A Reeves's pheasant, or "the strutful Reeves" as it was described in the Hawke’s Bay Tribune in 1928. Photo / Pexels, Chris F
A Reeves's pheasant, or "the strutful Reeves" as it was described in the Hawke’s Bay Tribune in 1928. Photo / Pexels, Chris F
Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day.
In the UK, pheasant shooting has long been associated with aristocracy and tradition; in fact often more about prestige and social gatherings than necessity.
The pheasant was a bird often used for taxidermy, to bedisplayed in Victorian homes of the wealthy.
But in early 20th-century New Zealand, it took on a much more practical role.
For many settler families, especially in rural areas, pheasant shooting was a source of food, as wild game supplemented diets when money was tight or stores were far away.
Nowadays, pheasant feathers are often sought after to be used in beautiful flax-woven cloaks.
Money in pheasants?
Few requirements for raising.
Hawke’s Bay Tribune, January 24, 1928
Under the headling, “Is There Money in Pheasants?” the New Zealand Smallholder gives pictures of a New Zealand pheasant farm, where a lady raised 400 pheasants last season from the eggs of twelve hen pheasants, and sold them to acclimatisation societies and others at nearly £1 each.
The hatching season is from October to Christmas, when the year’s quota of about 50 eggs ceases.
Eggs for hatching are purchasable at a shilling each, and a barndoor hen can cover 15 quite easily.
The baby pheasants thrive on a simple dietary somewhat like that of ordinary chickens, but their favourite titbit is a handful of gentles, vulgarly known as maggots, for the production of which pheasant specialists have a secret process.
Apart from the sporting pheasants, which the week-ender shoots on eight—if he can—there are rare and beautiful species which are said to be worth per pair from £lO to £l5 of anyone’s money.
These include the gorgeous Golden and Silver Amherst, the strutful Reeves, the Argus that has a tail 6ft long, and the big Kaleeges.
The raising of pheasants appears to be an ideal new responsibility for suburban section owners, and their chief requirements are merely a small aviary in a vacant corner and “grain, greenery, clean water, dust bath, grit, and grubs.”
The pheasant breeding season, in preparation for next year’s shooting, has begun earlier than usual this year, both in the wild state and at the Wellington Acclimatisation Society’s game farm at Paraparaumu.
Hen pheasants are already laying and brooding and it is expected that the season will be a prolific one.
The Game Committee chairman, Mr. C. E. Aldridge, reported to a meeting of the council that four incubators full of eggs were in the process of hatching, and the chickens were expected to emerge early next month.
This was very much earlier than had ever before been the case.
Mr. Aldridge drew attention to the rearing of mallard duck for liberation at present being carried out at the game farm.
There were about 385 mallard eggs on hand, and of the young birds which hatched, a number would be set aside as stock birds for breeding purposes, with the idea of raising a large flock next year.
The others would be liberated.
The curator of the game farm reported that the birds began laying on September 23, and had so far laid 785 eggs.
More than 1000 hen eggs had been preserved for chicken food for the young pheasants when they hatched.
Already several batches of chicks had hatched, including five mallard ducklings.
He had captured a mallard duck with two ducklings and had given her two others.
Another was sitting on eggs, which should hatch shortly.
Two others should be nesting before long.
Four incubators were in use, and contained 500 pheasant eggs.
The first batch should hatch before October 23.
Distributing Pheasant Eggs
Northern Advocate, December 2, 1948
Pheasant eggs will be available through the Whangarei Acclimatisation Society, to any people who are sufficiently interested to undertake to rear settings.
It has been found that the society will have a surplus of approximately 500 eggs owing to its policy of not releasing birds so early in the season.
The society has limited holding accommodation for pheasants, totalling 1300 and it is anticipated that this will be taxed by holding birds.
Rather than lose the surplus of eggs which is expected by the middle of the month, the society has decided to give the eggs to any approved people whom it considers competent to raise the chicks.
Any chicks raised to maturity may be released by the breeder on his own property, or anywhere else at his own discretion.
There is no limit on the number of eggs which may be allocated to any one breeder, so long as the society is satisfied that he is capable of raising the pheasants.
