Raising Pheasants

[The_King48]

I have been thinking about raising a couple dozen and setting them free in the later part of the summer... I am thinking about getting chicks in middle to late May... I could keep them in my garage with a heat lamp. I was told a rubber maid container works good when they are young. When they get older could a guy get buy with a screen tent? Looking forward to your replies.

[MN Mike]

I usually raise around 100 - 200 each year, I get the sexed hen mix where about 85% of the chicks will be hens.

I raise them until they are roughly 7 - 8 weeks old and let them go, this year they escaped at about 6 weeks, pretty sure my dogs were the culprit....... but the birds did well, saw them around for most of the summer before they moved off to different areas.

I keep my shed fairly dark to keep them from cannibalizing themselves, with a couple dozen you should be alright, watch out so they don't dog pile themselves in the corners, change the water a couple times per day and keep food available.

Doesn't take too much to get them to a point where you can let them go.

Mike

[harvey lee]

I use to hatch, sell and raise 1,000's of birds a year.

Yes, you could put them in a screened tent but about any critter could get into that cage. Mink will tunnel right under the bottom and have lunch. Dogs, fox or any other critter could also get in.

I would use 2 heat lamps so they do not huddle too much at least for the first 2 weeks.

A few good ways to stop the cannibalizing is to not overcrowd. They do make these blinders one can hook onto thier nose and the birds cannot see that close to pick but can eat and drink fine, they do work pretty well. Other great option is one can trim the point of thier beak off so they cannot pick but you do not want to do that if you are going to let them go.

I would just give them as much space as possible and watch them, if they start to pick, then I would get some of the cheap plastic binders and they can be taken off before you release them. Once they draw blood on another, typically it's game over for the picked one.

MN Mike, you were pretty lucky that the birds survived as long as they did as pen raised bird's, typically do not do well at all being released into the wild.

[MN Mike]

Oh.... I don't kid myself, I'm sure I fed a few predators. Luckily our Coyote and Fox population around here has plummeted but Hawks, Owls and Cats are still out in force.

I agree on the mesh tent too, doesn't stand a chance against Mink, Weasles or Cats and such.

Mike