Raising Pheasant

[Quantum673]

Got everything buttoned up and ready for the new chicks. I go tomorrow to pick them up.
Should be interesting. lol
I will track their progress on here as well.
Here is the completed brooder.


I also ordered the flight netting for the top of the outdoor run. It should be in this week so I can get started on that. I have about 4 weeks to get it done and ready for them. Until then they will stay in the brooder.

 

[Quantum673]

Pheasants are all settled in. Picked up 104 birds. I figure I will lose a few over the first few days but most all of them seem very active and healthy.
The third pic I put a quarter down on the floor to give a good size reference.

 

[Buckmaster]

Cute, I mean future dinner.

 

[Quantum673]

The birds are 2 weeks old now. I lost 5 birds the first 48 hours. The 99 I have left are all doing well.

 

[Quantum673]

Started building the outside pen for them. I still have a good days work left to get it finished up. Have 1 side of chicken wire left to stretch and tie then add the flight netting to the top. Last thing is to get the gate built and hung. They won't be ready to go outside full time for about 3 more weeks.

I did get some roost hung in the brooder so they can start stretching their wings a little.

 

[giles]

Thats pretty cool man… Do you plan on selling any of them?

 

[Quantum673]

Thats pretty cool man… Do you plan on selling any of them?

I do not plan on selling any of them. Once they are mature if someone on the forum wanted a couple I could hook them up.

 

[Boarhead]

Looking good Jon.

 

[PA Bandit]

I do not plan on selling any of them. Once they are mature if someone on the forum wanted a couple I could hook them up.

When we used to raise we would hold some as "carry over" to see how well they were surviving. It took a few farmers quite a few years around my parents house to final start having enough that you would see wild hatchlings the following year after a stock. Its been a while since I have hunted there but I don't think the populations have been holding well.

I have ran into a few "wild' birds in my life and you can definitely tell the difference just in their body structure. The biggest problem I see with "stocked" birds is the don't have the instincts and a lot don't learn to roost in trees which make them prime for predators.

I remember one year we stalked 75ish birds and only shot about 20. There were carcasses scattered all over the place from predators beating us to them.

 

[Quantum673]

Finished the flight pen up.
It was such a nice day yesterday I opened the brooder up to the flight pen and let the birds check everything out.
They were real hesitant to venture out but a few checked out the pen. I left them out for an hour or so then
closed them back up in the brooder. Looking at the forecast for the week I think tomorrow I will leave the brooder open
for the day then close them back up when I get home from work.

 

[Big_Holla]

Looks great!!

 

[motorbreaker]

Looking good man.

 

[Quantum673]

The pheasants have been in the flight pen for a couple weeks now. They are growing fast and a few are starting to get their coloration. The next few weeks will be cool to see how many are Roosters and how many are hens. I can tell on some as they are starting to get the coloration below their eyes. Still TOO young to know all of them though.



They are just over 6wks old now.
I have lost a total of 9 since I got them. So we still have 95. At least that is what we think as there is no way to count them to be sure.

 

[Bigslam51]

Cool stuff!

 

[giles]

Is the barrel cut in half for cover? This is a really cool thread BTW. I've really enjoyed following, thanks for bringing us along.

 

[Quantum673]

Is the barrel cut in half for cover? This is a really cool thread BTW. I've really enjoyed following, thanks for bringing us along.

Yes the barrels are just some extra cover for them. I am slowly adding brush piles to add more cover.

 

[Quantum673]

Here are some pics from a couple weeks ago.

 

[Boarhead]

Looks good Jon.

 

[giles]

I should have gotten a video of my boys trying to explain the blinders to Maddy (sister), lol.

 

[Quantum673]

Been a while since I updated this.
Birds are doing great. I have released probably 30 or so around 3 properties. The owners of the land I released at have been seeing and hearing the birds since I released them. Hopefully they stick around. It has been a few weeks since my last release but I plan on releasing some more in a couple weeks.
Here is a pic of some of them from yesterday.