Typification and characterisation of the pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) game farms in Spain

P González-Redondo,P García-Domínguez

doi:10.5424/sjar/2012104-403-11

Abstract

This research typified and characterised the pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) game farms in Spain using structural and marketing variables. A structured survey was given to 25 private-owned farms in May 2010. A categorical principal components analysis performed to typify the farms yielded two dimensions. First dimension explained 50.5% of the variance and included the variables “number of females in the breeding flock”, and “the farm is of complete-cycle or not”. Second dimension explained 32.3% of the variance and included the variables “age of the farm” and “the farm advertises its activity in the game press”. A cluster analysis differentiated four farm typologies. Farm type 1 included 28% of the farms, being recent (established between 1990 and 2003), complete-cycle and medium-sized (breeding flock of 15 to 300 females), with low advertising activity in the game press and without a hunting preserve. Farm type 2 included 28% of the farms, being the most recent (established between 1994 and 2008), without breeding flock, with low advertising activity, and most have hunting preserve. Farm type 3 included 20% of the farms, being old (established between 1983 and 1992), without breeding flock and with high advertising activity; 40% of them have hunting preserve. Farm type 4 included 24% of the farms, being old (established between 1980 and 1995), complete-cycle and high-sized (breeding flock of 50 to 1,000 females), with high advertising activity; most have hunting preserve. In conclusion, this is an alternative poultry sub-sector consolidated in Spain, despite being only three decades old.

Highlights

The ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is a game bird widely raised on farms in many countries for shooting, mainly in Europe and the USA (Ghigi, 1958; Delacour, 1959; Fol, 1961; Torres et al, 1995; Canning, 2005)
The first dimension, corresponding to the abscissa, included two variables: i) the number of females in the breeding flock, that decreases with the abscissa, and ii) the farm is of complete-cycle production, these completecycle farms being at lower values of the abscissa
The second dimension, corresponding to the ordinate, included two variables: i) the farm advertises its activity in the game press, the farms undertaking this activity being at higher values of the ordinate, and ii) the age of the farm, that increases with the ordinate

Summary

Introduction

The ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) is a game bird widely raised on farms in many countries for shooting, mainly in Europe and the USA (Ghigi, 1958; Delacour, 1959; Fol, 1961; Torres et al, 1995; Canning, 2005). A breeding pheasant lays an average of 50 to 70 eggs per reproductive season This period usually lasts from March-April to June-July. The newly-hatched chicks are reared for some five to seven weeks in brooder houses where litter on the floor, water and starter mash are provided and infra-red lamps are used for heating. After this initial period, the growing pheasants are reared in large, open-air rearing pens where they exercise their flying ability until they are sold for release in hunting grounds. In addition to complete-cycle farms, there are farms with no breeding flock that are solely devoted to raising the pheasants, starting from day-old chicks

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Conclusion