This Year’s Flock Soars to 1,300 Birds

Buffalo, NY – Erie County Sheriff Timothy B. Howard announced the Erie County Correctional Facility accepted 650 additional pheasant chicks this week for the Inmate Pheasant Brooding program.

Earlier this year, the Sheriff’s Office received its first flock of pheasant chicks from the New York State Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC).  Those chicks are now approximately 7-weeks old and have been moved to a predator secure, flight pen on the grounds of the correctional facility.

The new flock of day old chicks will be housed in a brooding house until the birds are ready to live in the flight pen.

Last year, Sheriff Howard initiated this inmate program as an additional inmate rehabilitation and vocational program.  The inmates successfully raised 1,000 pheasants and released them to the wild.  Building off of last year’s success, this year the program has increased its flock size by 300 birds and will work with the DEC to release the pheasants in the fall.