Day old chick program

Public support for a state funded program grew as those initial populations expanded and as reports of pheasants providing a sporting challenge to wing-shooters came from surrounding states. The Department expanded its pheasant rearing program over the next several years to include using the Waupun prison farm and acres of land in Fond du Lac Co.

Eggs were shipped from the Fish Creek site to Waupun where they were hatched under setting hens. The chicks were reared by prison labor under the supervision of a full time gamekeeper. Experimental projects conducted on the Fond du Lac Co.

In addition to game birds, the Department, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Raccoon Hunters Association, began a raccoon rearing and stocking program. Knowledge gained from these studies on methods and costs of captive and wild game production was passed on to private game farms and the general public.

Public exhibits of 25 different game bird species, furbearers, black bear, and the rare in southern Wisconsin white-tailed deer were opened to the public. Over 25, people visited the facility in The game division also set up a series of land management displays and mounted animal exhibits, and took this show on the road to as many county fairs and exhibitions as possible.

From the conservation department worked hand in hand with the Works Progress Administration WPA and Civilian Conservation Corps CCC to build a major facility for the propagating and stocking of exotic and native upland game species. The major emphasis was on the production and distribution of pheasants and other upland game birds. Twenty-seven different species of pheasants were raised in addition to Hungarian and chukar partridge, ruffed grouse, quail, turkeys, prairie chickens, and several species of geese and ducks.

A modern hatchery capable of incubating , game bird eggs was completed in and is still in use today, although the original incubators were upgraded in the s. The furbearer section included the propagation of mink, otter, raccoon, red, silver and gray fox, pine marten, and cottontail rabbits.

The Department stocked between raccoon annually from to The fur section was discontinued in the late s. The State Game Farm served not only as a propagation facility but also as a place for game management education and animal life-history research. Intensive study of breeding, captive housing, parasites, disease and nutrition of each species took place. A laboratory for diagnostic services and manufacturer of drugs and vaccines was established.

A full time staff of veterinarians examined thousands of sick and dead birds and mammals annually. Public education on conservation and animal propagation was a top priority.

Exhibits of each captive species were set up and guided tours were conducted daily. In over 60, people toured the public exhibits. The traveling exhibits continued to attend county and state fairs throughout the Midwest promoting wise use of our land, water, and animal resources. The pheasant stocking program expanded from 14, birds released in to 32, in to over , in when 65 full time employees were stationed at the State Game Farm. Production of game birds, mainly pheasants, has never been a cheap proposition.

In the ensuing decades the game bird operations at Poynette became more specialized, the number of species raised declined, and propagation techniques advanced so that fewer employees were needed to produce the same number or increasing numbers of birds. Permanent personnel were reduced from 65 in to 55 in , 30 in , 24 in , 13 in , 11 in , 8 in , and the staffing level for the pheasant production operations consists of 6 full time employees.

Pheasants produced for the release programs peaked at over , in ; gradually declined to , in ; hit a low of about 58, in Since , release numbers are 75, pheasants through the Public Hunting Grounds program with approximately 22, additional pheasants released through the Day Old Chick program.

The cooperative egg program was started in and ended in Fertile eggs were provided to 4H, FFA, and conservation clubs who used a variety of incubation methods from setting hens to modern incubators to hatch out the chicks. The young birds were then raised by the clubs and released onto private land at weeks of age. This was a popular but very ineffective program. In some years over 40, eggs were distributed and less than 10, pheasants released. The day-old chick cooperator program was similar in intent to the egg program but more efficient in that the pheasant chicks were hatched at Poynette and then distributed to the cooperating clubs to raise and release.

The original role of the DOC program was to get grass roots support and participation in pheasant management. Participating clubs were provided birds and would release them on private land deemed as good pheasant cover that was open for the public to hunt. Original objectives were to establish and expand pheasant populations as well as to provide hunting opportunity.

Stocking of pheasants raised at the State Game Farm has gone on since From through birds of both sexes from various strains but mostly Chinese ring-necked were released onto both private and state-owned land. Releases were done in every county until the mids. Many different strategies for releasing were used including stocking throughout the year and releasing birds of 4 weeks of age to over a year in age.

Since pheasant stocking from the State game farm has been a fall release of predominantly roosters onto state owned or leased lands for providing short term hunting opportunity. The public hunting grounds stocking program has released between 30, to 74, birds annually on public hunting grounds since it began. From — , WDNR initiated an experimental wild pheasant release program funded by pheasant stamp money.

The breeding of wild-trapped pheasants from Iowa and a flock of pheasants imported as eggs from the Jilin Province of The Peoples Republic in China — produced first generation F1 progeny that were reared for release onto study areas.

F1s were released into large tracts 10, acres minimum of both public and private land that had improved habitat but low pheasant populations. A target of hens and roosters were released onto each project area for three consecutive years and then stocking was stopped. Populations were monitored through winter flushing counts to determine sex ratios and spring crowing counts. Results are mixed on the almost 30 study areas where birds were released.

It appears that the F1 releases were effective in establishing self-sustaining populations of pheasants if habitat requirements were met and original pheasant populations were low or non-existent. However, control areas where no stocking was done have shown equal or greater pheasant population response to improved habitat. Research bears out that if the proper habitat is established and maintained, and existing pheasant populations are holding on even in low numbers, pheasant numbers will increase regardless of whether birds are stocked or not.

These results, combined with the inability to procure additional wild breeding stock, have led the Department to end the F1 release program. In recent years pheasant habitat across New York has declined in quantity and quality. Wild, self-sustaining pheasant populations are restricted to the Lake Plains region of the state where the landscape still has a large agricultural component.

Habitat management efforts for this species should be focused in or near this area in order to provide the greatest benefits for pheasants. Below are some tips for how you can manage your land to improve it for this species. Grasses - Establish cool season and warm season grasses to provide nesting and brood rearing cover. If hayed or grazed, these grasses should not be disturbed until after July 31st.

Some warm season grasses, such as switchgrass, also provide great winter cover because they remain standing into spring. Trees - Pheasants are not forest dwelling wildlife like turkeys. Remove trees when possible, especially those found in hedgerows.

Trees act as perches for hawks and owls and provide little cover for pheasants. Trees can be removed for timber or firewood. There are some trees, like conifers, that can be beneficial. Spruce planted in small clusters help provide protection from harsh winter weather and act as windbreaks.

Hedgerows - Many of today's larger farms have eliminated hedgerows from their fields. Do not remove hedgerows. Establish hedgerows to prevent soil erosion, to help break-up large fields, to provide food and winter cover, and to provide travel lanes for daily activities. Fall Plowing - Fall plowing buries important food items, such as seeds, and reduces the amount of available cover that pheasants can use to hide from predators.

If economically feasible, do not fall plow. Crop Stubble - Wheat, oats and corn stubble, if left tall, provide cover for pheasants during their daily search for food.