I\u2019d like to share some of our thoughts and experiences with using different protein levels of feed for our pheasants.\u00a0 40 years ago, we used three feeds \u2013 30% protein pre-starter for chicks from day old up to \u00a03 weeks, 26% protein starter til the birds reached 6 weeks and then a 20% grower til we shipped the birds.\u00a0 Today our feeding program has changed and I\u2019ll share with you what we do, and why we do it.<\/p>\n
A few years ago a University study was conducted comparing using 30% protein vs. 28% protein for starting day-old pheasant chicks.\u00a0 The study showed that 28% was as good as, but probably better than a 30% protein feed for starting the chicks.\u00a0 Our own experiences once we started using 28% seemed to confirm the study\u2019s finding \u2013 and 28% protein pre-starter for pheasants is\u00a0commonplace in the pheasant industry today.<\/p>\n
Just like we dropped down from 30% to 28% for the pre-starter, it\u2019s standard practice\u00a0in the commercial pheasant industry today to use a 24% starter feed from 3 week old up to 6 or 7 week old pheasants.\u00a0\u00a0 Now if you are raising 500 or less birds, I would suggest you just stick with the 28% up to 6 weeks, because the cost savings won\u2019t warrant the introduction of another feed.<\/p>\n
At 6 or 7 weeks (for us it\u2019s determined by when the birds are moved out) we\u00a0switch to a 20% grower.\u00a0 It is imperative (in my opinion) that birds get put onto a 20% feed instead of a 19% feed.\u00a0 I know of a successful farm that went directly to a 19% protein feed at 7 weeks this year \u2013 with unfortunate results.\u00a0 If one was to put their late hatch (August) birds onto a 19% feed at 7 weeks, it would probably work because feed consumption of late hatch birds would be much higher (because it\u2019s colder in October that in June) and therefore the birds would still get adequate nutrition from the 19%<\/p>\n
Our summer here in southern Wisconsin was hotter this year than what we have become used to.\u00a0 Because of the heat, our early hatched (March and April) pheasants once they were in the pens ate less.\u00a0 As I wrote in an earlier post, we had some problems with those early birds dropping their tails.\u00a0 Our solution for 2011 is to feed a 22% protein grower during the hotter months (June and July).\u00a0 We don\u2019t know this will address the problem of dropping tails \u2013 but we think it will.<\/p>\n
Once birds reach 12+ weeks of age or once the day time temperatures start consistently being less than 80 degrees (whichever is later) \u2013 we switch our birds to a 19% protein feed.\u00a0\u00a0 The 19% is not only lower in protein, it\u2019s less fortified than the 20%.<\/p>\n
We also feed a maintenance diet \u2013 it\u2019s a 14% protein holding diet.\u00a0 We feed the maintenance feed to birds that are 22 weeks or older.\u00a0 This year we haven\u2019t fed much of any maintenance feed.<\/p>\n
Our hunting bird breeding stock is over wintered on a 20% protein feed.\u00a0 Once we start the breeding season, we use either a 23% protein breeder feed (for our indoor breeders) or a 20% breeder for our outside breeders.<\/p>\n
Whew \u2013 things used to be a lot simpler.<\/p>\n