IMPORTANT ORDERING INFORMATION: Pheasants are shipped on Wednesdays, USPS Priority Mail Express, and will typically arrive in 1-2 days at your local post office. Pheasants are not available for pickup and ship for $50.00 per pair.
Originating from the forests of central and eastern China, and named after British naturalist John Reeves, these stunningly beautiful birds boast having the longest natural tail feathers according to the 2008 edition of Guinness World Records. Their fantastic tails can reach a maximum length of just over 7 feet. In aviculture, these birds are considered common and easy to raise. However, due to continuing habitat loss they are considered rare, with the natural population declining to an estimated 2000 individual birds.
Reeves Pheasants do well in a larger aviary setup and are very hardy, doing quite well in both warm or cold climates. You will want to provide plenty of branches and shrubbery as they do prefer to nest on higher ground. Their diet consists mainly of vegetables, seeds, and cereals. This should be supplemented with the standard game bird feed and greens.
Reeves Pheasants begin breeding in late April, with hens laying clutches of 7 to 14 olive colored eggs. The chicks can be aggressive and should be brooder separate from other species. Eggs incubate for approximately 25 days and are able to breed after the first year. The males of this breed can become aggressive towards their keepers and other males, especially during the breeding season, and 1 male can be paired with more than one female.
Reeves Pheasant males reach an average weight of just under 3 pounds and an overall length of 83 inches, with the females reaching an approximate weight of 2 pounds and an average overall length of 30 inches. They can have a variety of colors and looks to their plumage with the hens having a more muted brown to buff color. They have a quite distinctive call compared to other gamebirds, emitting a very musical, melodic warble.