Game Bird Farmer

Also called: Pheasant Farmer, Upland Game Bird Breeder

Raises pheasants, quail and chukar for hunting preserves, dog training, restaurants and state stocking programs.

A day in the life

Collects and incubates thousands of eggs in spring, raises chicks under heat lamps, then moves them to huge netted flight pens where they learn to fly. In fall you crate birds for hunting preserves and trainers. Disease prevention, like avian flu rules, is a big part of the job.

Pay over a career

Starting

$25k

Typical

$42k

High

$80k

Estimate; a farm business with seasonal crews.

Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.

Training

High school diploma, about 0 years after high school. No degree required; poultry or animal science classes help. Many learn on family farms.

Ways in: On-the-job training, Self-taught. Training cost: Under $15k.

Majors to look at: Poultry Science, Animal Science, Wildlife Science.

Outlook

Growing about average. Steady with upland hunting and dog training.

Will it last? Our AI estimate

Low risk for 10 years. Incubators get smarter, but raising and catching birds stays hands-on farm work.

Start now, in high school

Classes: Agriscience (FFA), Biology, Business.

• Raise chicks or quail for a 4-H poultry project
• Work at a hunting preserve
• Join FFA

More Wildlife & Conservation Biology careers

• Wildlife Veterinarian
• Research Wildlife Biologist
• Endangered Species Program Manager
• Conservation Organization Director
• Wildlife Biologist
• Fish & Game Warden
• Wildlife Forensic Scientist
• Ornithologist
• Wildlife Refuge Manager
• Wildlife GIS Analyst
• Wildlife Damage Management Specialist
• Wildlife Technician
• Interpretive Park Ranger
• Wildlife Removal Specialist
• Hunting & Fishing Guide
• Wildlife Photographer
• Wildlife Special Agent
• Wildlife Disease Biologist
• Bat Biologist
• Wildlife Capture Specialist
• Camera Trap Technician
• Bear Management Technician
• Chronic Wasting Disease Sampling Technician

Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.