Birds in a rabit pen

[scotslad]

Just a quick 1, was wondering does it make any difference for dog training if the birds in he rabbit pen are wing cliped. (I don't really use rabbit pens much

 

I'm droping som grey partridge off to a friend who trials spaniels the morro, the inention is to try them intead of the reds in the rabbit pen. Sit and flush better for walked up than the reds do so should work beter in pen

But i just wondering would u get a better fluh of a bird with full wings? Wuld mean roof netting the pen but most rabbit pens aren't massive so probably possible but wether worth the extra hasse? Must admit not seen this pen before so may not be vaible anyway

 

The only ohe possible problem would eed to put a 'baffle' in the pen if birds left unclipped? I kow on larger hoots when a pen gets over 20-30ft longthe bids can damge themselvesflying intothe oppisate side of pen would it be an issue in a rabbit pen with a small number of partridge?

[CharlieT]

All I can say is I've had them do so when odd ones have got in 12x12 ft pheasant catchers.

[bigbird]

One problem that can happen is that when they're clipped the dog doesn't get a true 'bird flush' as after a while the birds give up trying to fly and run instead...

Edited July 24, 2015 by bigbird

[scotslad]

Cheers folks, as it turned out birds weren't fully throu the moult yet as ex-layers so no good clippping there wings yet, so i've kept them to give at a later date when better feathered.

 

Charlie, must admit never had any problems (touch wood) and our partridge are in 20x10 pens, bt i find the greys quite calm in the pen, been a while since i've had anything to do with reds but from wot i remembered far flightier in the pens. But i know the commercail keepers tend to put some shade cloth every 20ft in big pens to slow them down.

 

Cheers big bird, like i said i dinae really use rabbit pens for my dogs, so wasnae sure. They were going to be gettin reds but i thought they would be a waste of time as want to run anyway, the greys do tend to sit tight for walked up shooting, so in theory should sit better in the pen.

Does a bird that constantly wants to run not detrimental to training a dog as will encourage them to 'pull' on the line not expecting a flush? Or is that more like a trial environment where birds do tend to run on anyway with all the noise from the line?

 

Possibly might experiment with how hard we clip the wings, as long as 2 clipped hard in theory should act as call birds for the rest

[bigbird]

I imagine it would make the dog pull on but it's for training anyway so an ideal opportunity to correct and keep the dog tighter in that situation I would say... That's my take on it anyway

Edited July 27, 2015 by bigbird

[scotslad]

So are u actually better off with no birds in the pen then?

 

Seems to me ur encouraging a possible fault?

But at same time i know ur better to encourage a fault in a training environment where u can fix it rather than a trial environment

[bigbird]

I'll pm you scotslad