One of the fun things about living with Hubby is you never know what he's going to bring home on any given day. Coming home from work on the country roads can be some good shopping. Right after we were married he came home from work and called me outside. He opened his trunk and nestled inside were two Muscovy ducks. I was thrilled. Now most of the women I know would not like this. One minute you are in the house minding your own business and the next you have a torn-up cat in your hands and Hubby is saying he is sure you can fix it. But I really like it. Surprise me with an animal any day. It was always my dream as a kid to open a box at Christmas and have a puppy jump out, two ducks in a trunk aren't that far off.
So the other day while he was driving home from work he just had to slam on the brakes when he saw a sign for live pheasants. Hubby is a pheasant hunter. He pictured one more hunt for the season. So he brought home four of the most beautiful pheasants.
Personally I have a very hard time knowing my dinner. So I whined, "Oh let's build a pen for them and then you can breed more birds."
Hubby, a few years back, had hatched out 100 pheasants and raised them. Half of them were taken and released on the neighbor's farm to live a long life. After taking them up to the top 40 acres, which is a beautiful grassland, the next morning they were all standing around Hubby's pheasant pen wanting in for breakfast.
Now he needs to build a new pen because a year ago I took over his pens for my chickens.
So the idea of raising more birds has given these birds a pardon.
11 comments:
Oh wow. They are beautiful...Jim expressed interest last season in raising pheasant (and quail) but not for hunting...just for releasing, but I convinced him that we would be putting all this love into beautiful birds that would wind up on shot dead. I'm with you on the "having a hard time knowing my dinner" thing - it's ridiculous really, but I completely lose my appetite. Happened the first and last time I went crabbing, too.
What are the pheasants like to raise, Wendy? Do they make a lot of noise? Do you let them free range? Do they get along with chickens? Are they friendly? Tell more, c'mon! :-)
Hahaha. Cute story. Love the first picture too. That guy looks like he's got a bad case of bed head.
Oh, pheasants! They are nice, as long as they stay out of the Peanuts.
farmgirl, Pheasants are not like chickens. They are pretty wild and no they don't free-range. We did have several that we had released come back and eat with the chickens but I would not keep them with the hens. They are just too wild. It would upset my girls. They don't make much noise and the rooster makes a delightful sound every once in awhile.
Friendly? Hmmm....ours have never been but these 4 have settled down some since we got them. They at least aren't throwing themselves into the side of the pen quite so many times as before. Even the ones we hatched and brooded at the house weren't friendly. So it isn't like eating one of your chickens. But I tend to humanize everything and wonder what they are thinking. I certainly eat someone's chickens:)
The ones we released around here aren't hunted and it's fun to see them in the wild and know they came from you.
They are not much different as far as care goes than the chickens.
I say give it a try:)
They are beautiful! We don't have those around here.
My husband is always surprising me with animals he brings home, too.
I'm with you, I like it.
We raised quails a few years back. We turned a lot of the bob-white quail out, sold a lot too. But I couldn't eat the animals I know either.
Love your pictures!
Have a great weekend.
Pam
Thanks Pam. I see you are very busy this weekend. Yeah biddies! I love that word.
They really are cute, and of course, the blogging community is thrilled over that pardon!
Btw, your "It was always my dream as a kid to open a box at Christmas and have a puppy jump out" sentence made me laugh - as it was mine too! No hubby in my case to surprise me with pets - and after a year of expanding on my own, I think I'm actually quite satisfied for the time being!
They are SO pretty - I love to listen to them call. There are times in the fall and winter that they come right into my yard and fight.
We live right next to recreation lands that release birds for hunters every year.
We had a pheasant become part of our chickens. She showed up one day - we called her Fanny - i know, creative - and she stayed for over a month. Not sure why she left...
but they are very interesting birds!
I've always thought pheasants were so pretty. I don't really know anything about raising them. I don't wanna know my dinner either, lol!
Such pretty birds. Lucky you! Down by the Rio Grande, in the Bosque, there are fields where quail and pheasant can be seen. I love catching sight of them when we drive down there.
Being someone that did receive a puppy for Christmas, I really wished for a pony most of all. sigh.
I had to wait until I was in my 40's for THAT to happen. lol!
Congrats on your new pheasant project.
~Lisa
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