Say hi to the new addition to the coop, a juvenile Red Golden Pheasant cock!

This little guy, also known as a Chinese Pheasant, is very sweet and tame, and is used to living in a mixed flock. He hasn’t developed his striking plumage yet, but that should happen this summer and it should be pretty spectacular! Hopefully his broken tail feathers will grow back at the same time.

I’ve read that it’s possible for pheasants and chickens to produce offspring, so I’ll be interested to see if he takes the “rooster” role as he matures. He’s a lot smaller than the hens, just a little larger than a pigeon.

I’ve also seen some people who free range their pheasants and have them return to the coop at night just like chickens will. I’ll have to see about that! In the meantime, he’s very quiet and cute and has settled in nicely after just a short time. Even with his juvenile plumage, he’s still very impressive.