Effects of Passive Integrated Transponders on Ring-Necked Pheasant Chicks

Abstract

We evaluated the effects of passive-integrated transponder (PIT) tags on body mass, survival, and tag retention of 7-day old (Study I) and 8-day old (Study II) ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) chicks. Mean body masses of PIT-tagged and control chicks did not differ at the end of 40 days (Study I) or 6 days (Study II). Rate of body mass gain was significantly greater (P = 0.0001) for control than PIT-tagged birds in Study I. No birds died in study I or during 16 days following removal of PIT tags, but in Study II 8 PIT-tagged chicks and 6 control chicks died. Two PIT-tagged individuals were cannibalized in Study II, but none of the controls were. One of eight PIT-tagged chicks lost its tag in Study I; one of the 25 birds in Study II lost their PIT tags. PIT tags may have potential as markers of hatchling birds, but reduced rate of body mass gains, retention, and pecking mortality issues should be addressed.