# Raising Pheasants for Profit



## Brennan (Sep 18, 2011)

Ok so some of you may have seen my post 'Raising Chickens for Profit on the Small Farm' but I had a thought maybe there would be a profit in selling pheasants. Does anyone have advice on raising them for profit?


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## Raeven (Oct 11, 2011)

Hi, Brennan,

I don't raise pheasants, but I think it's a great idea! 

Here's what I would do: Learn everything you can about what goes into raising premium pheasants and figure out what it will cost you to do it for a year. Then work out what you would need to charge in order to make a reasonable profit. Armed with that information, approach the swankier restaurants in your area and see if it's something they'd be interested in placing on their menu. You'll be ready to share with them what it will cost them to serve such a dish. If you are met with a positive response, then go for it! 

That's what I did in determining whether or not I was going to get into the American Guinea Hog biz. I was surprised at how well-received my offers were by some of the local restaurants. I can always sell breeding pairs, use them for barter and/or to sell to locals on the hoof... but the restaurants will pay the best price per pound, and it gives me a ready market.

I'll be interested to hear how it goes!


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## Jalopy (Feb 23, 2008)

I would be interested to hear your start up plans. I've mulled over raising pheasants before but have not made the plunge. In Iowa you have to have a license to raise ring neck pheasants but I don't know that you have to if you raise other breeds. But with ring neck you have another market which is the release market for hunters. Good luck with your decision making.


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## rancher1913 (Dec 5, 2008)

pheasants are classified as wild game in Colorado and you need special licenses from the division of wildlife to raise them. if you get caught with "wild" game and don't have the paperwork you will be out a lot of money and maybe some "time". they are not easy to raise and require large pens compleatly netted and stacks of small bales of hay for them to hide in. its fairly expensive to start and you need to have a market before you get going, they can not be gotten rid of like chickens due to the "wild" laws.


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## bugstabber (May 12, 2002)

I was just talking about this the other day with a coworker. In SD I've seen them for sale at a farm supply store. If you find some more info, please share!


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## pheasantplucker (Feb 20, 2007)

I have a friend whose uncle raises them (in Ohio)...He has a huge pole barn and has fences (including tops) to keep them in and hawks out. He raises them in the "high hundreds" (of number) each year. He sells them to places where folks go to do some pheasant hunting. He told me these places will release (depending on the size of the hunting party) 6-12 birds generally, on the morning the party is to arrive. He told me if the hunters don't get them, they generally will succumb to predators or the elements, as they are not likely to survive to mate the following spring. I have toyed with the idea of doing the same. In fact, I've got log books, rules etc. from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Nebraska, I'm sure would have similar forms and regs. Good luck.


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## nikko (Feb 7, 2007)

a good friend of mine raised pheasants. he would do about 20,000 a year. we all helped out......and i can tell you i never imagined the amount of work that went into it and the time. he also had a pole barn (heated) for the chicks. he had outdoor covered pens also for when they grew. i helped on many occasions putting blinders on thos little suckers....thousands of them. we would sit for days doing it....they have to have blinders on because they WILL kill each other. nasty birds. the loss amounts each year is amazing....and the friend is meticulous with everything....i always said if this is what HE goes thru....not for me......look into this very carefully....he has since got out of the business.


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## wes917 (Sep 26, 2011)

One other market to consider is the fly tying market. You can always sell the pelts to us. Depending on the quality of the pelt I've seen them sell between 10-20 each for commercial pelts. Check eBay to see what guys are getting for theirs. You would have to salt them all which is an additional process but its better than just tossing them if you do sell the meat to a restaurant.


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## artificer (Feb 26, 2007)

There are a number of different markets for pheasant ranging from selling to restaurants (requires a certified USDA processor in your area) to raising for the eggs for hatching or selling to Chinese restaurants and lots in between. 

The first thing to do is determine your state's requirements/regulations. Either use the website for your local Extension agent, or call. Also found in the state agriculture website, but that's often hard to wade through the links.

We live near one of the largest breeders/raisers in the country..McFarlane. They have it down to a science..how much feed, what to feed, when to breed, etc. Their TIPS page is an excellent starting place. They're also super ppl and will help new people with pheasants.

marketing...meat - online sales, restaurants, prepared; feathers - online, craft stores, western stores(think cowboy hat decoration); pelts/feathers - fishing, taxidery, craft, decoration; eggs - hatching, chinese delicacy, pickled, online sales. That's what I can think of off the top of my head. 

Good luck


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## sunflower-n-ks (Aug 7, 2006)

I know someone that raises some of the special colors. He also learned to do taxidermy. If he has a bird die, he stuffs it and instead of a loss, he sells it for good money. Seems to be good money in taxidermy. 

Was at the local grain mill one day and someone had a beautiful stuffed turkey in the back of a pickup. Very impressive. And big.

Learn what diseases affect pheasants and where they are. A local game bird breeder said (for Kansas) that there is a disease in the east part that kills them, but it is not to the west. Don't know if that is the same in NE. I have seen some quail and pheasant wild in the area, but they might have been escapees from the bird farm down the road.


