pheasant food-my other gamebird dilemma

[ticks]

My dad and I are starting a garden. We went to TSC to get our seeds. I wanted to find something that adult pheasant would eat. So I bought giant sunflowers that i am going to let dry out and through the heads into their cage. He also got stuff for us like peas, and beans could pheasant eat those? Could I also buy a bag of cracked corn and put that in their feeders? Is their any other type of seeds that pheasant would eat. Is there a pheasant food? like a gamebird food.
thanks, ticks

 

[hinkjc]

Here is some info on gamebird feed requirements. As babies they need high protein feed for optimal growth and nutrition. This need continues as they grow and come into breeding age. Improper nutritional management will lead to problems, including poor health, vigor, plumage/flight issues and pecking. http://wildlife.purinamills.com/GameBird/index.aspx

Jody

 

[BaronRenfrew]

Gidday: I've got an answer for you: sorghum. I have a book on raising and releasing pheasants and establishing them in the wild. It recommends two plants for a farmer to grow: cane sorghum (i'm guessing now called broom sorghum) for cover and grain sorghum for food. If you go into your local seed store and ask for this expect them to look at you as if you have two heads. This article should help.
This is something to plant to feed them.

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimes...d=3f6aea8e-3845-4bb9-9c70-e0fa7af2cfa0&k=1616

For feed that you don't plant use turkey food from feed stores (assuming they don't have a game bird ration feed). Use turkey starter for chicks, and turkey grower or finisher for adults. The turkey starter I just bought is 28% protein and pheasants need only 22%. Typical chicken layer food is 16-18% protein which is why it is not used. I know people that have kept pheasants for years (and I just got some) and I'm following their feed regimen: 50% turkey starter and 50% cracked corn mixed together. They can survive on practically anything if necessary but too low a protein and they won't lay eggs. As long as your protein is high enough you can make your own mix of grains using whatever is convenient (oats, wheat, rice, and other grains, plus a few unconventional things such as cat food (45% protein) but you have to work to get a good balance).

For chicken feed I fed cracked corn and wheat with a protein supplement (soybean based) and found it cheaper than the mixed stuff from the feed stores. 1 part protein 2 parts each corn and wheat

Don't forget that they all need grit and adults need oyster shell (or other calcium supplement) for egg production.

 

[BaronRenfrew]

They can eat peas, beans, garden veggies, corn, wheat, oats, buckwheat, rice, sorghum, sunflower seed, millet, flax, triticale, rye, kamut, etc. If its a grain and edible by humans they can eat it. there are a few plants that are pioson to birds: check elsewhere on this site as somebody made a list of plants that's poison to chickens

 

[ticks]

thank you alot baronrenfrew

 

[ticks]

pumpkin seeds to? right

 

[BaronRenfrew]

Pumpkin? I'm sure they'd love it. My chickens always did.