1pheas4
Moderator
A5, I want to keep the "live pheasant photo" thread as clean as possible with live pheasant photos so we can discuss your questions further within this thread.
I wasn't. I was talking about 3+ year old wild birds.
In live birds, the beat of their wing differs, their flight and walk appear "heavy", their run is a bit slower and very "waddled".
That's correct, "most" do not. But, some do. Rarely will a wild bird live 3+ years. But some do. One of these days I'll get my pheasant videos back on line. One of my videos shows the difference between a live wild 2 year old bird and a 3+ year old wild pheasant. The maturer bird looks and moves like a mature 3+ year old bird. Both wild birds I observed over the course of those years in the wild.
Habitat, weather, food, and a smart bird can be a recipe for an old bird--in the wild
Think about all the grit and ground that a pheasant pecks at every day plus the hard, dried out grain and everything else they peck at day-in and day-out. If a pheasants beak didn't continually grow it would be a nub by the end of the summer. Nothing would be left.
A side note; I had a parrot as a kid. We kept a piece of volcanic rock on a rope within his cage. He champed at it a bit here and there. That kept his beak trimmed. If not for that rock, his beak would have kept growing.
I hope I did A5. Maybe if you have any further questions regarding wild pheasants you can feel free to ask me? By no means do I know as much as some the other members floating around here but I'm glad to answer basic pheasant questions for you.
If you'd like, take notice of the way this rooster runs. He's a wild rooster living (of all places) in Detroit. Yes they have wild pheasants living down there. For example purposes only, take a look at this birds movements. Can you see the heavy waddle in his run? This is a characteristic of a old bird. Girthy, mature, heavy chested, heavy waddle as he runs--even a bit slow compared to a younger bird's run.
https://youtu.be/Iy7NyqHC2FM?t=8s
Not calling BS here; I simply don't know what the truth is. I assume you're talking about pen-raised (basically pet) birds
I wasn't. I was talking about 3+ year old wild birds.
On dead birds, necks get girth, chests get very heavy compared to younger birds, primary wing feathers are much larger and longer than that on younger birds, some flank feathers will be more distinct and larger, often larger fans, and spurs between a 1,2 year bird vs. 3+ are fairly obvious. Hooked spurs are a dead giveaway of a old bird, though not all will develop a hook. Some will remain straight, long, and very pointy. Basically the entire appearance looks "mature" if that makes sense.otherwise you wouldn't know their ages.
In live birds, the beat of their wing differs, their flight and walk appear "heavy", their run is a bit slower and very "waddled".
Most wild birds don't make it 1 year, much less 3 or 4.
That's correct, "most" do not. But, some do. Rarely will a wild bird live 3+ years. But some do. One of these days I'll get my pheasant videos back on line. One of my videos shows the difference between a live wild 2 year old bird and a 3+ year old wild pheasant. The maturer bird looks and moves like a mature 3+ year old bird. Both wild birds I observed over the course of those years in the wild.
.I suspect the only way a rooster in the "wild" could make it 3 years is if his environment wasn't really all that wild
Habitat, weather, food, and a smart bird can be a recipe for an old bird--in the wild
But I've never heard that pheasants NEED to peck in order to keep their beaks from over-growing.
Think about all the grit and ground that a pheasant pecks at every day plus the hard, dried out grain and everything else they peck at day-in and day-out. If a pheasants beak didn't continually grow it would be a nub by the end of the summer. Nothing would be left.
A side note; I had a parrot as a kid. We kept a piece of volcanic rock on a rope within his cage. He champed at it a bit here and there. That kept his beak trimmed. If not for that rock, his beak would have kept growing.
Can anyone substantiate this?
I hope I did A5. Maybe if you have any further questions regarding wild pheasants you can feel free to ask me? By no means do I know as much as some the other members floating around here but I'm glad to answer basic pheasant questions for you.
If you'd like, take notice of the way this rooster runs. He's a wild rooster living (of all places) in Detroit. Yes they have wild pheasants living down there. For example purposes only, take a look at this birds movements. Can you see the heavy waddle in his run? This is a characteristic of a old bird. Girthy, mature, heavy chested, heavy waddle as he runs--even a bit slow compared to a younger bird's run.
https://youtu.be/Iy7NyqHC2FM?t=8s
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