How to Breed Pheasant
Pheasants are popular game birds and breeding and raising them, on your rural property, can lead to work with guides and hunters. If you can supply them with birds, many hunters will be happy to pay impressive fees for food, lodging and hunting privileges. These game birds are easy to breed, needing only food and a safe place to live to ensure a continuing population of replacement birds.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Challenging
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Pheasant chicks
- Warm, enclosed brooder house
- Heat lamp
- Clean straw
- Turkey or game bird feed
- Enclosed outside pen
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1
Purchase pheasant chicks. Your first breeding birds may be bought from many reputable suppliers. Aim for three or four hens per rooster.
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2
Build your game birds a home. While they are young, the brooder house must be warm and clean. Hang a heat lamp from the ceiling and supply clean, chopped straw for the floor and your chicks should grow nicely.
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3
Feed your pheasants. The chicks will need a diet of, 30 percent protein, turkey or game bird feed. By the time they are two or three weeks old, they can range outside to add a variety of insects to their feed.
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4
Cover the pheasants' outside pen. Use wire mesh to enclose the space, keeping the game birds in and the predators out. If you want to breed pheasants, you must keep them safe and at home.
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5
Provide safe nesting spots. Some portion of the outside pen must be set aside for nesting, this means it will need vegetative cover. The hens will then make their own nests on the ground and soon you will see baby chicks following their mothers around the pen.
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6
Let nature take its course. Keep the roosters and the hens together and you will soon see hens sitting on clutches of eggs. These game birds make excellent mothers and will take care of their hatchlings without your intervention.
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