Anyone try raising Pheasants?

R

Rembrandt

New member
Not sure how this is going to work out.....purchased some pheasant chicks to restock the farm. Hard to believe that 20 years ago we were the pheasant capital of the nation.....now there's hardly any.

Using a "surregator" that provides heat, water, food, and protection until they are released. The idea is acclimate the birds to their new home.

Anyone else ever try this? Would enjoy hearing about your experiences and success or failures.

009-4.jpg


008.jpg


005-2.jpg
 
Never tried raising them, have enough problems with horses.

They are cute when their young,
and tasty when they grow up. :D
 
Rembrandt, 6/7/12

Pheasant raising? Boy that brings back memories. About forty years ago I worked a summer job between college semesters. I worked at a pheasant farm in Turlock, California just outside of Modesto in the Central Valley. These pheasants were raised to be released at game clubs in California. I think this farm's goal was to raise and release the stupidest pheasants possible so they could be shot easily by the game club members.

The first part of the process was going into the pens where the newly hatched pheasants were kept and grabbing each one and ramming a plastic pin through their nostrils which supported a small plastic disk in front of their eyes so they could not see to peck each other. Then I would take the chick and hold its beak against a red-hot metal bar to burn their beaks flat so they could not damage each other. During this process the chicks would often rush to the back of the pen and suffocate each other.

After the above steps were done the birds were put in a covered pen outside with the walls and roofs covered with netting. As soon as the birds were big enough we would go in with nets and catch them for shipment to the game club. I remember one big rooster being really ticked off. He flew up and landed on my shoulder and then sank his claws into my skin as deep as he could. Actually I couldn't really blame him as he probably rememberd me as the one who burned his beak flat when he was a chick.

So I hope your pheasant adventure is better than mine and that your birds are smarter. Good luck.

best wishes- oldandslow
 
The first part of the process was going into the pens where the newly hatched pheasants were kept and grabbing each one and ramming a plastic pin through their nostrils which supported a small plastic disk in front of their eyes so they could not see to peck each other. Then I would take the chick and hold its beak against a red-hot metal bar to burn their beaks flat so they could not damage each other. During this process the chicks would often rush to the back of the pen and suffocate each other.
Click to expand...

I'd probably want to kill something, too, after having my nostrils violently pierced, my vision obscured, and my face melted. :rolleyes:


My father raised pheasants for a few years, before I was born. He always talks fondly about it, but I believe he gave up when they all got sick (and the breeding stock died).
 
Nice project.

I have nothing to offer on the raising side, but has the drop in pheasants been an issue with breeding pairs? Or is the habitat (cover, food sources, predators, etc) changed in the past couple dozen years?

To be more effective, you might have to do a bit more work on the backside to make sure that they can survive after you release them.

Dang, they are cute chicks, though...

Thanks for taking initiative.
 
Pennsylvania has been beating that dead horse since the mid 80's. They disappeared so fast it could not have been habitat. Around that time there was some weird oriental bird flue in the states. Millions of chickens killed off trying to stop it. Pheasants are from China, take it from there. Anyway, they can not seem to get them back into the wild. My buddy buys some and turns them loose on the farm for him and the kidds. The guy he buys them from said the hens won't even sit on the nests anymore, he has to incubate them. Apparently it is easier to breed the wild out of something than put it back in.
 
Coyotes, dogs and cats love em.

This am I had a grouse hen crossing the road ahead of me. Couple chicks ran after her. Four chicks (little ones) flew across and as I came up-one more flew across and my grill hit it. I noticed it in the other lane in my mirror. I was hardly past and Mama was trying to get the dead one to move with the rest...
 
There is a good deal of information on PF about pen released pheasants, it's not good. You would be better off taking the resources involved in raising those chicks and improving your habitat.
 
I don't know much about it but there is a guy north of me about 30 miles that is raising them very successfully. He supplies the fish and game who in turn supplies the Wild life management areas with the birds. There is a difference in those birds and wild ones, but at least they are there.
 
First batch has been released and doing fantastic.....here's a shot of the second batch. Two flew out and escaped, so far so good....

pheasantchicks.jpg
 
No never tried it. Ringneck Pheasants were everywhere when I grew up. None around here now.

However, if I raised them, I could never shoot them, so what's the point?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top