Ringneck Pheasant

The Ringneck Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) are native to China and East Asia, but they have been successfully introduced in other parts of the world, including North America. Ringneck Pheasant  is a widly introduced gamebird from Asia.  Ring-necked pheasants Males are vibrantly colored with blue-green heads, red face wattles, and distinctive white neck rings. Females are a rather plain buff brown, but both sexes have long, pointed tails.

These birds are most comfortable on the ground, where they forage for grains, seeds, berries, insects, and, occasionally, small animals. They can fly and launch themselves airborne with an abrupt, noisy takeoff, but typically run from trouble. The birds prefer fields and farmlands with brushy cover, though they also inhabit woodland undergrowth and some wetlands. Females nest in fields or in border habitat and lay a dozen or more eggs, which they incubate with no help from the cock. nesting beging in April and may last thru september. During egg laying, the hen seeks out calcium and protein. Her diet will contain 10 times more calcium than the rooster's diet. Young pheasants grow up quickly and can fly within two weeks. they develop very fast and by the time they are 15 weeks old they look like adults.

The Ringneck's body plumage is barred bright gold and brown plumage with purple, white and green markings. Some of these birds have a white ring around their neck and have a bottle green head with a small-sized crest and unique red wattles. The length of an adult Ringneck pheasant male (also known as a cock) is between 76 and 89 cm with a long brown streaked black tail that measures up to 50cm. The female Ringneck pheasant (hen) has a rather dull mottled brown plumage all over the body and measures between 53 and 63 cm long; the tail is approximately 20 cm in length. Regarding their diet, these birds eat a wide variety of vegetable and animal foods, some examples would be: fruits, seeds, leaves as well as lizards, snakes and from time to time, birds. As far as the breeding aspect is concerned, they nest on the ground, producing a clutch of 10 eggs (give or take 1-2) over a period of 2-3 weeks in April-June. The incubation lasts around 23 to 26 days.

Indentification Tips:

Adult male:

Green head

Pale bill

Unfeathered red facial skin around eye

White ring around neck

Golden plumage with bluish and greenish iridescence and black spots scattered throughout

Long, pointed, golden tail feathers with black barring

Spurred legs

Adult female:

Buffy brown head and underparts
Dark brown back with paler edgings and centers
Black spots and bars scattered about head, neck and flanks
Long, buff-brown, pointed tail
Lacks spurs

Physical Appearance:
Size: 24 to 35  in
Wingspan :22 to 33.9 in
Flight Speed: 38-48 mph (but can reach up to 60 mph)
Length: Males measure 24 to 35 inches long with a rooster's tail often accounting for more than 20 inches of that length. Hens are smaller with a much shorter tail.

Egg Facts:
Breeding Season : May through June
Eggs per season : 10 to 12
Broods per year: 1
Egg Color : Olive-brown
Length of Incubation: 23 to 26 Days

Black Silkie

Silkies are one of the oldest, most beautiful and unique breed of bantam chickens. They look much like animated powder puffs, Silkie bantam chickens are an ancient breed, originating from China. The great Venetian explorer, Marco Polo, upon his return from China, wrote about all the wonders he saw there in his Book, written in 1298-99. One of the wonders that he mentions were chickens that, have hair like cats, are black, and lay the best of eggs. He was writing about Silkies. Silkie bantam chickens are an affectionate, docile and trustful breed. They have dark blue or black skin, and feathers without the usual forms of webs. Because the feathers lack of adhesion of the barbs, they look like down or silky hair, giving the appearance of a rabbit or angora cat. Since silkies dont have usual feathers, they cannot fly at all, like some other chickens, so they are easily contained, And because of their docile nature, they make ideal pets for children in the country.

Silkies are great layers of fairly large sized bantam eggs, and will lay well into winter, when other breeds of chickens have quit. In fact, winters dont bother Silkies much, because their fluffy down coats, keep them warm.  Black Silkie Bantam black tinted, black feet and around eyes with a crest. come both bearded and non-bearded. Make good setters on all types of eggs. Lays a cream colored egg. They are very broody and often used as foster moms for other eggs. They are not weather hardy, either hot or cold. Silkies are a long-lived chicken, and stay beautiful, even when older.