thinking of rearing a few pheasant and partridge

[chris o]

hi all was just thinking of getting a few pheasant poltes and some partridge for one of the bits of permission that i shoot.

i know i would have to make a pen and stuff and the feed and water system and thought of rearing them in one of the barns that he has if he says it is ok for me to do so.

but what else would need to be done? i would later release them in one of the bits of woodland on his land for the next comeing season i wouldnt be having a rough pheasant shoot or anything along them lines it would just be for my personnal pleasure at the season any help is great and advice on the best structerd pen would be great.

 

thanks in advance.

[ratman]

To be honest mate you would save yourself a whole heap of worries if you just bought in some ex layers. Rearing pheasants and partridges for a novice is not adviseable unless you have a lot of time on your hands. Ex layers are the laying stock used by gamedealers or gamekeepers for their egg supply in the spring, most keepers will release them once they have finished with them but you will find some for sale if you ask around or check out the various shooting publications. A release pen would be needed and siting it is important to holding the birds on the shoot. You ideally need somewhere with a bit of bottom cover in the woodland to offer the birds warmth and shelter from the rain and wind, bramble or laurel etc is suffice. You also need mature woodland or conifers etc so the birds have somewhere warm to roost. The size of the pen will depend on the amount of birds you intend to release. The pen will need to be regularly fed and fresh water must always be available, the odd bale of straw will give the birds something to peck and scratch about in and help keep them interested in staying put. An electric fence will initially need to be put around the outside of the pen around a foot or so away from the wire and 6-10 inches high to keep foxes away. With ex layers they will go up to roost much higher than poults initially and will require much less looking after.

If you provide them with the right habitat, food, warmth, water and protect them from predators and human interference, ie dog walkers etc then you should have a few birds around for a shoot day. Good Luck mate

[fortune82]

You could just do what one of the commercial shoots round here does. Buy your partridge on the Thursday, release them on the Friday and shoot them on the Saturday! good returns % wise but completely out of order in my opinion!

[jasons gold]

You could just do what one of the commercial shoots round here does. Buy your partridge on the Thursday, release them on the Friday and shoot them on the Saturday! good returns % wise but completely out of order in my opinion!

 

 

Come on then, name them and shame them.