Manchurian Cross Pheasants

It has been more than a quarter of a century since MacFarlane Pheasants first imported Manchurian pheasant eggs into the United States from China. We imported 1260 eggs and went through a rigorous process to get these eggs back to our farm. When we finally did, we ended up with 400 chicks [...]

At MacFarlane Pheasants, we want to supply the best game bird possible. Although our ringnecks will always be our “go to” bird, over the years we’ve recognized that hunters – here and in Europe – look for different birds for different hunting experiences. If you’re wondering what kind of birds [...]

I went to China in 1994, as part of a People-to-People delegation, and we went to Changchun, the province where our original set of Manchurian pheasant eggs had been collected. The trip, as well as an explanation of our research into the Manchurian Pheasants, is chronicled in a slide show [...]

It is with pride that we have followed the success of our Manchurian Cross pheasants across the United States, Canada and in Europe. We hatched approximately three hundred thousand (300,000) Manchurian Cross pheasant chicks during this 2004 season. The reason we use the word “cross” is that it refers to the fact [...]

By Ron Willmore Natural Resources Site Manager INTRODUCTION The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) owns and operates the James C. Helfrich Wildlife Propagation Center (WPC) in central Illinois near Lincoln Illinois.  The facility, which is the only pheasant hatchery operated by the State of Illinois, was constructed in the late [...]