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## chewie (Jun 9, 2008)

lots of that here. raised to plant for hunting. they have big pens with huge chicken feeders/waterers, and netting over top. there are many diff types but the plain ones are what is done here mostly. they keep little blinders on them to keep them from fighting.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

Knew a fellow in MT that raised them and sold to ranchers that had bird hunters coming in every fall during the hunting season. They were restocking fields during hunting season, usually and I know he had contracts with some of them so he had an idea how many they were going to buy. 

I don't think a license was required ... he didn't mention it anyway ... and he raised just the standard ringneck pheasants, although he had some quail he kept just for fun, I think.

Chicks went in a big heated shed/barn when they arrived, then were allowed out into attached covered pens as they got older. From there, went into big high covered pens so they could learn to fly.


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## Peace n Quiet (Jun 16, 2003)

We raised them, along with bobwhite and tennessee red quail. You really have to think in larger numbers in order to turn a decent profit.
We purchased eggs, and collected our own (quail only) for incubating. Once you get the hang of it, incubating eggs is the most cost effective. We had 4 incubators running year round (1200 egg quaill capacity, I think around 600 egg pheasant)
I bought commercial brooders (held thousands of chicks) and kept them in a pole barn. 
The quail were housed in flight pens, wire off the ground is A MUST! 
Our pheasants were in pens made of netting (google: top flight) and they were on the ground with lots of cover. 
We made our best money off of hunters. Here in the East, there aren't many native birds for the guys who like to bird hunt with dogs. They happily bought up birds at premium prices.
Processed, smoked, and vaccum sealed birds came next. They actually brought a higher $$ but once you figure the processing, shipping, and labor costs.... 
Here in Pa, we had to obtain a propagating permit from the PA Game Commission. It was very inexpensive and pretty easy to meet their regulations. We were inspected annually also.


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## J.T.M. (Mar 2, 2008)

Iv only done pheasent on a very small scale , and the one thing I absolutely hated was - I could not breed the skittisness out .Walking into the pen was like going 3 rounds with Mike Tyson.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

If you haven't raised em before, I'd not bet the farm, or your 'beans money'.... all sorts of unknown variables can/will ruin you. Bad weather come along and tear up your pens, and birds scattered everywhere. Every varmint in creation will become your best friend, wanting to share in the pheasant bounty. Disease can wipe you out overnight. Electricity goes out at the wrong time, and you've lost your hatch, or even worse your young birds *at the wrong time of the year*.

I'd not dream about profits, till I'd raised them a few years as a hobby. Best to lose your shirt on a handful than lose your farm because you over-exposed yourself.

I do hear there is good money in simply hatching out others eggs. Once hatched your responsibility with the birds (whatever species) is over.


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## MaineFarmMom (Dec 29, 2002)

I'm going to give it a try next year. I have shelter, a source for eggs and silkies to hatch and help raise them. I have a processor for the birds and a restaurant that will buy them frozen. I need to take care of whatever permit process there might be over the winter. If it fails I've lost gas to go get the eggs but gained some experience.


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## KnowOneSpecial (Sep 12, 2010)

I have to read slower.... I thought you were raising PEASANTS for profit. That "h" makes a BIG difference! :nana:


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

KnowOneSpecial said:


> I have to read slower.... I thought you were raising PEASANTS for profit. That "h" makes a BIG difference! :nana:


 I'm pretty sure the market is glutted for peasants 

Nothing to add just that after church on Sunday we drifted over into Attica and there was a pheasant farm next to the prison. Didn't see to many birds in the enclosed pens but they were hard to see and there's not stopping along the road. 
The next village over was an alpaca farm.
Then we saw a farm with heritage cattle.


~~ pelenaka ~~


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## Tad (Apr 2, 2003)

Nothing to add just that after church on Sunday we drifted over into Attica and there was a pheasant farm next to the prison. Didn't see to many birds in the enclosed pens but they were hard to see and there's not stopping along the road. 
The next village over was an alpaca farm.
Then we saw a farm with heritage cattle.


~~ pelenaka ~~[/QUOTE]

I think some where over there on 20 there was a place that held pheasant hunts too, they would raise them and let them go and charged by the birds that were killed. I remember some of the Bill's players going out there and spending a fortune!


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## stormaq (Oct 26, 2008)

:sobheasants are crazy & sucidal.


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## Pelenaka (Jul 27, 2007)

Tad said:


> Nothing to add just that after church on Sunday we drifted over into Attica and there was a pheasant farm next to the prison. Didn't see to many birds in the enclosed pens but they were hard to see and there's not stopping along the road.
> The next village over was an alpaca farm.
> Then we saw a farm with heritage cattle.
> 
> ...


I think some where over there on 20 there was a place that held pheasant hunts too, they would raise them and let them go and charged by the birds that were killed. I remember some of the Bill's players going out there and spending a fortune![/QUOTE]

There's one in LeRoy (birthplace of Jello) & Batavia - Pheasants on the Flats here's a link to the pricing page. $2.50 to dress your bird, lol. 


~~ pelenaka ~~


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Pelenaka said:


> I'm pretty sure the market is glutted for peasants ;
> 
> ~~ pelenaka ~~


I could use some peasants... who couldn't....


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