How to Raise Wild Game Birds
Raising game birds like quail or pheasant requires preparation and planning, such as building adequate pens and cages to house the birds. Game birds can be raised and sold to restaurants or kept for egg production. For a large-scale business, more space, cages and feed are needed. If you're raising the birds for your own use, then a small area will suffice.
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Things You'll Need
- Male and female game birds
- Material for cages
- Incubators
- Brooder
- Heat lamp
- Food trough
- Water trough
- Food
Instructions
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Raising Game Birds
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1
Purchase breeding-age game birds using a ratio of three females to one male. Place in pen or cage large enough for birds to move around. Provide necessary heat and light. Collect game bird eggs when they are laid.
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2
Purchase or build a forced air circulation incubator. Maintain a temperature of about 99 degrees with 60 percent humidity level. Place eggs into incubator. Turn eggs at least five times a day. Leave eggs alone a few days before they will hatch.
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3
Purchase or build a brooder. Maintain heat in brooder at 100 degrees. Put a trough of finely ground feed in the brooder. Put a trough of shallow water into brooder. Place newly hatched chicks in the brooder. Keep brooder away from drafts. Reduce brooder temperature 5 degrees each week as the chicks grow.
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4
Allow chicks out of brooder when they are a few weeks old and outside temperatures are warm. Take chicks back to the brooder at the end of the day. Keep heat lamps on in brooder at night. After about a month, move chicks to a larger pen. At a month and a half old, feed birds a growing feed with additional protein.
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5
Harvest any eggs not used for breeding purposes. Harvest any game birds for consumption once they are large enough.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure water troughs are shallow or place pebbles or marbles in them so chicks will not fall in and drown. Do not allow food or water to run out in brooding pens.
Ensure that chicks are not exposed to any drafts as they are very sensitive to cold temperatures and can die. Watch for signs of disease in chicks.
