| One of the main problems bird peck, it
seems in many instances, is they are too tightly confined. That is to
say they need more room. The birds get bored so they find something to
do. What better thing to do but peck on you fellow pheasant. It's just
like a bunch of kids, if you pen them up too tight they also get bored
and start to pick on one another. GIVE THEM PLENTY OF ROOM!
If the birds were out in the wild open countryside they would have
to be pecking around to find something to eat. That not being the case
in confinement they start pecking one another.
One idea is to hang a bright shiny object from the top of the pen
within reach of the birds. They will peck at shiny objects, so they
will have something to peck at other than other birds.
Hang a head of cabbage, lettuce, or other fruit or vegetable from
the top of the pen or even on the side of the pen. This will provide
some nurishment to their pecking instincts as well. Some suggest
trimming the beak. Trim only the top manible back a short distance.
The problem here is, the beak grows back in a rather short period of
time, so you have to go back and do it over again. This could get
rather tiring after awhile.
Another idea is put a bale of alfalfa hay in the pen. They will
have a hay day pecking at it. They also will pick up some protien in
the process.
These are but a few ideas that have been kicked around, and you may
know of some others. Just try and give the birds something to do. It
may help cut down on the canniblistic instincts.
But by all means GIVE THEM PLENTY OF ROOM! When raising pheasants
and other gamebirds, ..."there ain't no such thing as too much room
for them birds." |
