MacFarlane Pheasants, Inc. takes pride in the quality of their products and the care given to the birds that produce them. The over 100 acres of pens on the farm are designed to provide a comfortable and safe environment for the pheasants and partridges that are shipped out each year. Natural cover, feed, and water are readily available in the pens, providing shade and a retreat from humans and predators. To keep the birds safe, a “two door system” is implemented in the majority of pens, which prevents human error, escapes, and keeps out predators of all kinds. Sight barriers and electric fences are used to deter predators, and to keep the birds from injuring themselves, while rodent control helps prevent disease and keep feeding costs low. Feeding and watering the thousands of birds in the pens is an everyday job, and rotovating the pens every year is essential to control disease. MacFarlane’s makes their own crates for transporting the birds, and automatic waters, huts, and feeders provide the birds with constant access to water, shelter, and nutrition.<\/p>\n<\/div>
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<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Pheasant Farm Landscape<\/h2>\n
Over 100 acres of pens are home to the pheasants and partridge that are shipped out each year. These pens have feed, water, and natural cover that provides shade and a retreat from humans and predators.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Pheasant Pen<\/h2>\n
Most of our pens are supported by 2\u201dx4\u201d support posts. These posts are attached to nine wire that is then stapled to the post. This nine wire acts as a skeleton support for the netting and also keeps the boards from ripping through the netting.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Pheasant Pen Door System<\/h2>\n
On our farm a great majority of our pens are set up so that all areas that hold birds have a \u201ctwo door system.\u201d This means that two or more doors must be walked through and shut before birds can be accessed. This is done to prevent human error, escapes, and keep out predators of every kind.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Large Pen<\/h2>\n
Our large pens lead into a lane. The lanes lead to our catchpens where the birds are caught for shipping.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Barrier for Pen<\/h2>\n
Keeping predators out of the pens and away from the pens using sight barriers and electric fences helps keep pheasants safe and in pens. Birds are not spooked as easily and tend to injure themselves less. Also, rodent control is a key to stop the spread of disease and raising feed costs. These boxes are set about every thirty feet around the perimeter of a pen.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Pen Supplies<\/h2>\n
Feeding and watering birds is an everyday job when thousands of birds are in the pens. The pens are usually full 9-10 months out of the year.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Rotovating the Pens<\/h2>\n
Rotovating the pens is a must to control disease. Every year the earth is turned over and planted with either lambsquarter, corn, or sorghum. This dilutes the parasites that may be in the soil and provides new and ample cover for our pheasants.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Converted Shingle Conveyor<\/p>\n
A converted shingle conveyor now works as a crate conveyor to make loading the large trucks easier on those catching the deliveries. During a busy week, up to 15,000 birds need to be loaded and delivered.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Large Pheasant Shipping Crates<\/h2>\n
We make our own crates here at MacFarlane\u2019s. These crates hold and transport young and old pheasants. The larger style is used to preserve the long tail feathers on long deliveries.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Small Pheasant Shipping Crates<\/h2>\n
The smaller crates are used for transporting birds to different locations on the farm as well as for summer months when the weather is too warm for larger crates.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>Pen Materials<\/h2>\n
Automatic waters provide a constant source of water for our birds in the pens and in the barns. Huts provide shelter while the birds are transitioning to the outdoors, and feeders provide a constant source of nutrition in the pens. All three of these tools help the birds to grow into healthy, strong adults.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>