Pheasants in the garden

[peanut]

Will Pheasants eat my plants veg, fruit or otherwise? I was so pleased to see them strutting their stuff in my garden 'till it occured to me that they might actually eat all my plants!

thanks

[jacob marley]

No ido not think they will they peck of the ground they dont eat greenstuff if they do i have not seen it i have one that roost's in a large \oak tree at the bottom of my garden i say goodnight to him as me and the growler go for are last walh of the day chuck him a bit of maize down he might bring his mates round to see you

[Snadger]

Two plants I know they like for cover is sweetcorn and Jerusalem artichoke. I would imagine they would eat the corn and the JA tubers and possibly seedheads!

[Madasafish]

We have a visiting pheasant. they eat seeds and grubs .. and don't appear to touch any growing plants - which is more than be said for the slugs and woodpigeons and the squirrels and the mice...

[TPeers]

Here's one we photographed earlier

Terry

[roitelet]

Beware!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pheasants may look very cute in the gaarden but I had them one year and they completely destroyed my potato crop. They scratched just like chickens and then ate half of the potatoes in the ground leaving me with a whole patch of half eaten potatoes.

I would rather see them on the table Yummmmmmmmmmmm

[Flummery]

We had 4 in and out of the garden one year. They were concentrating on the fallen bits from the wild bird feeders. In fact, one of the girlies had a nest under the pampas grass (which really IS coming out this year. In the garden when we came and haven't had the time till now to get rid!) They damaged nothing and we enjoyed their presence. I had a full load of crops in the back plot as usual but nothing was touched. Maybe if you have plenty of bird food they aren't interested in anything that looks more like hard work!

[peanut]

Thanks all for your replies, I love wildlife and birds so I'm glad to have them in the garden, hopefully they'll scratch about for the fallen seed and bugs and leave my crops alone!

[dwrudd]

Flummery has hit the nail on the head really, if you are worried about what they might eat, give them a treat which is better than your tatties etc.

They are dumb birds really, I rear and release about five hundred a year on a small shoot and they show a good foraging instinct but little intelligence. I love seeing them about and yet they can be dstructve, so I do strike a balance and put down a little wheat for them ( £4 per sack at any grain store) it keeps them busy and distracted if you mix it into a little scattered straw whilst its great to watch them.

Less of a pest if you manage them with a liitle treat and can be great fun
Darren

[cazzieblueeyes]

Plenty of pheasants in my garden!

Hi
I registered so that I could find an answer on how to deter pheasants in the garden I sometimes have 12 at once-3 males and 9 females-they are messing everywhere-on my garden table-in my flower pots-all over the garden and patio and it is getting a little messy to say the least. I know they are wonderful to watch and they pay little attention when you go to shoo them away. Even a local cat wondered through the garden only a foot away from some of them and both were oblivious to each other! The other 4 or 5 just looked on and then carried on at the grass!! I have some great photos-a laugh if sent to Youve been framed!
Just want to see if anything to get rid of them-certainly don't want to get rid of them to eat.
Help or advice please. Thanks.

[allotmentlady]

Shoot it, pluck it and eat it with your fresh veggies!

[burnie]

You'll have to be quick if you're planning to shoot any,season ends in a couple of weeks.

[cazzieblueeyes]

You'll have to be quick if you're planning to shoot any,season ends in a couple of weeks.

Hi-I do not want to shoot them pluck them eat them- does it mean pheasants will "hibernate" then so not come into my garden any more?
Got back today and more mess all over the patio

[snuffer]

We have pheasnts visit our garden. Last year they shredded all of my spring cabbage. They didn't eat much of it just destroyed it. I do know for sure that it was the pheasants and not cabbage munching pigeons because I caught them in the act. This year all of my spring cabbage is covered by chicken wire.

[The amateur]

I'm tempted to say send them up to me then, pheasant is very nice. I wish I had that problem, the only wildlife I am likely to see is the two legged kind.