Diseases in young pheasants

WITH increasing numbers of pheasants and other gamebirds being reared each year, these species are becoming a more prominent part of the workload of many veterinary practices. This article describes the diagnosis and control of the principal diseases seen in young pheasants from the time of hatching and arrival on the rearing site as clay-old chicks in late spring and early summer through to release into a semi-wild environment in early autumn. A previous article on disease control in adult pheasants (Pennycott 2001) discussed the management of adult breeding pheasants and the production of fertile eggs for hatching.