Pen raised birds.

[pheasanthunt]

Last year my neighbor raised 800 pheasants and released them. they were easy to spot cause they didn't have tail feathers, and were quite dumb.

My question is this summer I saw two birds without tail feathers out in a field. So I guess some Pen raised birds can survive the winter.

My question is.... I thought when the pheasants Molt their tail feathers would grow back? am I wrong? did these birds tailfeathers get pecked out again, in the wild? seems unlikely. I thought pheasants Molted before mating season? could they molt after? Or once tail feathers are gone are they gone for ever? I have hunted pheasants for a long time and never really paid much attention to their molting practices. I guess I have multiple questions.



I saw these birds around July 4th. this is in Central North Dakota.

 

[Frank C]

Perhaps you are seeing young of the year birds that haven't grown their full plumage?

 

[1pheas4]

I thought when the pheasants Molt their tail feathers would grow back?

That's correct. They do.

did these birds tailfeathers get pecked out again, in the wild? seems unlikely.

That too is correct. It is unlikely.

I thought pheasants Molted before mating season?

After mating season.

once tail feathers are gone are they gone for ever?

Nope. They grow back.

Like Frank said, they were most likely young birds. If you were close enough you'd notice they weren't colored out 100%.

Nick:cheers:

 

[pheasanthunt]

there is NO WAY these birds were born in the spring. they were full grown in full color. These birds had full plumage and no tailfeathers. Only time I see birds that looked like these is when they are pen raised.


if they molt after mating, that's where I was wrong. it was JULY 4th so I assume they hadn't motled yet. I appreciate the info.

when do pheasant molt? July? august? Sept?

I always thought the motled before mating, but to be honest I didn't really know. just assumed it.

 

[1pheas4]

there is NO WAY these birds were born in the spring. they were full grown in full color. These birds had full plumage and no tailfeathers. Only time I see birds that looked like these is when they are pen raised.

Then they were either molting mature wild roosters, roosters from your friends 800 released birds, or someone released more pen birds. The wild rooster in this photo is just starting to grow his new tail feathers after molting https://www.flickr.com/photos/scyrene/7929554648

Side note (just for the heck of it); Pen birds will eat tail feathers when they lack protein in their diet. They'll start growing new tail feathers once they are released and begin to incorporate protein within their diet. Fighting/aggression in the pen will bring them to pull tail feathers too. So in other words, if those were your friends birds from last year, they would have grown new tail feathers by spring, then loosing them during molting this summer.

I always thought the motled before mating, but to be honest I didn't really know. just assumed it.

They need their plumage for mating/attracting hens. http://inhfblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Pheasant-Courtship.jpeg

After mating season is over in the spring, they'll start molting.
Nick

 

[pheasanthunt]

Thanks for the info' Nick.

We shot birds over Christmas with no tail feathers, even though the birds were released oct 10th. Not sure how long it takes to grow tail feathers?

yes he only released one batch-first time thing oct 10th 2014. I said in my first post that I thought they were birds that were released oct 10 2014, but if your saying they can't be, that's good to know. Your post was extremely informative.


So, are you saying there is no way a bird released oct 10th 2014 would still be with out tail feathers july 4th 2015? or at least almost no way. I didn't know they grow back, I assume they had to molt to renew tail feathers.

I saw 10 roosters that day all had remarkable long tails and looked great (full plumage). except for these two. and I always visit this time of year, and usually see 5-10 roosters over the 4th of july. and I have never seen rooster without tail feathers at this time.

ok, thanks for the info, like I said I didn't know.

my conclusion, which I guess now I know was wrong....
Since I have never seen 2 pheasants with no tail feathers July 4th, that these were last years pen raised birds. and since IMO they are no way they were 1st year young birds do to there full color and full plumage and full size.
I assumed they were pen raised birds with no tail feathers from last year.


thanks for letting me know and correcting me.

I was thinking this was a good reason to tell people some pen raised birds can make it into the wild population, but that assumptiom would be wrong based on this.


when do pheasants usually motl?

 

[pheasanthunt]

I guess they were mature birds that had started to molt early. I assume its early since I saw many birds that day that hadn't molted yet.


thanks for the help.

 

[pheasanthunt]

Side note (just for the heck of it); Pen birds will eat tail feathers when they lack protein in their diet. They'll start growing new tail feathers once they are released and begin to incorporate protein within their diet. Fighting/aggression in the pen will bring them to pull tail feathers too. So in other words, if those were your friends birds from last year, they would have grown new tail feathers by spring, then loosing them during molting this summer.



this is good to know, I thought they only pecked tail feathers out was for breeding competition.

thanks

 

[1pheas4]

We shot birds over Christmas with no tail feathers, even though the birds were released oct 10th. Not sure how long it takes to grow tail feathers?

It depends on time of year and sources of protein. It can take some time to grow them back. Especially considering they're pen raised birds lacking experience/eating habits of being raised in the wild. Plus, your getting into a time of year (Oct) when insects can get zapped by cold. High protein sources don't come from corn and beans. Yes there is some, but not enough. Wheat is a good source of protein for birds but by Oct. wheat is gone.

A few years back a friend had pheasants come in around August/September that were around 12 weeks old or so. No tail feathers. He increased the protein in their diet and by the end of January they had decent sized tail feathers.

I was thinking this was a good reason to tell people some pen raised birds can make it into the wild population, but that assumption would be wrong based on this.


when do pheasants usually motl?

They can and do survive in the wild. Not much of a chance of it, but they do. Out of 800 birds released I would hope if there's habitat, food, and water some birds would survive until present day.

Birds around here seem to molt around July for the most part.

Nick