I want to start raising more pheasants. I currently have a trio, but want to expand up to 100. I think I have the room for it, but I would like confirmation on that. I have 1/4 acre that I have my emu on. I was thinking of giving them longer/thinner runs, so I have plenty of room to work wiht.

I need plans for the flight pens. I also need to know what the most economical wasy to house them would be...meaning, howmany roos can I have together wihtout constant fighting...how many hens per roo w/out a drop in fertility in eggs...anything that would help would be very much appreciated.

-- Wendy A (phillips-anteswe@pendleton.usmc.mil), October 26, 2001

Answers

Those roosters will not be fighters they'll be killers during mating season.

-- Charlie (charliesap@pldi.net), October 26, 2001.

Wendy, go to www.google.com and do a search on "pheasant raising". The fact that the first item that comes up is from Australia (where I live), state of New South Wales (where I live), and is prepared by the NSW Public Service (for whom I work) is purely co-incidental. Good advice though, and I'd imagine some of the others also contain good information too.

-- Don Armstrong (from Australia) (darmst@yahoo.com.au), October 26, 2001.

Check out the North American Game Bird Association-- they should have a web site. Also, B & D Game Farm has a nice booklet with what you are looking for. Finally, Leland Hayes' Gamebird Journal is very useful. Pheasants need more space per bird if you don't put blinders on them. If they are over crowded it can induce canabalism. McFarlane's ( a large pheasant farm in Wisconsin) advises about 55 sq ft per cock and 40 sq ft per hen without peepers (blinders) on them. With blinders, you could do 30 sq ft per cock and 20 sq ft per hen. Make the perimeter of the pen wire buried into the ground or metal roofing etc. to prevent predators from wiping out your stock. The more birds you have the more predators are attracted. Good luck- they are beautiful birds (and tasty). david

-- David (drdati@mwt.net), October 29, 2001.