Pheasants.. I'm new to them

[bountyofbantams]

I've become very interested in raising and breeding pheasants due to me helping care for 12 ish pheasants (yellow golden, red golden, silver and lady amherst)
I think theyre really cool and have done some research on specifically babies, since I know how to deal with adults.
Anyone here have some advice on where to get the best baby pheasants from? How to raise them? Are they easier or harder than chicks? What starter is recommended for them? Very sorry to whoever is reading this, I have a lot of questions and I feel google will screw me over. If anyone knows anyone that breeds goldens definitely let me know.. I would like to focus on my flock of 6 ayam cemanis and maybe some breeding trios of pheasants (id like to get peach goldens and dark throated reds) in spring this year and next year (2025-2026 and see how it goes from there) but could really use some tips for getting started with them

 

[bountyofbantams]

And if anyone has any horror stories with pheasants definitely tell me about what to expect. I'd like to know as much about them before I commit to them and get some trios

 

[muddy75]

@007Sean would be best to help with ornamentals
I’ve only kept ringnecks but I found mine online, hatcheries, and RK

 

[007Sean]

Pheasants are on a different level than chickens. 1st, you can not free range pheasants. 2nd, need large aviaries to keep pheasants in with proper 'pheasant furniture'...large smooth rocks, limbs, stumps, brush and grasses, etc. 3rd, pheasants require a different diet than chickens, higher protein (at least 24%) and higher levels of essential vitamins and minerals.

As far as ease of rearing, Lady Amherst are the easiest, followed by the Goldens, all color variations. Other ornamentals have varying degrees of difficulty, habitat requirements, and feeding requirements.

If you want to start with adult birds or juveniles, you will need to find a breeder. Look on FB, Craigslist or the internet in general. There are lots of breeders selling eggs on Ebay or you may be able to fine a local source, less handling problems, than having eggs shipped....pheasant eggs don't ship very well.

Chick's will require a brooder that has a warm end and a cooler end. A heat source, either a heat lamp, ceramic heat bulb or a mother hen heating pad type arrangement, that can be adjusted weekly as the chick's grow, to maintain the proper temperature in the brooder. The brooder will need a top made of mesh to keep the chick's from flying out, until they are ready to go outdoors to a permanent type enclosure.
If your going to hatch eggs, than you will need to do some research before you start incubating eggs.

This is a short, short summary of raising ornamentals, hope this helps!

 

[bountyofbantams]

Pheasants are on a different level than chickens. 1st, you can not free range pheasants. 2nd, need large aviaries to keep pheasants in with proper 'pheasant furniture'...large smooth rocks, limbs, stumps, brush and grasses, etc. 3rd, pheasants require a different diet than chickens, higher protein (at least 24%) and higher levels of essential vitamins and minerals.

As far as ease of rearing, Lady Amherst are the easiest, followed by the Goldens, all color variations. Other ornamentals have varying degrees of difficulty, habitat requirements, and feeding requirements.

If you want to start with adult birds or juveniles, you will need to find a breeder. Look on FB, Craigslist or the internet in general. There are lots of breeders selling eggs on Ebay or you may be able to fine a local source, less handling problems, than having eggs shipped....pheasant eggs don't ship very well.

Chick's will require a brooder that has a warm end and a cooler end. A heat source, either a heat lamp, ceramic heat bulb or a mother hen heating pad type arrangement, that can be adjusted weekly as the chick's grow, to maintain the proper temperature in the brooder. The brooder will need a top made of mesh to keep the chick's from flying out, until they are ready to go outdoors to a permanent type enclosure.
If your going to hatch eggs, than you will need to do some research before you start incubating eggs.

This is a short, short summary of raising ornamentals, hope this helps!

Thank you so much!!! I would 1000% do lady amherst as they are my favorite but havent been able to source some recently. They're all way out of my budget right now, so goldens any color variations is the way to go for me right now

 

[Mrs_jtb]

I inherited a pair of Yellow Goldens. The guy got the eggs from ebay and hatched them himself so it is possible. I have only ever had chickens so this is new to me and I do a lot of reading online. I don't plan on breeding the pair so I'll build a nice aviary in Spring and just keep them happy for their 20 or so years with me.

 

[pleasant pheasants]

And if anyone has any horror stories with pheasants definitely tell me about what to expect. I'd like to know as much about them before I commit to them and get some trios

Chicken can carry Mereks and other diseases and pass them on to pheasants. Mereks will stay many years after the disease has taken your bird/s. It will spread like their feathers and infect the ground around your pen as well as your coop. If you have gamebirds in the same yard with chickens make sure the chickens were treated for Mereks within the first day or two after their birth.