My Peach Golden Pheasants
Do you know... a group of pheasants is called a nye or nide? More specifically, this word describes several pheasants on the ground. A family group of pheasants with chicks is called a brood, and a group of pheasants in flight is called a bouquet.
Last year, I adopted several Golden pheasants from the Animal Nation Farm Sanctuary in nearby South Salem, New York, a caring organization and go-to resource for at-risk animals from New York City and the surrounding areas. Earlier this month, I purchased a pair of peach Golden pheasants from the Northeastern Poultry Congress in Massachusetts. These latest additions took a few days to acclimate to my farm, but they're now venturing outside their coop and enjoying time with their new friends.
Enjoy these photos.
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- This coop just outside my stable is currently designated for birds that are new to my farm as well as my Golden pheasants. It is heated and has doors on both the front and back for easy access to the outdoors.
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- Last year, I got these Golden Pheasants – one red and one yellow. These are both males and get along very well.
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- The red male has a golden-yellow crest with a hint of red at the tip. The face, throat, chin, and the sides of neck are rusty tan. The red Golden pheasant also has a layered cape of golden feathers – each layer edged in black.
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- The upper back is green, its body is largely scarlet red, and the rest of the back and rump is golden-yellow.
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- This summer, I acquired two female Golden pheasants. Their colors are more subdued showing a mottled brown all over the body.
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- These females are smaller and lighter than the males, and have shorter tails.
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- But my latest pair is this one – peach Golden pheasants, strikingly rare in their coloration. The one on the left is the male, or cock, and the one on the right is a female, or hen.
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- Males have a lot of white set off by a light, shiny golden breast and body and a full peachy ruff.
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- Females are more toned down in coloring and are mostly white with some tan splotches.
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- Both the male and female have only been at my farm for a little more than a week, but they’re already outside exploring their enclosure.
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- All Golden pheasants communicate with a variety of calls used in different situations.
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- They also prefer to run rather than fly and can reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour if necessary to escape danger.
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- Pheasants are very curious and alert.
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- They are also hardy, very intelligent, and friendly.
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- Golden Pheasants also have excellent vision because of additional cone cells in their retinas. While humans have three types of cones enabling the recognition of reds, blues, and greens, Golden pheasants have four – they are sensitive to ultraviolet light, a range invisible to the human eye.
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- The pheasants enjoy watching the farm activity. Being near my stable, they get lots of visitors.
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- They enjoy perching on their ladders, which are made right here from felled trees.
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- They also like to go into their natural made shelters. This is one of two in the enclosure, made out of branches and twigs.
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- All my outdoor birds get a good supply of seeds. Pheasants also eat insects, berries, and plant matter.
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- And of course, there is always fresh water – checked and changed often to ensure it is always clean and free-flowing. This time of year, it is not unusual to see the troughs frozen.
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- Golden pheasants are small, but stunning, weighing up to two pounds when fully mature. I know they’ll be very happy here with the rest of their nye.
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