Instructions
Choose a male and female bird. Silver pheasants are fertile after their first year of life, so choose birds that are at least 1 year old. Male birds are polygamous, so you may want to purchase one male and two females to increase egg production. The quality of the offspring depends almost entirely on the quality of the parent birds, so choose birds with physical and temperamental characteristics that you'd like the chicks to inherit. Choose birds that are unrelated to each other to avoid genetic problems.
Construct a comfortable environment for your silver pheasants. Provide your pheasants with perches and plenty of shelter, as well as plants and other characteristics of a natural pheasant's habitat. Make sure your pheasants are fed regularly and well. Fruits, vegetables and pheasant pellets are typically included in a well-balanced pheasant's diet.
Eliminate stressors from the environment wherever possible. Birds that are under stress due to environmental causes are less likely to reproduce. Keep cats and dogs away from the pheasants. Be sure their environment provides places to hide, as male silver pheasants can become aggressive toward hens as mating season approaches. If necessary, separate the genders for part of the day.
Let nature take its course. Silver pheasants typically begin laying eggs in March and produce eggs until about May. Two hens can produce up to 12 eggs in a single breeding season. The chicks will hatch after about 25 days of incubation.
How to Breed Silver Pheasants
Silver pheasants were named for their white plumage. The feathers on the silver pheasant's neck and back are finely streaked with black, giving it a silver appearance, while its underbelly is wholly blue-black. Females of the species sport brown feathers on their back and neck, while the feathers on their belly are edged in creamy-white color. Silver pheasants are bred in the U.S. for game and for pleasure.