Does anyone have experience raising pheasants & quail?

greenspun.com : LUSENET : Country Families : One Thread

I would like to here from people who has successfully raised pheasants and/or quail. Just wanted to know what to expect before starting in this venture. Marilyn in CO.

-- M.K. Bender (www.tomeatbeef@aol.com), March 13, 2002

Answers

My husband found a nest of quail eggs once and brought them home. We put them in the incubator and all of them hatched. We treated them like baby chickens and never had a problem. They are faster than any chick you've ever seen though. One day I opened the lid to check on the eggs and most of them were hatched. Those little devils were running all over before I realized what was happening. They're little things but not sickly or anything like that. We only had them the one time so that's all I can tell you. When they were grown we let them go so I can't even tell you if they tasted good. :)

Good luck!

-- Anna in Iowa (countryanna54@hotmail.com), March 13, 2002.


Thanks Anna in Iowa, it's good to know that quail seem to be a hardy little bird. I appreciate your input.

-- M.K. Bender (www.tomeatbeef@aol.com), March 13, 2002.

M.K. we have raised Quail but not Phesants & not in a big way--not for selling or anything---we bought the eggs & hatched them & then we turned them loose on our property in the hedge row /when they were big enough---they stayed there for a couple of years--in the winter & we put out grain for them-- We enjoyed them----

-- Sonda in Ks. (sgbruce@birch.net), March 13, 2002.

I raised a dozen pheasants 2 years ago. I have heard they are hard to raise, but I didn't have much trouble. Bought mine at a feed store, they were a couple days old. We fed them game bird starter and they did just fine. They are much more "spooky" than chickens.

Elnora

-- ellie (elnorams@aol.com), March 13, 2002.


Thanks Sonda in Ks, I'm realizing that I need a protected habitat for them once I release the pheasants or quail and we don't have hedge rows on the eastern plains of Colorado, we are lucky to have a tree. Ha. We actually have a windbreak by our house they might make it in there. I like the suggestion of putting out feed for them in winter,obviously they would probably need it. Thanks Again. MK in CO

-- MK Bender (www.tomeatbeef@aol.com), March 13, 2002.


In 1978 and 79 we had Bliazzard conditions here in NE Oh and our Pheasant and quail population was wiped out. My 4-H club raised day old pheasant chicks that we go from the state. When they were still in brooder boxes we artifical hiding areas for them. Handled them very little. When large enough we put them in a large fenced pen to "harden off" made brush piles in the enclosur to help them learn to hide. When old enough we turned them loose in a hay field surrounded by woods and brush area. We have pheasants in this area today. We did loss some to the hawk population that resides here but some made it. Good Luck Billie J NE OH

-- billie jagers (billie@config.com), March 14, 2002.

Thanks to billie and ellie for the bird stories, I just love this ability to talk to others about country/farm life. My adult kids told me I should get on the internet and I always said naaaa, but they were right and I'm hooked, especially because I enjoy hearing what other fine country people are doing and into ect. Thanks Melissa for a great service you're doing, even though I have not a clue what it is you have to do to run this thing. I can tell you are a real neat gal. MK in CO

-- MK Bender (www.tomeatbeef@aol.com), March 14, 2002.

We put 12 pheasant eggs under a setting Banta hen she hatched 10 of them one got out (1 day old ) and got cold and when we moved them to the barn 1 got out and a goat stepped on it ( 4 days old) and when we turned them out they kept the mother a hopping one has got lost but she still has 7 babys they are now 4 weeks old and mother brings them back to the barn every night and they all go in the cage with her , that is all but one and we catch it to put it in with the rest and boy it can run we have to get it cornered to get it. we are hoping that they will stay around the farm when they get bigger and on there own.

-- M. A. Weiss (www.cnaweiss@earthlink.net), June 11, 2002.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