6 Best Pheasant Chick Starter Feed For Healthy Growth Old Farmers Trust
Choosing the right starter is crucial for pheasant chicks. We review 6 top-rated, high-protein feeds that seasoned farmers trust for healthy, robust flocks.
You’ve just brought home a box of peeping pheasant chicks, and the clock is already ticking. Those first few weeks are a high-stakes game where nutrition isn’t just important—it’s everything. Choosing the right starter feed is the single most critical decision you’ll make for their long-term health and survival.
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Why Pheasant Chicks Need High-Protein Starter Feed
Pheasant chicks are not chickens. Their metabolic engines run incredibly hot, and they grow at an explosive rate that demands a specialized, high-protein diet from day one. Standard chicken starter, with its 18-20% protein, simply won’t cut it and will lead to weak, poorly feathered birds.
For healthy development, you need a game bird starter feed with 28-30% protein. This high-protein content fuels the rapid muscle growth and, crucially, the dense feather development that pheasants require. Feathers are almost pure protein, and skimping on it early on results in birds that can’t properly regulate their body temperature or fly effectively later.
Think of it as building a house. The starter feed is the foundation. A weak foundation of low-protein feed will cause problems you can’t fix later, like splayed legs, brittle feathers, and a compromised immune system. The small crumbles of a quality starter are also perfectly sized for their tiny beaks, ensuring they can eat efficiently from their first meal.
Purina Game Bird Startena: The Industry Standard
If there’s one feed you’ll find in nearly every feed store, it’s Purina Game Bird Startena. It’s the benchmark for a reason: it works, it’s consistent, and it’s widely available. This is the feed many hatcheries start their own chicks on, which tells you a lot about its reliability.
With 30% protein, Startena provides the exact nutritional punch pheasant chicks need for that initial growth spurt. It’s a complete formula, meaning it has all the necessary vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, so you don’t need to supplement. Most versions are medicated with amprolium, which helps prevent coccidiosis—a deadly intestinal parasite that thrives in the warm, damp conditions of a brooder.
For a beginner, using a medicated feed like Startena is a smart insurance policy. It protects your fragile chicks while they build their natural immunity. While some experienced keepers prefer non-medicated options, you can’t argue with the track record of Startena for getting a flock through its most vulnerable stage.
Nutrena Country Feeds Gamebird Starter Crumbles
Nutrena is another heavyweight in the feed world, and their Country Feeds Gamebird Starter is a direct and worthy competitor to Purina. It delivers a similar high-performance profile, typically with 30% protein and a complete nutritional package. You can’t go wrong choosing between the two.
The decision often comes down to local availability and price. In some regions, Nutrena is the more common or affordable brand. Like Purina, it’s available in both medicated and non-medicated formulas, giving you the flexibility to choose what’s right for your setup.
Don’t overthink the brand war. Both Purina and Nutrena have invested heavily in research to formulate feeds that get results. If your local store carries Nutrena and the specs match your needs (30% protein, crumble form), you can use it with confidence.
Kalmbach Game Bird Starter: A Non-Medicated Option
For hobby farmers who prefer to avoid routine medication, Kalmbach offers an excellent, high-quality game bird starter. Choosing a non-medicated feed is a deliberate management decision. It requires you to be extra vigilant about brooder cleanliness and sanitation to prevent coccidiosis outbreaks.
Kalmbach is well-regarded for its fixed formulas and quality ingredients, often including prebiotics and probiotics to support gut health from the inside out. This can be a huge benefit, as a healthy digestive system is a chick’s first line of defense against illness. The 28% protein level is still well within the optimal range for vigorous growth.
This feed is a great fit if you’re raising chicks on a wire-bottom brooder where they aren’t in constant contact with their droppings. It’s also a solid choice for experienced keepers who are confident in their biosecurity practices and can spot the early signs of illness.
Manna Pro Gamebird/Showbird Starter Crumbles
Manna Pro often caters to the poultry enthusiast who wants to give their birds an edge, and their Gamebird/Showbird formula reflects that. While it provides the essential high protein (around 28%), it goes a step further by focusing on ingredients that promote exceptional feather quality.
This formula is often fortified with extra amino acids like methionine and lysine, which are the building blocks of protein and are vital for vibrant, strong plumage. For anyone raising pheasants for their beautiful appearance, this can make a noticeable difference. It’s a premium feed for those who see their birds as more than just a hobby.
The tradeoff is usually price and availability. You may have to seek out a specialty feed store or order Manna Pro online, and it will likely cost more per bag. But if you’re raising a small number of high-value birds, the extra investment can be well worth it for the visible results in their health and feathering.
Tucker Milling Game Bird Starter for Strong Chicks
Don’t overlook strong regional brands. Tucker Milling, based in the Southeast, is a perfect example of a company that produces a fantastic, no-nonsense game bird starter trusted by farmers in the area. Their 28% protein starter is a workhorse feed designed for one thing: building strong, healthy birds.
These regional mills are often deeply connected to the local agricultural community and formulate their feeds based on real-world results, not just marketing. The formulas are straightforward and effective, providing all the essential nutrients without unnecessary frills. This often translates to a very competitive price point.
The lesson here is to look beyond the national names on the shelf. Ask what local breeders and old-timers are using. You might discover a gem like Tucker Milling that offers incredible quality and value while letting you support a more local business.
NatureServe Gamebird Starter for Optimal Growth
Often found on the shelves of major retailers like Tractor Supply, NatureServe has become a go-to for many hobby farmers due to its accessibility and reliability. Their Gamebird Starter Crumbles boast a 30% protein formula, putting it right at the top end of what you want for pheasant chicks.
This feed is designed as a complete nutritional source, packed with vitamins and minerals to support bone development, muscle mass, and feather growth. It’s a well-balanced, all-in-one solution that takes the guesswork out of feeding your chicks. The crumble size is also ideal for encouraging consumption from day one.
NatureServe hits a fantastic balance of quality, availability, and price. It’s a dependable choice that you can count on to provide the foundation your pheasants need for a healthy life, making it one of the most practical options on the market.
Transitioning Pheasants from Starter to Grower
The high-protein starter feed isn’t a forever food. Around 6 to 8 weeks of age, your pheasants’ explosive growth will begin to level off, and their protein requirements will decrease. This is the time to begin transitioning them to a "grower" feed, which typically has a protein content of around 20%.
The key to a successful transition is to do it gradually. An abrupt switch can cause digestive upset and stress the birds. Over the course of a week, start mixing the grower feed in with their starter feed. Begin with a 75% starter/25% grower mix for a couple of days, then move to 50/50, then 25/75, until they are fully on the grower feed.
This slow-and-steady approach allows their digestive systems to adapt to the new formulation. Properly managing this transition ensures you don’t lose the momentum you built with the high-quality starter feed. It smoothly carries them into the next phase of their development, setting them up for a healthy and productive adulthood.
Ultimately, the brand you choose is less important than the numbers on the tag. Ensure you’re providing a 28-30% protein crumble for the first six weeks, and you’ll be giving your pheasant chicks the powerful start they need to thrive. This early investment in nutrition pays dividends for the entire life of the bird.
