A few days ago I saw a hen pheasant with a brood of chicks on the road. There were many chicks. Hens will nest up to three times if nests are disturbed. Each subsequent nest will have fewer chicks. Given the date and number of chicks this clearly was her first attempt.
The chicks were very small, so newly hatched. Their food for the first weeks is insects which gives them the protein they need. Hatched this early they will be well developed before winter. That increases their chances of winter survival.
There were many pheasants last fall. The winter was mild with no blizzards so most should have survived. The mild winter also means that hens go into nesting season in good condition. Nesting consumes much energy. First attempt nest may hold up to fifteen eggs.
Takk for alt,
Al
Pheasant chicks can fly by the time they are two weeks old. This helps them avoid predators.
No comments:
Post a Comment