Pen Soil

When you consider making outdoor pens for pheasants you have to think not only of the size and shape of the pen, nor only about the huts and food, but the ground the birds walk on is an important part of keeping them comfortable and the pens in good condition.

The soil we have is very sandy. There is about 6 inches of topsoil then straight sand which is perfect for raising our pheasants. We rarely have standing water for more than 24 hours after a rain so the ground does not get too muddy which is good for the birds’ tails. Pheasants tend to drag their tails in the mud which can break and fray them, but with a sandier soil is less rigid and gives way under the bird more than regular dry dirt.

While this sandier soil is good for our bird’s health, it is difficult to grow and maintain good cover due to the lack of nutrients in the ground. The ‘drainability ’ of the soil can also be as much trouble as it is helpful when there are dry periods. Sandy soil does not hold moisture well so it makes droughts harder on the growing plants, reducing the quality and amount of cover, which can cause problems for the birds. Luckily there is an easy solution to this problem in the form of an irrigator. We use this tool to get water to the pens when the weather is drier to help keep the vegetation alive.

And of course, our birds don’t mind an extra bit of water in their pens when it’s 90º outside!
(Source Information from Chris Theisen)