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 that were certified by the USDA as 100% healthy. We are still the only pheasant farm in the United States that continues to maintain a pure flock of this bird.
We crossed the Manchurian with a Chinese Redneck to produce a beautiful bird we call the Manchurian Cross. This bird is very popular in the northwestern part of the United States. We will always maintain this pure flock and continue to cross them with our Chinese Ringneck because they are such an exciting bird.
Recently, I spoke with Royd Hatt, who runs a hunt club on the edge of the San Rafael desert in Utah, about his experience with the Manchurian Cross. He is in his 41st year of business and started buying Manchurian Cross eggs and chicks from MacFarlane Pheasants soon after they were first established on our farm. Royd's excitement about these birds has not waned after all of these years. Here’s what he had to say. “They are a superior bird, the wildest pen raised bird available. The survival rate after release is fantastic, better than any other bird. Their flight is more explosive than any other bird and they are absolutely beautiful!”
Thanks Royd for reminding us what a great bird the Manchurian Cross is and why we are committed to raising them for our customers. We have two articles about the experience of traveling to China to purchase the first eggs. Follow our link to 25 years of the Manchurian Project-Part 1 and Back to the Past Manchurian Project-Part 2 and enjoy reading about how the Manchurian Pheasant first came to MacFarlane Pheasants, Inc.
