At 9 weeks, the pheasants are starting to get their adult feathers, so we can begin to guess who's who. It looks like we have 4 males, and 9 females. (For anyone who has been keeping track, that's 2 less than what we started with) There's been a few "escapes"...keeping these guys penned in a large enough are for them is harder than it looks. Once, we didn't replace the flap where we feed and water them. Four got out, and we caught three. The last one flew (yes, flew) away over our heads and was never seen again. Then they found a way to bounce themselves up and through a gap in the chicken wire roof. Four escaped, three were re-captured. The fourth escapee still hangs around though, and can usually be found every morning running up and down just outside the fence with its herd-mates. Catching it is another issue. It usually manages to squeeze into the goats pen and run away to the higher brush before anyone can get their hands on her. The goats, of course, are no help; they just watch with a droll smirk on their faces as the hen runs through their pen to safety. Not a thought about walking over and checking out the situation which might frighten the hen into staying put or squeezing back through the hole so we can catch her...I'm sure the goats have already figured out there's nothing in it for them...so why bother? All that's left is the entertainment of watching the humans chase the little hen around in frustration...(sigh)
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