Cultivation and maintenance of pheasants at home

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Today, more and more pheasants can be found in the farmsteads. From just a beautiful bird, they turn into a profitable business.

That is why in this article we will talk in detail about the breeding and maintenance of pheasants at home and in the garden, learn what to feed, how to care and what to do with them further.

Appearance of pheasant

Pheasants have a peculiar and memorable appearance. Males are easily recognized by their bright plumage and long tail. Females are gray with brown and black specks all over their bodies. Depending on the habitat, the color of the males is different. The head and neck are green or blue-violet.

There are no feathers on the rings around the eyes, the rings themselves are red. Body color varies from orange on the back to bright red on the chest. Feathers with a metallic sheen. The length of the males reaches 80 cm, the females are smaller.

Conditions of detention for breeding in industrial and personal plots

Breed the bird in industrial and household farms. Industrial farms are focused on accelerated growth and increase in the number of poultry. Cultivation is carried out for the purpose of obtaining profit and returning all the costs of the business.

With the industrial method, the main condition is a large area for farming. In the farm, the population of pheasants can be up to 10 thousand individuals.

Household farms provide for the breeding of poultry on a smaller scale, for their own needs and part for sale.

For a novice farmer, the business of growing pheasants at home from scratch is better to start with several families and gradually increase the number. Eggs can be incubated by female pheasant, you can put them under the hen or use an incubator. It is better to start with a silver breed. It is best adapted to the temperate climate. Unpretentiousness in the feed and quick weight gain contribute to quick payback. Possible additional profits from the sale of eggs and feathers.

To gain experience, it is necessary to go through the whole cycle from reproduction to the realization of the finished product.

How to start growing home pheasant

The maintenance and care of pheasants at home is possible in the cells or on the walking.

A bird is placed in cages if the main purpose is to earn money on the sale of meat by rapidly increasing its mass. During the breeding season, the density of planting will be 1-3 individuals per 1m². At the same time in the diet will be used in large quantities of protein. Until the age of 2 months, you can use feed for turkey poults and broilers containing 24-28% protein.

To increase the number of pheasants, they are placed in a spacious open-air cage with a range. The best soil for construction is sand.The aviary is built at the rate of 2 m² per individual in the sleeping area and 10 m² in the walking area. The walls are made of metal mesh. From above cover with a kapron grid. A network of such material will not be able to injure flying birds. To protect the birds from the sun and rain, part of the open-air cage is built with a canopy.

To get closer to the natural habitat conditions, a dry tree is placed inside the cage, bushes for use by birds as a perch. Baths are installed with a mixture of ash and sand for swimming.

Depending on the breed chosen, couples or families of birds are created. In the family, one male accounts for 2-3 females.

From February to August, the content of pheasants in the garden plot is possible in separate enclosures, then they are transferred to the common one.

Pheasants are susceptible to stress. A loud sound or sudden movement can scare them. Birds remember the person feeding them, their voice, their clothes. If there are any drastic changes, this can lead to stress. The result will be a reduction in egg production.

Frost birds are not afraidthey can be kept all year round in the same premises.

Characteristics of pheasants

Adult pheasant weighs from 1 to 2 kg. Females are smaller than males. Silver pheasant on reaching 7 months weighs 1.2 kg.
Males sit down to the female in February or March. During the breeding period from March to July, the female pheasant lays about 50 eggs.

Duration of laying from 2.5 to 3 months. The weight of one egg is about 30 grams. Nests of females are built all over the aviary. Sometimes they forget about the location. Periodically, you need to collect eggs for laying in the incubator or put them under the hen.

Pay attention to laying eggs. Each breed of pheasants has different places for laying eggs: grass, shrubs, and wood. You can help the birds build nests. To do this, pull out a small hole and cover it with dry grass or moss. For nests in the trees fit willow baskets.

The diet of the pheasant is similar to chicken. Pheasants prefer green fodder and wet mash. Per day pheasant eats 100 grams of feed.

Breeds for breeding

The most popular breeding are 3 breeds.

Diamond

The highland of China is considered the native land of breed. He has many flaws, and of the merits only the appearance. Performs a decorative function. Growing time consuming due to compliance with temperature.

In winter, the room should be heated. Due to the lack of exotic plants for food in the feed must always be vitamins, herbs and fish oil. Rarely reach a mass of 1 kg. For the season bring about 30 eggs.

Silver

One of the most popular species for breeding at home. It comes from China, but it is very well adapted to the climatic conditions of Russia. Frosts of 30 degrees tolerate well due to thick plumage. The breed is sensitive to drafts.

The average weight is 5 kg. Differs in high egg production - 50 eggs per season.

Considered one of the most suitable species for breeding. due to high egg production and rapid weight gain during fattening for meat. Stuffed animals are eagerly bought to decorate hunting houses and restaurants.

Gold

One of the most popular pheasants for decorative breeding. Due to low weight it is not grown on an industrial scale. Mass rarely more than 1kg. Low egg production - 25 pieces per season. Tastes of meat are not of particular value.

Sensitive to frost. The temperature limit is -20 degrees with no draft. Contained in a warm house. The main feed is greens. To replenish microelements, vitamins C, B6, B12, and cod-liver oil are necessarily present in food.

How to feed pheasants: detailed instructions for beginners

The main feed of the chicks is a boiled egg mixed with greens. Water is replaced by serum. Gradually add feed for chickens. On the 5th day of life, you can give millet porridge, cooked in milk. In two months, transferred to the main diet of adult birds.

