This study aimed to discuss the energy budget of Elliot’s pheasant
Syrmaticus ellioti
in different seasons, with life and
health, good growth and normal digestion of Elliot’s pheasant as the tested objects, The energy budget of Elliot’s pheasant was
measured by daily collection of the trial pheasants’ excrement in the biological garden of Guangxi Normal University from March
2011 to February 2012. The results showed that the gross energy consumption, metabolic energy and excrement energy varied by
season, increasing as temperature decreased. There was significant difference in gross energy consumption, metabolic energy,
excrement energy between adults and nonages. There was also a trend that food digestibility of pheasants increases as temperature
increases. In the same season, the food digestibility of adults was better than that of nonages. Throughout spring, summer, autumn
and winter, the metabolic energy of 4-year adults were 305.77±13.40 kJ/d, 263.67±11.89 kJ/d, 357.23±25.49 kJ/d and 403.12±
24.91 kJ/d, respectively, and the nonages were 284.86±17.22 kJ/d, 284. 66±15.16 kJ/d, 402. 26±31.46 kJ/d and 420. 30±31.98
kJ/d, respectively. The minimum metabolic energies were 247.65±21.81 g, 265.86±26.53 g, respectively for each group, detected
between 4-year adults and 1-year nonages. Further study is needed to determine whether 29.6 C is the optimal temperature for the
Elliot’s pheasant.