The Rural Voice, 1989-12, Page 31A Bird
in the Hand
Manfred and Joan Dierolf of
Huron County got into the
business of raising pheasants
quite by accident. But 15 years
later, they find the game birds
have bred diversification into
their farm operation.
by Peter Baltensperger
Manfred and Joan Dierolf are
breeders like many other farmers in
the livestock business, but their stock
is of a rather unusual kind. They are
breeders of pheasants, partridges, and
ducks.
Their family business venture at
River Pheasant Game Farm, south of
Lucknow in Huron County, began
quite by accident 15 years ago.
"A friend from Zurich brought us
some pheasants for the kids," they
recall. "The following spring, we
started breeding our own."
The Dierolfs built up a flock
of about 1,000 birds a year, selling
them mainly to other game farms and
breeders. Later, because of other
commitments, they reduced their
output to a couple of hundred birds a
year. It was three years ago that they
decided to build up their flock again,
buy additional land, and turn their
farm into a hunting preserve.
Now they raise more than 2,000
birds annually, have their own hunting
preserve, are Ontario Vacation Farm
hosts, and provide bed and breakfast
as well as pheasant dinners for hunt-
ers, tourists, and vacationers. Their
flock is expanding quickly, and they
can barely keep up with the demand.
Primarily, they breed Chinese Ring
Neck pheasants with some Melanistic
Mutants (Blacks) mixed in. They also
breed and raise a number of Chuckard
partridges and some Mallard ducks.
All the birds are raised from eggs
on the farm. At the end of every year,
the Dierolfs keep some hens and a few
cocks as breeding stock, bring in new
cocks from a breeder in Leamington to
keep the bloodlines fresh, and resume
their breeding program early in the
new year.
Over a period of 8 to 10 weeks
up to the end of March, a hen lays an
average of 60 to 70 eggs, of which
about 85 per cent hatch. A sophisti-
cated program of staggered hatching
results in a new flock of birds at var-
ious stages of development. The birds
mature in about 5 months at different
times during the year, giving the
Dierolfs a steady supply of adults.
So spring is a hectic time on the
pheasant farm. At the height of lay-
ing, the eggs have to be collected as
•
often as every half hour, and at least
every two hours, to prevent damage
and assure a good rate of survival.
They first must be stored at 60°F
and turned twice daily for the stag-
gered hatching. They are then moved
to the incubator according to a care-
fully planned schedule. Hatching in
18 to 23 days, the chicks are kept in a
hatcher for 3 days, then moved to a
small starter brooder for 1 or 2 weeks.
The next stage is a brooder pcn
where the birds are kept for up to 6
weeks.
Finally, they are moved outside
into the first of three flight pens.
Feeding on a mixture of peas and
grains, the pheasants grow to maturity
in an expanse of ragweed which
supplements their diet. As they reach
specific sizes, they are moved to the
second and finally the third flight pen.
The flight pens are covered with
netting to keep the birds in and preda-
tors out. "And people," Manfred adds
with a smile, though he makes an
occasional exception to allow visitors
a closer look at the birds. Despite the
netting, the Dierolfs lose several
dozen birds to predators every year,
particularly to owls and hawks.
When the birds reach maturity,
they are made available to an ever-
increasing number of hunting parties.
The hunters buy the birds, which are
then turned loose on the farm. Since
this is a restricted form of hunting, it
can be done at any time of the year.
The 200 acres of rolling hills and bush
along the Lucknow River provide an
ideal terrain for the hunters during the
fall and throughout the winter.
The Dierolfs keep three hunting
dogs, German wirehair pointers which
are excellent bird dogs and particular-
ly suited to the Canadian climate.
"We each own one," Manfred
DECEMBER 1989 29