MacFarlane’s Ringneck Pheasant – Many choices among this popular bird.

At MacFarlane Pheasants, Inc. we strive to produce the best pheasant chicks in the industry. This task would be a lot easier if our customers were all looking for birds with similar characteristics; however, we are shipping our birds to many locations around the country where people are looking for specific characteristics. This is a difficult proposition from the bird producer’s standpoint, since what might be popular in one part of the country might not be looked at the same way elsewhere. So our strategy has been to produce several variations of the ringneck pheasants to meet our customers’ needs, instead of trying to produce one specific multi-purpose bird.

In talking with customers there sometimes is a lot of confusion when it comes to the different breeds of ringneck pheasants we produce. Let’s take a look at what we have to offer.

The Chinese Ringneck is the most popular pheasant we produce. It would be characterized by being average sized, 2.7-3.0 lbs. for cocks and 1.7-2.2 lb. for hens. Its brilliant coloration and excellent flying ability makes this our standard for hunting and propagation. This pheasant is very popular for hunting preserves and performs well in all areas of the country.

The Manchurian Cross is produced by crossing a pure Manchurian pheasant imported from China in 1989 with our Chinese Ringneck. This cross is unique to MacFarlane Pheasants, Inc. since we are the only producer in the United States to successfully import wild pheasants from China. This pheasant is the standard for release and propagation programs. Just recently the state of Illinois began using our Manchurian breeding stock to improve the quality of birds being released on hunting areas in the state. This pheasant is very hardy and vigorous and will provide a very sporty hunting experience. Some characteristics of this bird would be a large white neck band and a distinguishing white feather found on the side of the head near the ears. This is the wildest pheasant we offer.

The Kansas Ringneck is a very unique bird differentiated by its smaller size. Kansas cocks weigh 2.25-2.4 lbs. and the hens weigh 1.4-1.7 lbs. Compared to our Chinese Ringneck, they are approximately 20 percent smaller. This bird, commonly called a “blue-back”, is very popular for hunting preserves. This pheasant would be considered easy to manage and economical to raise, as well as being a very strong flyer with strong tail feathers. Kansas Ringnecks would be a good choice for the southern portion of the United States because of their ability to handle warmer temperatures and climates.

This breed was designed due to many requests from several of our customers who were looking for a smaller sized pheasant with the same wild characteristic of the Manchurian Cross. Over the last couple of years we began producing a very limited amount of this unique cross of our pure Manchurian with the Kansas Ringneck. Initial reports from the field are very encouraging, as the bird has been described as being very sporty with great flying characteristics. To secure the best hatch dates order early, as these will be available in limited supply again 2011.

This pheasant is a Mongolian breed, and as the name implies is a larger sized ringneck pheasant. Approximately 20 percent larger than our standard Chinese Ringneck, this bird is popular at hunting preserves looking for a bigger bird. We have a limited supply of these birds available through hatching season.

Now that the breeds we hatch and raise have been described, we hope it will help you make an informed decision on which bird will best suit your needs. However, should you need further information, please feel free to contact us. We’re happy to provide answers to your questions as we also strive to provide the best customer service possible. Good luck raising your birds in 2011!