Pheasant Chicks

[Nitro Double Aught]

Just wondering who would be interested in buying some day old pheasant chicks this spring? Pm if interested.

[Nitro Double Aught]

We are all set up and are looking to see if we have interest in anyone buying some day or week old chicks from us this spring. I think we raised approx. 300 last year but are looking at selling some young chicks. We had an abundance of eggs that we could have hatched thousands. Can sell eggs if anyone wants to hatch their own also.

[cover]

For anyone that has a place to put one of these


www.wildlifemanagementtechnologies.com

[Advantage Taxidermy]

What about older birds for Taxidermy ??

[Nitro Double Aught]

Hey, Cover. Those are super cool. What is the cost of those?

[densa44]

My wife thinks this may be a good idea. I've raised chickens and turkeys and am not so sure. What % die before maturity? Is there any hassle with the government. Believe it your not there were with the chickens and turkeys. I just ignored then at the time.
Do you sell them sexed or not?
How many fertile eggs would you get from adult pheasants.
Thanks for your efforts on all our behalves.

[bigbadbrown]

Originally Posted by Nitro Double Aught

Just wondering who would be interested in buying some day old pheasant chicks this spring? Pm if interested.

I would be interested in roughly 100 chicks
A few questions I have are. What are the survival rates of the chicks?
Cost?
Where are you located? And is shiping possible?

[cover]

Originally Posted by Nitro Double Aught

Hey, Cover. Those are super cool. What is the cost of those?

If you poke around the site I think it is about $1800 for the base model with upgrades available.... it does look like alot of fun...

[cover]

Originally Posted by densa44

My wife thinks this may be a good idea. I've raised chickens and turkeys and am not so sure. What % die before maturity? Is there any hassle with the government. Believe it your not there were with the chickens and turkeys. I just ignored then at the time.
Do you sell them sexed or not?
How many fertile eggs would you get from adult pheasants.
Thanks for your efforts on all our behalves.

I think it is a great idea too... It is like re-kindeling the old 4-H program that was once was thriving in Alberta ...where chicks/feed were provided to producers/farmers for birds to be released in the late summer/fall

[cujo1969]

You need a permit to raise them

[cover]

Originally Posted by cujo1969

You need a permit to raise them

Densa44... well I guess there is your answer as to which if there is a hassle ??

[Nitro Double Aught]

I may be wrong, but you do not need a permit to actually raise them. If you intend to shoot them on your land you need to register that land. Upon registering the land you are issued some leg bands and can shoot your birds on that land any time of the year. I am in a partnership with my uncle and he has gotten all the permits. From what I understand the permits were an easy and simple process. As for some of the other questions, I will answer once I have the exact #'s and info. I don't want to provide any controversy with the info I provide.
Thanks

[Bushmaster]

I used to raise pheasants....and day-old chicks need a lot of care....to start with, they need pens with round corners, heating for the first few weeks, etc. or mortality will be fairly high. One mistake and it will be VERY high. Those of you interested in having a few around the yard would do much better if you bought 6 week old birds....and when you release them, there's no guaratee they'll stay around.

We had all the permits, etc, no big deal but it did involve a pen/facility inspection.

[Nitro Double Aught]

I am not sure of the costs of day old chicks or five week old chicks as of yet. The cost of day olds is considerable lower than five or six week old chicks. That is do to the amount of work involved in getting them to that stage. There is a higher rate of day olds than with the older chicks.

We have had great success on some batches (85-90%). We have had terrible success on some batches as well (20%). We had some issues with Fortis Utilities changing poles and power outages.

My advice is that if want to buy day olds that you have to accept the losses and purchase accordingly.

If you choose older birds you have to accept that you will still have losses, but they will be less. However, with the older birds you pay more.

Hope this helps.

