serrogate chicken for pheasant chicks?

[8dtrain8]

I raise some pheasants and quail mostly for dog training purposes. Over the past several years I have worked to establish suitable habitat for the birds to survive in. Next year I plan to raise some of my pheasants and quail for release. I am building a flight pen to condition the birds. I have also recently heard of another idea for raising pheasants for release that has gotten my attention an brings me to my question for more experienced poultry breeders. I have read in a few places that people are using chickens to set and hatch the pheasant eggs and raise them until they leave on their own for the wild? I have several questions about this. Do any of you have experience with this that you can share with me? What is a good broody type of chicken that would be a good mother to a pheasant chick? Ive heard that some have used "game hens" "game chickens"? Are those exact breeds or are there several breeds under those name? I guess in my mind a good serrogate chicken would be a self sufficient free ranger that could roost in trees? Thank you for any help that you may be able to provide.

 

[Tony K T]

If you have nice broody hens,then yes let them set on pheasant eggs,but by no means let them raise the chicks.Most pheasant chicks will disappear as soon as you turn your back.Mother may find them,but they will always be running away and before long they will not return.Even if the chicks are hatched from pheasants,they will disappear.Ringnecks even as chicks have the wild instincts. Cochins are good setters,as are silkies.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[DMFarm]

8dtrain8
I have a friend that everthing he hatches is under chickens and let them raise them most are silkies or silies crosses. They are hatched in above ground cages with wire floor then in a week or so they are move to ground pens with the hen to raise them up.

 

[pheasantfreak]

i use cochin hens to hatch all of my extra pheasant and quail eggs they also have higher hatch rates than my incubator but then as soon as they hatch i put them in a brooder and start all over again