Characteristics of Faisam
Hello friends and brothers, may the Lord bless you. This time we are going to talk about the Faisan.
The pheasant is native to Asia, specifically from Borneo, Sumatra, Himalayas, south and west of China and mountains of Formosa (Taiwan), reaching the Old Continent through the Greeks around the fifth century BC. Its current name comes from the Greek word paisanos, which derives from Phasis, a river located in Cólquida, an Asian region located on the west bank of the Black Sea, from where the common pheasant would probably have entered Europe.
Faisan (Phasianus colchicus)
Characteristics
-Family:
Pheasantidae - Phasianidae
-Appearance:
The males have bright colors and extremely long tail. The females and young birds also have long tails but are discreet light brown.
-Size:
The body of the male measures 70-90 cm plus the tail measuring 35-70 cm; the female is smaller, measures 55-70 cm plus 20-25 cm from the tail; wingspan 70-90 cm, weight 1.25 kg (the male), 1 kg (the female).
-Nest:
In a hole in the ground, with little or no material to make the nest. It is usually hidden among the vegetation in rural areas or on edges of wooded areas under a tree or a shrub.
-Reproduction:
8 to 16 eggs laying from May to June, incubated by the female for 22 to 27 days. The chicks learn to fly short distances in just 10 days.
-Distribution:
Originally from China, it was introduced in central Europe in the Middle Ages, and in Finland in the early 1900s. It proliferates in rural areas and forest parks. It can often be seen in suburban gardens. The Finnish breeding population is estimated at 15,000 to 20,000 pairs.
-Migration:
Is sedentary.
-Feeding:
Seeds, grains and small invertebrates.
-Sounds:
The mating sound resembles a strong "ker-erk".
Pheasants are large game birds that are easily recognized, with a long tapering tail. The tail of both sexes is brown with dark side stripes. The males have a colorful plumage with prominent spots, which include a red spot on the eye, gray metallic coloration on the head and neck, and reddish and coppery brown on the body. The females are more uniform yellowish brown with some veined designs. darker The pheasants have a greenish-yellow beak and gray-brown legs; The legs of the males also have distinctive sharp spurs. The iris of the males is orange, but the females have light brown irises.
Pheasants can be hunted in Finland, as are other members of the same family of game birds. They are the most widely distributed game birds worldwide, since they were also introduced in North and South America, Australia and New Zealand, as well as in other parts of Asia, in addition to their place of origin. The first pheasants from Finland were released into the wild north of Helsinki in 1901.
Nutritional properties
The pheasant is a bird that provides high levels of protein, with 133 calories per 100 grams of edible portion, as well as low levels of fats and cholesterol (although this last characteristic can be modified depending on the culinary technique used to prepare it ). Most of the fat is concentrated in the skin (as in the duck).
Food behavior
Normally, it feeds on the ground; sometimes, in the trees. On the ground, scrape with the legs or dig with the beak to dig up the food.
Eggs
Generally, from 10 to 12; sometimes, between 6 and 15, or more. Beis light olive, sometimes isolated, pale blue. Sometimes females lay eggs in the nests of other females or those of other birds; clutches of more than 18 eggs usually belong to two or more females. The incubation is done only by the female and lasts between 23 and 28 days.
Breeding
The small hatchlings leave the nest shortly after hatching, mainly for feeding. On isolated occasions, the male can accompany the female and the young. The young can make short flights in about 12 days, but they stay with the female for between 10 and 12 weeks.
Diet
Omnivore. The diet varies according to the season and the place. It feeds on a large variety of grains and smaller seeds, fresh green shoots, buds, roots, berries, insects, spiders, worms and snails; On isolated occasions, it eats lizards, snakes, frogs and rodents. The diet may include more seeds in winter and more insects in summer.
Nesting
The male defends the territory from a high innkeeper and cackles while briefly striking the wings. A male can have several companions, such as females that associate with each other in a small flock in their territory. During courtship, the male strutting in semicircles around the female with the feathers of the back and tail bent, the wings almost fallen and the neck inflated. Nest: The site is on the ground in a dense cover. The nest (built by the female) is a shallow depression bordered by grasses, leaves and weeds.
Usefulness of parenting
Currently, people raise this type of birds by selling what is a much sought after meat in luxury restaurants around the world, although another reason is for the sale of their eggs. There are entrepreneurs who also raise them and then sell them to hunting businesses; and we can not forget those who prefer these birds as pets.
Domestic pheasant breeding
Territoriality
The wild pheasant resides in meadows, forests and fields. It is a bird that is used to living in very large spaces where it can enjoy free flight. That is why, when breeding them, it is necessary to guarantee them a broad territory in which they can feel comfortable.
Domestic breeding experts ensure that each bird must have two square meters. It is very important to consider this fact, especially if the breeding of the animal will be in large quantities. Pheasants like to hide and sleep in trees, so the best environment to raise them would be in a caged area, but with natural cultivation.
Feeding
These birds feed on plant and animal organisms. Among other things, they eat seeds, nuts, leaves, lizards, snakes, and some small animals. The breeders usually feed them with industrial products for turkeys or chickens.
Know the stages of the pheasant
It should be noted that when pheasants are in their pigeon stage, they must be given very meticulous care, since they do not control their temperature.
The first stage is hot. After they are born and until the first 60 days, the pheasants should be placed under infrared hoods at high temperatures, approximately between 35 to 40 ºC.
The second stage is cold. The birds begin to know the temperature of the outside world and now they sleep in beds formed with shavings or sawdust.
The third stage is the outside. Once these birds have at least 150 days of life, they are left at once in the cages with the natural temperature.
Machinery
For breeding the pheasant it is vital to have the proper machinery, especially for when the birds are still chicks. If the reason for the breeding is to market the eggs or birds, it is necessary to have incubators. Other very useful elements can be spacious outdoor cages and infrared bells.