[wwbirds]

Many producers in alberta supply day old chicks for about $3. each.
A generator is a necessity for a pheasant producer for with one power failure of 2-3 hours you will lose everything, eggs, chicks etc.
Chicks should be kept indoors for at least the first 6 weeks and must have 95 degrees in day one and reduce 1 degree a day until they are at ambient temprature outside and fully feathered before going to holding pens outside.
Mortality rates on young birds vary widely based on temperature, drafts, feed, antibiotics in feed as well as vermin, proximity to ground waste (manure).
Most producers want birds up off ground on wire or plastic frame flooring so waste feed and droppings fall through and do not make chicks sick.
Round corners as mentioned above are to prevent birds from piling up in corners trying to keep warm if there is a draft as many will suffocate.
Vitamins help relieve stress if placed in water for first 10-12 days.
One of these day I am going to write a book about the 85 ways pheasant chicks can kill themselves or each other. Mortality later in life (after 6 weeks) is generally caused by crowding for pheasants are territorial as well as, cannibalistic in nature. often blinders or peepers are attached to the nare at 6 weeks to lessen the normal vision so less fighting, picking and feather destruction occurs.
Rob

[cover]

wwbirds.... what is your opinion of these www.wildlifemangementtechnologies.com ?

[wwbirds]

couldn't get the latest link to work but I looked at the old one.
Guess if it works for quail who are really temperature sensitive it would work for pheasants. Seems to be really expensive for so few pheasants.
Not sure of the sterility of something like this as if on ground would fill up with droppings pretty quick. How thick is that mesh. Might stop a weasel but coyote if persistent might go through it, drag it away or destroy your food and water provisons trying.
Guess cost is a big factor for me doing thousands of pheasants at one time.
Making self made indoor pen to hold 80 pheasants $20.
Brooding lamp with thermostat $100. (4 lights)
$1800. for 65 birds? What protects them for rain which is nearly instant hypothermia for young baby birds. No, baby birds do not have the sense to come in out of the rain without momma!
not for me, I built 16 holding pens for brooding young birds for considerably less in doors where I can control everything.
Rob

[cover]

Thank's for the reply....I did not think that this system would be appropriate for a guy like yourself but that you would be able to point out potential problems/concerns which you did and thank-you ... however I thought it would work well for someone that would be buying day old chicks and has a spot to put one of these units.... or I thought local fish and game associations would be a good opportunity to pool resources for a brooder/surrogator and then in turn purchase day old chicks from producers such as yourself ...cheers

[cover]

Originally Posted by Nitro Double Aught

We are all set up and are looking to see if we have interest in anyone buying some day or week old chicks from us this spring. I think we raised approx. 300 last year but are looking at selling some young chicks. We had an abundance of eggs that we could have hatched thousands. Can sell eggs if anyone wants to hatch their own also.

What would be needed to hatch eggs if you were to have an abundance again ?

[graham1]

I'd be interested in a few. Maybe 2 dozen or so to raise and butcher. Might be to few for you to bother with.
Let me know.

ps how much? and where?

[CRAZY CAT]

Just wondering where you are located.I am forsure interested in some chicks and possibly some eggs too.

[Setterman]

Curious if you will have chuckars??? I don't need a permit to shoot yem later on cause there not considered game birds. Very tasty as well. SM

[Nitro Double Aught]

We are just north of Medicine Hat. No chukars. I wanted to get some last year but couldn't locate any breeders.

[Redfrog]

I gotta get my glasses checked. I thought you were selling Pleasant Chicks

[Nitro Double Aught]

Hahahaha I never even caught that when I replied. Too funny!!

[cover]

Originally Posted by Nitro Double Aught

Hahahaha I never even caught that when I replied. Too funny!!

What would I need to hatch out extra eggs that you may have this spring ??

[Nitro Double Aught]

You can get smaller styrofoam incubators that are reasonably priced. We bought some in Havre so not sure where to get them up here. Heat lamps. You could build some small pens out of cardboard, they have to be round so the chick don't get stuck in the corners. Once they get bigger you will have to move them outside in to a pen. Be careful they are climatized or can get back in to shelter and heat if its cold or wet.

[Skinnydipper]

With the dainty nature of raising the chicks it's hard to imagine many survive at all in the wild!

[Advantage Taxidermy]

Just checking to see if your still coming up ?

[Nitro Double Aught]

I am not sure if I am but there will be someone from Medicine Hat that I could send them up with. Haven't been out to the farm for a bit but will try and go this weekend. I will give you a call to worked a deal and and get delivery info.