Pheasants have long been considered a delicacy. However, finding them on store shelves is almost unrealistic. In restaurants, the meat of this beautiful bird is also in good demand. Nevertheless, it does not get to the gourmet table from Russian farms, but from abroad in a frozen form.
In our country, there are still very few farms that breed these birds. In this regard, the cultivation of pheasants as a business has open paths and excellent prospects. Birds can be supplied not only for restaurant chains, but also for hunting farms.
Market analysis
In the capital alone, there are now about 300 restaurants that offer various delicacies, including pheasant meat. But in expensive establishments, guests cook dishes from frozen carcasses, although chilled meat is much tastier. But in this case, the products should be manufactured in Russia, and due to the lack of the necessary technologies, packaging and good marketing, this, unfortunately, is almost not done. But growing pheasants as a business with the right approach and a competent business plan is quite possible and quite profitable.
Bird characteristics
Pheasants are divided into 32 subspecies. All animals differ in their color. Their weight can reach 2 kg and a body length of 90 cm. Adult birds are quite unpretentious and tolerate frosts well. Pheasant eggs are laid in large numbers - up to about 20 pieces per season. If you decide to start breeding these animals, then to grow strong and healthy individuals you need to pay special attention to young animals.
Aviary for pheasants
You must consider that the construction of an aviary will require the most costs. On average, to build it on 4 acres of land, if it is designed to accommodate no more than 600 pheasants, it will take about 4-5 thousand dollars.
According to the requirements of SES, the height of the enclosure must be such that pheasants can learn to fly. This is especially true for hunters. If the bird lives in a tight cage, then of course it will not learn to fly and, accordingly, will not be of any interest to hunting lovers.
By the way, it is impossible to mechanize the pheasant economy, because the birds must remain almost wild. True, if it is planned to grow pheasants for meat, then the above requirements can be neglected and a closer cage can be organized, but in any case the animal should be comfortable there.
For one pheasant, a space of at least 2 square meters is required. meters, but it’s better to have it not less than 5-12 square meters. m. per bird. Unfortunately, these standards are far from always respected, but it is precisely these values that are acceptable for pheasants by sanitation standards. The walls of the cage should be made of welded metal mesh, and on top of it cover with a nylon fishing net. Using a chain-link is highly discouraged, as birds can catch on and get injured.
Bird growing
If you want to grow pheasants, then you need an incubator. Its average cost is 100 thousand rubles. Usually one female lays one egg in two days. In total, 20 eggs per season can be obtained from a female. It should be borne in mind that pheasants, like chickens, can bite eggs, so it is advisable to pick them up immediately after laying.
How to grow pheasants? Considering the proportion of males and females is very important.If the males are not enough, then they are able to "walk" with two or three girls, and when on the contrary, pheasants begin to form a family in one to one proportions. You should also know that the females of this bird have a bad memory and therefore often, in order to find eggs, you have to search the entire aviary.
As you know, a pheasant farm cannot exist without an incubator, where the eggs laid by the females will be placed. Only a month later, chicks hatch from them. After their birth, the main difficulties will begin. Little pheasants will be weak, and they will need a lot of care and attention. Beautiful plumage in birds appears after molting (after about 2 months).
In the first three weeks in the incubator, the temperature should not be lower than 38 degrees C, humidity should not be higher than 60%. Then the temperature should be set a couple of tenths of a degree less, and humidity, on the contrary, increase by several tens. When transporting cubs from the hatchery, boxes with them should be covered with a blanket, regardless of the time of year, as they can get refrigerated. Pheasant chicks grow very quickly, are mobile and begin to fly early. You can slaughter birds for meat starting at the age of four months or five months. It is recommended to cut large males, and leave the females for breeding.
Aviary Equipment
Young growth needs to be kept in small enclosures. In order for the chicks not to drown in the drinking bowl and not to trample each other, they need to be constantly monitored. At two months of age, birds can already be released to adult pheasants.
Sand, charcoal and pebbles (young birds love to frolic on them) and, of course, water should be placed in a cage or aviary for pheasants.
Nutrition
Young pheasants need to be fed greens, flour worms, boiled eggs. Young animals in the daytime are fed every two hours in small portions, and at night - 1-2 times. For adult pheasants use the same feed as for chickens. At the same time, the pheasant consumes about 70-100 grams of feed, that is, four times less than chicken.
Sales markets
Pheasants are sold mainly to restaurants and hunting clubs. One carcass of an average bird costs 200 rubles. However, restaurants try to buy meat in small quantities, for example, in one month the institution can purchase no more than 20 carcasses.
It should be noted that selling pheasants to restaurants or shops is much more difficult than to hunters, as carcasses from Eastern Europe are cheaper. Fans of hunting get pheasants with great pleasure. Many experts say that even the pheasant farm itself can be supplemented by its own hunting club.
Pheasant hunting can be of two types: for an introduced pheasant (that is, one that was released to the grounds in advance, slightly feral) and for decoy (released immediately before the hunt). Usually the first version of hunting is more popular. For hunting, a person, as a rule, can knock out 5-6 birds, then interest is already fading. In general, an entrepreneur can earn from 25 to 50 dollars for one pheasant per hunting session.
Cost calculation
To organize the cultivation of pheasants as a business, you need to invest a lot of money. On average, about 100 thousand dollars are needed to open a farm with a productivity of up to 10 thousand individuals per year. To service it will have to hire 2-3 workers.
The profitability of pheasant breeding can be pretty decent. The cost of a pheasant at the age of five months is 10-15 dollars, and the cost of one individual is 5-6 dollars (including food and payment to employees). Investments will begin to pay off in 2-3 years, however, we are talking about the full cycle of processing of birds: selling pheasants for meat, for hunting, including litter and feather.
Many farmers predict that growing pheasants as a business will begin to flourish in a couple of years.By that time, enough private hunting farms should appear, in connection with this their owners will be interested in building up and maintaining the livestock.
