Assistant Production Manager Richard Thomas is a pheasant man! He has worked at MacFarlane Pheasants for 3 years but has worked in the pheasant industry for 16 years. Prior to becoming an assistant production manager on our farm, Rich also worked as the assistant manager in our hatchery and helped to run our brooder crew. When we asked Rich what he liked best about his job, he said, “What gets me up and going each day is that every day is a new challenge. MacFarlane Pheasants has clear goals and focuses on being the best in the industry.”
Rich’s prior experience at Blonhaven Game Farm in Milton prepared him for the responsibilities he has at MacFarlane Pheasants, but he is the first to admit that there are a lot more moving parts and a lot more juggling of duties at MacFarlane Pheasants. He stressed that he is very proud to run the process crew at the largest game bird farm in North America, and he is dedicated to Macfarlane Pheasants’ continuing success. His duties, attitude, and loyalty are keys to his success, and we are so appreciative of Rich’s positive approach to his work.
Rich runs the process crew of up to 12 people. These are his main tasks:
- Handling mature bird deliveries, which include catching the birds, loading the trucks, configuring crate numbers, and setting up load plans.
- Peeping of 5-week-old pheasants (installing blinders).
- Moving 6- to 7-week-old birds from brooder houses to covered pens.
- Rototilling and planting the pens.
- Scheduling staff and keeping track of payroll hours.
- Seeking new knowledge and continuing to look for new and better methods.
- Encouraging the crew to grow their skills.
- Making sure his goals are aligned with the successful operation of MacFarlane Pheasants.
Please contact Rich at [email protected] if you have questions about any of these areas, and watch our video about catching pheasants for delivery to see his work in action.
