The Lady Amherst's pheasant is one of the best known and flashy of the ruffled pheasants.   Originally from China, they can be found in zoos and  private collections all over the world.

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The male has a spectacular tail that can grow to lengths of 4 feet The male has a distinctive "ruff" of feathers around his neck that he spreads out while courting the female.  It takes 2 years for a male to  reach is full glory and develop his spectacular tail. In captivity, they can live up to 15 years.

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The female by contrast, is a drab brown.  She looks very much like the Red/Gold Pheasant, and they should be kept separate to avoid cross breeding.  Females can lay eggs their first year, but males generally aren't fertile until age 2.

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Generally hardy, they will prefer some shelter.  My hens prefer to lay eggs in raised nests, but if they feel that nest has been compromised, will move to another spot.

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 Juvenile birds will be available in fall.

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