Releasing birds

[ilovemyheckler]

What time of the year and what age are pheasants generally released onto shoots?

[Scully]

Our ex-layers are bought in June and wander or fly in and out of the pen the same month, our syndicate birds are six week olds which we buy in August, but they are free to walk out of the pen the very same day they are delivered, and walked back in each night.

[scotslad]

If u search about u'll find loads written. Every keeper/shoot will have his own preferrence which may be totally different to his neighbours.

 

Some shoots will be getting poults from June onwards with peak in July and some still end Aug. Most poults will be around 6-7ish weeks old but some prefer birds older 10ish weeks

 

Really depend when u want to shoot, general rule is birds should be 20ish weeks old but other things can influence that.

[Cockerman59]

Work back from your first shoot date, 20 weeks plus before first shoot date, so delivery to you if getting them at 6 weeks old would be 14 weeks before your first shoot date, etc

[Paul223]

20 weeks is cutting it fine for first shoot day, but will work most years, an extra 2 weeks can make all the difference

 

Different breeders have odd ways of gauging the poults age, so it's better to age in days,

To give you an idea some will call 38 day old 6 week old when in fact it's 5 weeks plus

 

49+ day old is my preference these are more hardy than supposed 6 week old birds

[Alycidon]

From middle July to second week in August, given early November or very late Oct first shoot.

 

Mine come in at 7 - 8 weeks old.

 

A