RINGNECK PHEASANT
Pictures: Young Ringneck chicks, a 3-month-old rooster just starting to get nice tail feathers, and a very hidden pheasant.
ALL
pictures on my website unless otherwise noted are our actual birds and
were taken by us at our facility and may not be used without
permission. Thank you for respecting that.
S T A T I S T I C S
Scientific classification: Phasianus colchicus
Incubation period: 23-24 days
Humidity for incubator: 50 - 60%
Move to hatcher/stop turning: 20 days
Matures at: Females sexually mature at 1 year, although males and females alike are considered full grown at 22 weeks.
Benefits of raising: Meat and eggs are both excellent table fare,
flight conditioned live birds are sought by hunting clubs, hunting dog
organizations, etc. It is truly wonderful to get to watch these birds
outside in flight pens. They are also good insect-eaters.
Size/Weight: males 41-46 ounces; females 31-34 ounces.
Sexing: Females are significantly smaller than males and do not have
the flashy coloring, white ring around their necks, or extremely long
tail feathers. In comparison, the female will be still pretty but more
a plain, average brown in color.
Space/pen requirements: LOTS! The more, the better. 5 square feet per
hen and 10-12 square feet per rooster is optimal. Otherwise, one should
consider anti-pick tactics such as peepers, bitting, or debeaking. We
do not prefer to use these for our birds, nor are we against other
people using them. Top of cages MUST be equipped with flight netting,
and we recommend flight netting and/or chicken wire for the sides as
well. Ringnecks need cover and/or hidey places in the flight pen,
preferably towards the middle of the pen so if predators come in close,
the birds will hide where it is safe. They also like roosts up high,
but must be within 2’ of top of flight netting so they can get up
there okay.
Breeding Ratio: One rooster will service up to ten hens. Do not
overcrowd roosters; roosters are especially known to fight/pick/kill
each other.
Special Needs: Wide open spaces are a pheasant’s best friend!
They need a lot of room for optimal results in raising them, and they
can be especially picky - literally - about having just the right
temperature, plenty of fresh food and water, plenty of space, etc. See
our picking page for more info.
Didja know they can fly 38-48 mph? Gotta respect that!
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