Trace Pheasantry, Inc.

Trace Pheasantry, Inc. is a game bird farm located at 6750 Boyertown Pike in Douglassville, Pennsylvania, in the eastern portion of Berks County. The operation raises pheasants and serves the regional market for live game birds, a segment of Pennsylvania agriculture that supports hunting preserves, sportsmen's clubs, dog trainers, landowners who stock their own acreage, and individuals who purchase birds for the table. The farm maintains a presence on Facebook, where it communicates with customers about availability and seasonal timing, and it can be reached directly by phone at +1 610-207-2209.

Game bird farming occupies a specific niche between conventional poultry production and wildlife management. A pheasantry is not a hatchery in the broiler sense, nor is it a hunting club. It is a propagation facility, meaning the birds are hatched, brooded, and grown out under controlled conditions until they reach an age and physical condition suitable for release or sale. Trace Pheasantry operates in this space, and the reputation it has built locally centers squarely on the condition and quality of the birds it produces.

What a Pheasantry Produces

The ring-necked pheasant is the species most commonly raised on Pennsylvania game farms. Native to Asia and introduced to North America in the nineteenth century, it became established across the Commonwealth's farmland and remains the signature upland bird of the region. Because wild populations in Pennsylvania have declined substantially over the past several decades due to habitat loss and changes in agricultural practice, farm-raised birds now supply the great majority of pheasant hunting opportunity in the state.

Birds from a propagation farm are typically offered in several forms:

• Day-old chicks, purchased by other growers and by hobbyists who want to brood birds themselves
• Started birds of a few weeks of age, past the most delicate brooding stage
• Flight-conditioned mature birds ready for stocking or for release on a preserve
• Hens and cocks sold separately, since preserves and dog trainers often have different needs
• Dressed or processed birds in some cases, for customers interested in pheasant as food

Customers should contact the farm directly to confirm which of these categories are currently available, as offerings on any game bird operation shift with the calendar.

The Annual Cycle

Game bird farming is strongly seasonal, and understanding the rhythm helps prospective buyers plan. Breeding stock is typically held through the winter and brought into lay in the spring, with egg collection and incubation running through the warmer months. Chicks hatch on a rolling schedule so that batches of birds reach maturity at staggered intervals. Pheasants require roughly four to five months to reach full size and flight condition, which means birds intended for the autumn hunting season are started in late spring and early summer.

Demand peaks in late summer and fall. Pennsylvania's regulated hunting preserve season runs from the beginning of September through the end of March, a substantially longer window than the general small game season, and preserves purchase birds throughout that period to keep their fields stocked. Dog trainers and field trial organizers create a parallel demand that runs nearly year round, since bird dogs need live birds for training regardless of whether hunting season is open. Spring is generally the time to order chicks, and late summer into fall is the time to arrange for mature birds.

Raising Birds for Flight

What separates a well run pheasantry from a marginal one is the flight quality of its birds. A pheasant that has been raised in cramped quarters, that carries excess weight, or that has damaged feathers will not fly well when released, which defeats the purpose for hunters and gives dogs poor training experience. Producers who take the work seriously invest in large flight pens, often covered with netting and measuring well over an acre in some cases, so that birds can build wing strength and develop the musculature needed for strong, sustained flight.

Other elements of careful husbandry include managing stocking density to reduce feather picking, providing cover within pens so birds can behave more naturally, using appropriate high protein game bird rations rather than standard chicken feed, and gradually hardening birds off to outdoor conditions so they tolerate weather after release. Disease prevention and biosecurity are also central concerns, particularly in years when avian influenza is circulating, and licensed propagators in Pennsylvania operate under permit requirements administered by the Pennsylvania Game Commission with oversight of animal health matters through the Department of Agriculture.

Location and Service Area

Douglassville sits along the Schuylkill River corridor in Amity Township, roughly midway between Reading and Pottstown. Boyertown Pike, also designated Route 562, runs northeast from the Douglassville area toward Boyertown, passing through the rolling farmland that characterizes this part of Berks County. The location places the farm within convenient driving distance of a substantial population of hunters and preserve operators across Berks, Montgomery, Chester, Lehigh, and Lancaster counties, with Philadelphia and its suburbs a little more than an hour to the southeast.

The surrounding region has a long agricultural history, and southeastern Pennsylvania supports a dense network of hunting clubs, private preserves, and sporting dog enthusiasts. That concentration of interest has historically sustained a handful of game bird producers in the area, and Trace Pheasantry serves as one of the local sources for customers who prefer to buy birds close to home rather than arrange long distance shipping. Buying regionally reduces transport stress on the birds, which in turn affects how they perform once they are released.

Practical Information for Customers

• Address: 6750 Boyertown Pike, Douglassville, Pennsylvania 19518
• Telephone: +1 610-207-2209
• Online: the business maintains a Facebook page where updates are posted
• Business type: farm, specifically a game bird propagation operation

Because this is a working farm rather than a retail storefront, calling ahead is the sensible approach. Hours on operations of this kind are shaped by the demands of the birds and the season, and arranging a pickup time in advance benefits both parties. Buyers should also come prepared with appropriate transport, meaning ventilated poultry crates or game bird boxes rather than open containers, and should be ready to discuss quantity, age, and sex of the birds they need.

Anyone planning to release birds should be aware that Pennsylvania regulates the stocking and release of game birds, and requirements vary depending on whether the land is a licensed preserve, a regulated hunting ground, or private property. Prospective customers are advised to confirm current rules with the Pennsylvania Game Commission before arranging a purchase, and to discuss timing with the farm so that birds arrive in the condition and at the stage of development the situation calls for.