What Happens in the Research Department at MacFarlane Pheasants?

Let’s talk about our Research Department at MacFarlane Pheasants. Trudy DeRemer is the Research Manager at MacFarlane Pheasants. She started as the Assistant Brooder Manager in 2004. Trudy has worked in the Hatchery, Farm Management, and as a Flock Supervisor. She is currently the Interim Research Manager.  Because of her Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from Michigan State University and her Certificate in Poultry from UW Madison/Midwest Poultry Consortium Center of Excellence, she was the perfect person to share just what goes on in the Research Department that helps us raise our delicious and nutritious white pheasant.

The Research Department is where we do the breeding and breeder selection for our meat line birds. We place wing bands on the birds in this department for several reasons. We use the bands to track the lineage, to prevent breeding between family members, keep track of bird weights and collect other bird data. Trudy describes egg data and bird weights as two of the essential components of her department. The data is what helps us choose superior birds to parent our flocks. Artificial insemination is done inside the Research Department to ensure birds with the best white pheasant qualities are mated.

There are five full-time employees in the Research Department. These employees are busy at all times because there are many responsibilities in the barn. There are 2500 birds artificially inseminated each week. Daily chores include weighing birds, starting and ending feed conversions, doing pedigree transfers and hatches, wing banding chicks, and cleaning.

MacFarlane Pheasants has the most delicious pheasant on the market. The work in our Research Department plays a vital role in making this possible. We raise around 150,000-250,000 whites per year.