Adult pheasants are fed with wheat, corn, barley, fresh vegetables. Ascorbic acid and some sugar are added to the feed to increase immunity. Fish meal, fish oil and chalk are used to inject trace elements into the body. Pheasants need to drink only cold water.The daily rate of food is 100g. Costs per year for 1 bird - 36kg.

Feed and water are placed under a canopy in the shade. For this they use large and convenient feeders and drinkers. The main thing is that they were in sufficient quantities to avoid frequent visits to the house.

In winter, the amount of feed is increased and vitamins are added to it to improve disease resistance. In winter, electric lighting is additionally connected, increasing the length of daylight hours to 14 hours. Under such conditions, pheasants will continue to develop normally and will not lose weight.

In the aviary, part of the feed pheasants are extracted independently. This may be green grass, insects, beetle larvae, worms.

The exact amount of feed per day is determined empirically. If the feed remains in the feeder, then its amount is reduced until the birds cease to choose their favorite ingredients, and will eat it completely.

After the appearance of chicks, they are kept in a specially prepared area for 3 weeks. The density should be no more than 30 heads per m².

Pheasant chicks are sensitive to temperature. In the first days after the appearance, the temperature should be 28ºС. Gradually it is reduced, but not below 20ºС.

Additional artificial lighting to chicks is not required. It is quite enough day for them to grow and develop.

Diseases, treatment and care

In case of a pheasant violation of the traditional daily routine, attention is paid to the health of the bird. When signs of disease are detected, appropriate measures are taken.

Diseases of pheasants are divided into 3 groups:
Infectious diseases

• Smallpox. Viral disease. It has a high mortality rate. Signs: rash on paws and parts of the head without feathers. The bird has shortness of breath, a hoarse voice, exhaustion comes. The cause of death is suffocation. Treat antiviral drugs, apply a solution of lugol on the rash.
• Laryngotracheitis. The virus is transmitted by air, after consuming contaminated feed and water. The latent period is 1-5 days. Signs: loss of appetite, coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath. Egg production is reduced, the eggshell is broken in eggs. Treatment prescribed by the doctor after the results of laboratory tests.
• Aspergillosis. The causative agent is a fungus that infects the bronchi and air-bags. Signs: excessive thirst, beak and legs become bluish in color. Antifungal aerosols are prescribed for treatment.

Non-contagious diseases

• Dermatitis. This is an inflammation that occurs after a skin injury. The affected area becomes red and covered with a brown crust. The treatment is long, because bird constantly pecks itchy fate. For the treatment prescribed antibiotics and vitamins, wounds smeared with iodine.
• Emphysema. It is characterized by the appearance of blisters all over the body, which shift under pressure. After piercing, air escapes from the holes. The reason - the gap wall of the air bag. The bird almost does not move, stops eating. Treated by limiting mobility in a tight cage and applying a bandage on the wings. At the same time pierce the bubbles and treated with an antiseptic.

Invasive diseases

• Scabies. A common disease caused by ticks. Signs: from the corner of the beak, lime overlays of white color are spreading, exciting the whole head. The feather cover on the head disappears. Gradually spreading throughout the body. For treatment, the affected area is cleaned of overlaps and lubricated with a 0.15% neguven solution.
• Infection with lice. These are small insects living on bird feathers. Infection occurs through mosquitoes and blackflies. In warm time, most birds are infected. Pheasants themselves cope with them, taking baths from a mixture of sand and ash. In advanced cases, the bird is treated with insecticidal agents.

Advantages and disadvantages

When considering the business of growing pheasants, some of its drawbacks are revealed:

1. The need to invest significant funds for profit.
2. The fastidiousness of the bird requires the creation of conditions for living and proper selection of food.
3. Implementation may be complicated due to the high cost of meat.

Business Benefits:

1. Meat is dietary, has excellent taste. Great demand for it from restaurants and shops.
2. The lack of competition in this area, you can take your market segment.

Profitability: whether to breed?

According to experts, the profitability of the business is at the level of 45-55%. For poultry this is high performance. Investment pays off in 6-12 months.

The cost of farmed pheasant meat is similar to the cost of duck meat. When grown for 4 months for meat, an optimum weight of 1-1.5 kg is achieved. Consumption of feed is 4-5 kg.

For the entire feeding period, the cost of maintaining 1 individual is about 400 rubles. When selling live weight, you can help out 600 rubles. The cost of fresh meat will be 700 rubles. When breeding at home, net profit is about 300 rubles.

Reviews

“Not only that the pheasant has the finest meat and tasty eggs that have medicinal properties - gastritis can be cured for once or two or three (30 eggs - and you still arrive for the second portion, but already WITHOUT gastritis ulcer - just a chicken egg will already remind you of a silicone hose), but it is also indispensable with a healthy diet and especially with sports and fitness!
Pheasant meat (for which they value it) has dietary properties and practically has no fat - 0.5% against chicken 26-28% ... "
“Business is interesting and promising.And not only because pheasant meat itself is fantastic! Recently, the demand for hunting pheasants and hunting organization is rapidly gaining momentum. What, what, and in Ukraine they love pheasant meat. ”

The business of growing pheasants is becoming increasingly popular. In a short period of time the farm pays off and brings a stable profit. The implementation of such a project is possible even for a novice entrepreneur.