Incubating and hatching pheasant eggs requires a specific process to ensure success. The process we use at MacFarlane Pheasants is documented in our online booklet called The Complete Guide to Incubation. You can download our booklet for free and try incubating and hatching your own baby pheasants! Let me use this article to share some of the finer points of preparing and incubating pheasant eggs so you are aware of just what it takes to end up with beautiful baby chicks!
Incubators
- We use an expensive unit called the NatureForm Model I-14 to incubate our eggs but you can buy a small incubator with a digital reading for under $100.
- You need a mercury thermometer to calibrate the incubator.
- You need absorbent paper to place under the eggs in the hatcher and boxes to place the chicks in after they hatch.
- You will need Gro-Gel neonate supplement for chicks after they hatch.
The Eggs
- Collect eggs daily. You can’t let the hen sit on them!
- Eggs must be washed before they are put into the sanitized incubator. Watch our egg wash video to see how this is done at Macfarlane Pheasants. If you are just working with a few eggs you can rinse them in 105 degrees Fahrenheit water and dry them right away. Read more about this process in the incubation guide.
- Pheasant eggs must be stored at temperatures between 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity have to be kept at least 75% lower than the outside room.
- Don’t store the eggs for more than 10 days before beginning the incubation process.
- Warm the eggs gradually. Read about the process in our incubation guide.
- Eggs hatch at 23 1/2 - 24 days after they are placed in the incubator. Keep reading our incubation guide to learn about responsibilities during days 1-24! It’s not complicated but it does require turning eggs four times per day to keep the embryo from sticking to the membrane. Follow the guide to learn what to do once those fluffy chicks hatch!
Enjoy our Complete Guide to Incubation and please contact us if you have questions.