How to Raise and Breed Red Golden Pheasants

The Golden Pheasant is a gamebird that is native to forests in mountainous areas of western China and is one of the easiest of the pheasants to raise and keep. If you're thinking of starting your own aviary, here are some things you should know:

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. RAISING GOLDEN PHEASANTS
   
   Purchase pheasant chicks, so that you only have two age groups to deal with initially. Many pheasant farms purchase new chicks every year to avoid having multiple age groups to deal with.
2. Young pheasants are very delicate, so you want to prepare the brooder house before your chicks arrive. The space should allow about 3/4 square foot per bird. (I recommend a 2 foot long breeder for 50 chicks.)You can't overcrowd pheasants, since they tend to be cannabalistic.
   Make sure that the area is free from drafts and impermeable to weather. Also be sure that it's secure from other animals and rodents. A penned-in portion of a building is ideal.
3. Two weeks before the chicks arrive, clean and disinfect the brooder,
   using only a non-toxic cleaner. Spread chopped straw or burlap on the floor of the brooder. Don't use wood shavings as the chicks eat these and die.
4. The brooder needs to be warm and heat lamps are ideal for this. Use a 250 watt infrared bulb with a red end for each 100 chicks you have. Hang the lamp about 19 inches from the floor. If, at some point, you find that the chicks are huddling together, that's a sign that they aren't warm enough. Either lower the lamp or raise the wattage. By the same token, if the chicks move away, they are too hot, and you need to adjust the heat accordingly.
5. When the chicks arrive, dip their beaks in water and immediately place them in a circle under the heat lamp. Until they're six weeks old, the chicks should be fed a crumbled protein-medicated gamebird or turkey feed. You can add an antibiotic to their water for the first week (check with your local vet), but it's not necessary after that. Be sure that they always have food and water.
6. You can let the chicks roam outside the brooder into an enclosed pen after about 3 weeks. Be sure that it is warm and sunny, however, so they won't be cold. You will need to give them a larger roam space or pen as they get older.
7. BREEDING GOLDEN PHEASANTS
   
   A hen will lay anywhere from 40 to 60 eggs during the season spanning April through August. Feed your breeders a 24% to 26% protein diet.
   
   Eggs need to be picked several times a day and washed with soap and a small amount of bleach. (You can obtain test kits for the combination of soap and bleach.) Soak the eggs in this bath for a few minutes, then dry with a hair blow-dryer to get most of the moisture off. Eggs should then be stored at a temperature of about 60 degrees.

Tips & Warnings

• The Game Bird Gazette is one of the best publications for 'everything you need to know' to raise pheasants. Subscribe at gamebird.com
• Watch for cannabalism in the pen; you have to take steps to stop it immediately. One method is to add branches and alfalfa hay for the birds to play with and peck at. Using fingernail clippers, you can also trim the top beaks on your birds, to the point of drawing a little blood.