The following is from our personal experience with the different types of eggs and birds. You may have different methods that may work better for you. If this is your first time hatching these types of eggs, it may help you.

Pheasant eggs seem to do very well at 55-60% humidity during incubation and 65-70% during hatching. The incubation period for Golden pheasants is 23 days and for Ringneck-type pheasants 24 days.

Pheasant chicks can be delicate at first. It is highly recommended to feed a 28% starter ration formulated especially for gamebird chicks, and to grind the feed up fine in a blender for the first week. Pheasants have a difficult time eating the full-sized crumbles until they are a little larger and stronger. The waterers should have smaller bases made especially for pheasants and quail, or you can put gravel or small marbles in the chick-sized waterers to keep the pheasant chicks from getting into them and getting wet or drowning. The brooder temperature should be 95° F for the first week, and you can gradually lower it after that. Ringneck chicks can go outside with a heat lamp at night at about 2-3 weeks, if the temperatures are fairly warm. Goldens may take a little longer. Do not brood ringneck-type chicks with other pheasants, as they are quite aggressive and will bully and pick the other birds. Also, make sure to use a red or other colored heat lamp, no white lights, to minimize picking problems. Do not use wire tops on the brooders or cages, as the pheasants will fly up into them with such force that they will either scalp themselves or break their necks. A small window-screen type mesh works well for brooder boxes, and a gamebird-type netting on grow-out pens, with a small enough mesh (no more than 1") to keep the birds from escaping. They can get through incredibly small holes, especially the Goldens.

Ringnecks and their mutations will get their full colors the first year, and Goldens not until their second year. Both are fertile and will produce viable eggs the first year after hatching. Both produce valuable feathers sought after by fly tyers, and Ringneck varieties are used for meat and hunting.

Good luck with your hatching, and I would love to hear the results. Hopefully, I will hear good things and you will have success. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.