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The fact that poultry farming is one of the economically viable directions of the agricultural business is undeniable. But, you see, a creative person is embarrassed to move on the path that was boring, beaten by his predecessors many years ago.
A profitable business for poultry farmers
And is it possible to combine the desire to make money with a dream to have something unusual and very beautiful in your household? Can! To do this, it's just that it's necessary to breed a pheasant at your site.
Some will have a question, but will this business be really beneficial. The answer to this question will be positive. Why? Yes, everything is simple:
- Pheasants belong to the family of chorophores, so the very process of withdrawal and maintenance of these birds is not particularly difficult.
- The taste of pheasant meat is far superior to chicken meat. It is especially valuable for restaurants, as it is still exotic to some extent.
- The high egg-laying of pheasants is also an important factor for poultry farmers.
- Some breed and grow this bird for delivery to hunting facilities. True, in this case, pheasants should be kept in cages, where their content will be as close to natural as possible. Otherwise the bird will grow handcrafted, and this for the hunters will not be of interest.
- Since the bird is very beautiful, it is even luxurious, it is with pleasure purchased by zoos and zoos. And beginners often go for fertilized eggs, young animals and adults.
Differences in the content of pheasants and chickens
The first thing to consider is the aggressiveness of males. Although roosters are quite pugnacious, it is the pheasants themselves, if they fight, then not for life, but for death. Therefore, in no case can not contain males in the same aviary.
There is such a difference between this kind of birds and chickens: among the pheasants there are breeds that are classified as monogamous. Naturally, they should be kept in pairs.
And those breeds, like the majority of poultry, are polygamous, usually settle 4-6 individuals in an enclosure with one male. And, the pheasant breeder should remember that the more females will be in the family, the lower their egg-laying.
The minimum area required for one adult bird should not be less than 2 square meters.
Organization of places for oviposition of pheasants
The females of this species also have their habits. If the hens usually get used to be carried in the same nest, the pheasant has no such memory. Their eggs can be in a variety of places. Therefore, the poultry farmer needs to be patient and carefully search every corner of the place where the bird is kept.
And also the breeder of pheasants need to find out where the female of the breed prefered to go, for which his choice fell. After all, there are those who lay eggs solely in the grass, others will choose for this purpose a high bush. And there are also those for whom it is preferable to take the egg... in the branches of trees.
"Re-educate" the bird is impossible - it is driven by instinct. Therefore, the pheasant breeder has only one option: following the natural habits of pets, they should organize the most comfortable conditions for them.
Reproduction of pheasants at home
If the breeder caught an adult bird in the forest and decided to get offspring from it, then he set himself an extremely difficult task. Very often in captivity, the pheasant, accustomed to freedom, does not sit down to raise the chicks. Although sometimes in poultry farmers it is possible to force the pheasant to breed his own offspring. But especially successful is the result, if the bird itself was born in the aviary.
Therefore it is easier to try to lay eggs under a chicken or in an incubator. It is convenient also because in these cases the brood will be easier to tame.
But it should be remembered that the incubation period of eggs of pheasants is longer than that of chickens. It is 24-25 days.
Care of the pheasants
Breeded without a mother chicks do not need artificial lighting, unlike chickens chicken. Moreover: excessive light leads to cannibalism.
That chicks do not suppress each other, they should be kept in 30 pieces in compartments of not less than square meter. The temperature of the air in the first three days should be +28 degrees. Then it is gradually lowered to +20 degrees. It should remain so for up to six months. Next, the bird is considered adult and does not require special treatment.
Feed the brood for the first two months with a steep egg, chopped with greens. Then transferred to adult food.
Care of adult pheasants
The air temperature for individuals over six months does not play a special role. Even in winter they can be kept outdoors. It is much more important to organize for them freedom of movement in enclosures and proper nutrition.
This bird is notable for its voracity. The main part of the diet is barley, corn and wheat. Good results are achieved by adding to the food cake.
Since all the chicken are omnivorous, boiled giblets and meat waste, fish, meat of river mollusks will be very handy.
It is worth remembering: be sure to give pheasants greens, fruits and vegetables!
Grated raw potatoes, pumpkin, cabbage, apples, carrots, beets, zucchini are essential components of the adult bird's diet. Chopped herbs (scorpion, quinoa, nettle, mokritsa, green onions) are also extremely useful, as it is a storehouse of vitamins and microelements.
It is useful to add fish oil, shell rock, chalk, bone meal and special factory additives for the breeding bird to the mash from the mixed fodders.
A favorite delicacy for pheasants are Colorado beetles.
Drinking pheasants is given a cold. And in winter you can use snow for this purpose.
The main feature of pheasants is their sensitivity to stress and timidity. Therefore, be careful when dealing with this bird: do not scream and do not make sudden movements near cages, watch that the individuals do not fight each other, try not to admit strangers to them of people.
