Thinking of raising pheasants meat birds

[They Call Me Pete]

Seems more sustainable than ordering meat chicks and I can't have roosters and if i remember right the cocks are quieter. My grandfather and uncle raised 20k for game clubs and now my aunt/cousins run the farm. Spent many many days on the farm with my uncle/grandfather.. good times

 

[muddy75]

Seems more sustainable than ordering meat chicks and I can't have roosters and if i remember right the cocks are quieter. My grandfather and uncle raised 20k for game clubs and now my aunt/cousins run the farm. Spent many many days on the farm with my uncle/grandfather.. good times

I guess it depends on your goals but the main difference is grow-out time vs yield. I now keep my pheasants as “pets” because it takes 4-6 months grow-out to yield 2# whereas cornish cross averages 8 weeks grow-out for double+ yield. coturnix quail same 8-10 weeks grow-out. cornish are messy but not loud or aggressive IME. coturnix yield is less per bird but they are fun to keep and extremely easy to process as meatbirds.

 

[muddy75]

You may also want to consider permit requirements for your state regarding gamebirds. your profile does not show where you are located

 

[They Call Me Pete]

I'm more about the sustainability part. Process for the freezer and keep breeders for next years stock. With the right feed i know they can get to a good size

 

[muddy75]

@007Sean ?????

 

[muddy75]

I'm more about the sustainability part. Process for the freezer and keep breeders for next years stock. With the right feed i know they can get to a good size

I guess then it would be a matter of weighing investment in flight pens and breeder accommodations with size of your property along with permits, incubator and brooders vs cost of meat chicks

 

[They Call Me Pete]

I would just need to build a pen and get the permit. I have all the other stuff already

 

[007Sean]

Raising pheasants for sustainability, really isn't feasible!...unless your gonna 'go big'.

As already mentioned, cost of enclosures/facilities, feed, medications...if necessary, factor in 'losses', cost of chicks or eggs...then plan on losing 1/3 to 1/4 from various causes; accidental, diseases, and other, then the 'cost' may out weigh the return.

I raised Bobwhites on a commercial scale, around 5,000/year. It wasn't for sustainability purposes but as a business. Most years I did ok, some years, not so great. One year in particular, my entire operation was nearly wiped out by disease (UE) Ulcerative enteritis, before I got it under control.

I'm not saying it can't be done, just that it might be better to choose a different species of bird....for the reasons above and what others have mentioned in this thread.

HTH