to get run over. I am NOT exaggerating - I can see 3 now from my office window,just willing a nice car to come along & see them off Also,not to put you off taming it a bit,but they are disease ridden & I know of a man who caught something very nasty from handling a wild pheasant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 I am a bit more rural than you & can honestly say that Pheasants are the most stupid creatures to walk this earth. My children were quite old by the time they realised that pheasants had another name than "stupid bird" Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffin Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 I am a bit more rural than you & can honestly say that Pheasants are the most stupid creatures to walk this earth. There is an estate near me & they have a pheasant hatchery to give them all something to shoot at So the whole village is scattered with dumb pheasants standing by the side of the road,just waiting to get run over. I am NOT exaggerating - I can see 3 now from my office window,just willing a nice car to come along & see them off Same story here, there are loads of farms here that breed these suicidal birds. They're always near or in the roads. I even once had one in the road walking towards my speeding car! Fortunately it was a deserted country lane and I could stop while he carried on walking towards me looking carefree Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Cinnamon's pheasants seem to travel up here too; they wait for you to approach and then hop out into the road - does my nerves in We've had pheasant supper before now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Speckled Hen Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 We used to have a totally green pheasant that visited us but he disappeared, to be replaced by a normal feathered chap. This year "our" pheasant became really tame and would strut his stuff very noisily on the lawn. He spent his moulting time in our hedge and looked really bedraggled. He went missing for three days then came limping badly to our back door. I managed to catch him, check him over (he'd obviously been run over but had no bones broken) and give him a shot of pain killer and antibiotic. He seemed in good nick otherwise and didn't have any parasites. He's still here in our garden in full war paint. DH can feed him but he steers clear of me He's never bothered the hens and they ignore him. He gets flubenvet when I do the girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Phil's folks have Percy the Pheasant who visits at their farm. He's been around for 5 or 6 years, so must be really old in avian terms by now, but he's well fed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 They keep pheasants at the golf club where DD's work but when they go wandering up the driveway they do seem to look out for the cars. There is one with a limp who the girls have called Brian The chef would like to serve pheasant but he's banned from doing so as it's the club mascot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majorbloodnock Posted December 1, 2009 Share Posted December 1, 2009 Whilst I might be inclined to pit a sheep's stupidity against a pheasant's, I'll admit it'd be pretty close run either way. However, they're not popular in the Bloodnock household since they're rather partial to our allotment. Nonetheless, legally speaking, a pheasant is my property whilst it's on my land, so I'm not above a bit of quid pro quo to the benefit of the stock pot, and hence can keep my dislike of invasive and destructive pheasants in proportion . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChookieCaz Posted December 1, 2009 Author Share Posted December 1, 2009 First of all, I'd like to thank the Administrators for moving this to a more suitable place. My Mum suggested that the pheasant may come back now that he's found somewhere with food. She also suggested catching him and ringing his neck I think she would be willing to pluck him. However, I'm not that desperate for a pheasant dinner. It still seems strange to have him visit the middle of a housing estate, although we are between the A4 Bath Road and the Kennet/Kennet & Avon Canal/Holybrook. There are also some allotments nearby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 ChookieCaz, my folks live on the outskirts of a large town near London; they regularly get pheasants in their garden - goodness only knows where they come from though as they are bordered by other houses and a main road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChookieCaz Posted April 6, 2010 Author Share Posted April 6, 2010 Haven't seen the pheasant since the snows in January, so don't know if he is still around or if he'll come back next winter. Is there any possibility that he could have passed something on to one of our hens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted April 6, 2010 Share Posted April 6, 2010 It's entirely possible; I'd keep them apart if at all possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
