MacFarlane Pheasants uses a two-part setup for rearing chicks. They call it the “A” and “B” room, which is a long barn or space divided into two sections. Density—how many chicks you’ve got in a space—is crucial at this time. “Those birds don’t want to die. They’re doing what they can to survive,” says MacFarlane Pheasants’ Brooder Manager Brian Davis. “The easier you can make it for them, the better.”
Chicks stay in the “A” room for the first three weeks, beginning on day one, Davis says. The “A” room is half the size of the “B” room, or if you’re using an unbroken space, as MacFarlane Pheasants does, you’ll divide it into thirds, with a third devoted to the “A,” and two-thirds for the “B.” A general rule of thumb is .25 square feet per chick. They’re smaller animals then, and they need more heat, so there will be a higher density of animals. Davis says that in the first few days he’ll confine them even further so anywhere they go they’ll run into food, water, heat, or all of the above. “If you can get them to eat, drink, and be comfortable,” he says, “you’re set.”
Davis keeps a lane down the center of each room using cardboard 18 inches high. This way, he says, he has easy access to walk through and keep an eye on everything. Chicks are small and fast, and this prevents them from getting underfoot.
At three weeks old, chicks can handle cooler temperatures, and they need more space, Davis says, or “they get a little rowdy.” The “B” room doubles the space, or .5 square feet per chick. At MacFarlane, two-thirds of the barn is reserved for this. When it’s time to transfer birds, Davis opens the door between the two spaces, and most of the birds wander over on their own. They’re bigger at this point, so they want the extra space, and Davis brightens the “B” room to further coax birds over. The final chicks are gently herded in.
Davis says the biggest mistake home pheasant enthusiasts make in rearing pens is access to necessities. Too tall a watering system or too big the step to get into feed, or even the distance from heat to feed can throw your flock into a tailspin. “It’s a game of centimeters,” he says.
You’ve reached that density wall, Davis warns, when chicks start picking. While not immediately visible, high competition produces birds with missing feathers from pecking, to the point of blood. Increased mortality will quickly follow, so increase your space.
In June, the peak of chick-rearing season, Davis helps raise 80,000 or more at a time in eight barns, all running at once. He’s done this a few times. “We calculate feed space and water space strictly for the reason we want to eliminate that competition,” he says. It works for him, and it can work for you.