How to Make a Cage for Pheasants

Breeding any type of bird requires cages and pens to house the adults and an environment that encourages mating. Pheasants have long tails and colorful feathers. They are raised as game birds and to show in competitions. The birds are not strong fliers and spend much of their time on the ground, so they adapt well to the confinement of cages and pens.

Things You'll Need

  • Post digger
  • 4x4 posts, 7 feet long
  • Cement
  • 2x4s
  • Galvanized nails
  • Galvanized chicken wire
  • Staple gun
  • Door hinges and lock
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Select a location. Depending on the number of birds housed, a large area will be needed for the cage. Recommendations for space suggest at least five square feet per pheasant. Find a flat piece of land with brush and bushes. Pheasants will build their nests on the ground and use the brush to make the nests. The hens also need cover to hide from cocks when not interested in mating. Choose an area of land that is dry and well-drained to prevent standing water or swamp conditions from forming.

    • 2

      Plan the cage. This example outlines a cage measuring 20 feet by 40 feet, with a height of six feet.

    • 3

      Dig post holes. The holes need to be one foot deep. Space the holes 10 feet apart. Dig five post holes per side and one in the middle of each end. Place 4x4 posts in the hole and fill with cement. To create a 6-foot-high cage, use 4x4 posts cut in 7-foot lengths. Allow the cement to dry.

    • 4

      Build the frame. Using 2x4s, assemble a frame using the boards to form the bottom perimeter first. Nail them together to form a solid base. Attach additional 2x4s to the top of the posts to form the top frame.

    • 5

      Attach chicken wire. Use galvanized 1-inch mesh, 18 or 20 gauge, to cover the sides and top. Leave one area between posts on the end of the pen open for the door. Attach the wire using a staple gun. Bury the wire six inches into the ground around the perimeter and flare it outward underground to prevent animals from digging under the wire to get into the pen.

    • 6

      Build a door. Use 2x4s to build an approximately 3-foot-wide by 5-foot, 8-inch-high door frame. The door frame must take into account the two inches of 2x4 at the top and bottom that it will have to fit into. Place an additional support in the middle as a cross bar. Nail it together and cover with the chicken wire. Hinge it to the left support post, and add a handle and lock to secure the door.