Pheasants, anything I should know about hatching them?

[WriterofWords]

I was approached at school today, when I walked in carrying an incubator, about hatching some pheasant eggs. Our head of maintenance has several, and he knows they are fertile, he hatched a bunch under his chickens, but they all died. If we do accept them, is there anything different you have to do with them before or after hatching? It seems like to good of an opportunity to turn down, they are free!
Kate

 

[pips&peeps]

I hatched a bunch for my veterinarian a few years ago. I believe they will hatch on day 19 like bantam eggs.

You need to start them with some corn meal and then get a gamebird starter for them. Make sure you sanitize your incubator and brooder area before and after they are in there.

They are very flighty.

Jean

 

[WriterofWords]

pips&peeps :

I hatched a bunch for my veterinarian a few years ago. I believe they will hatch on day 19 like bantam eggs.

You need to start them with some corn meal and then get a gamebird starter for them. Make sure you sanitize your incubator and brooder area before and after they are in there.

They are very flighty.

Jean

Do you mix the corn meal or feed it for a certain amount of time and then go to the gamebird starter?
Thanks~!
Kate​

 

[Bantymama]

I did some last spring i did them just like chickens. They should hatch on day 24 to 25. The are a bit harder to hatch. I got 17 out of 25. They need alot of room.

 

[Bantymama]

I should also mention after they hatch they zoom all around none stop in the bator and are very fast. Really fun to watch. I used 2 hatchers to hatch them so they had room.

 

[pips&peeps]

Well, I guess I got the incubating time off it is longer.

I just put dry corn meal in a little feeder for a week or so then mixed it with the grower and eventually just switched over.

Jean

 

[WriterofWords]

Ok, corn meal not chick starter? Someone else had told me Turkey starter too? But I figure those on here would know better!
Kate

 

[pips&peeps]

Yes, the stuff in the yellow box you get at the grocery store.

I have also started quail on it also. That is just what I did, I am not a breeder of gamebirds.

If there are gamebird breeders on the forum, maybe they could give a suggestion on what to start them on.

Jean

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Turkey starter is what some people call gamebird starter, either one would work because turkeys are gamebirds. They need the higher protien to grow properly. Non-medicated, also. It's usually not medicated, but just in case.

 

[Bantymama]

I checked with my dh we got our starter feed from the game farm where we got the eggs and gave them that for a few weeks. You can also just use game starter from your local farm store. Then we feed them game feed. Later on when they were bigger i also gave them whole corn.