Calcium Requirement of the Pheasant Chick

Abstract

INTRODUCTIONMUCH of the calcium-related pheasant research has been conducted to determine whether the pheasant population is or can be established on noncalcareous as well as calcareous soil. While referring to vegetative sources of protein, Dale and DeWitt (1958) suggested there is reason to believe that calcium deficiency may be more serious to the pheasant. There are a few reports in the literature concerning the calcium requirement of the breeding pheasant hen under confinement conditions (Dale and DeWitt, 1958; Greeley, 1962;Chambers et al., 1966;and Hinkson et al., 1970). However, there is even less scientific information available with regard to the calcium requirement of the pheasant chick. Skoglund (1940) apparently was the first researcher to investigate the dietary calcium requirement of the Ring-necked pheasant. According to Scott and Reynolds (1949), Skoglund (1940) concluded that best results are obtained with dietary levels of about 1.5 percent calcium and about 1.0 percent phosphorus.…