ex-layer pheasants

[lister1]

how long would you hold them in the release pen before letting them wander off or is it a matter of feeding them up and making sure they are ready for the wild.

 

last year we let them have acouple of weeks them let them go. some flew well straight away buit others seemed reluctant.

 

cheers lister

[nickb]

We`ve got 100 being dropped off this Sat, so I`ll ask and let you know........

ATB

 

Nick

[waddy]

We released 100 last night. They came from a big open laying pen in the middle of nowhere so the assumption is they should be fairly wary and know what the majority of it's all about. We do the same every year and they seem happy enough in the orchards we put them in. There is plenty of briar for them to hide in and trees for roosting.

 

Apparently though within an hour of us putting them down my aunt saw a cock bird run out of the gate and straight down the middle of the road with charlie in hot pursuit. It soon found it's wings though and charlie didnt get a free meal!

 

We expect a few to roam around but we shoot most of the land anyway. It's not as if they are crossing to a neigbouring shoot!

[lister1]

cheers for the replies.

perhaps we'll just see how they get on. get them fed and see how they go. we have escape hole for them that arn't big enough for foxes. i think perhaps keep them for a week then open the escape hole and let them wander at their own leisure.

[webber]

If I were you, I would:

Clip the birds wings on arrival; be careful and only do it if you know what you are doing.

Multi Vitamins into the drinking water for a couple of weeks. This should help reduce stress and improve feather.

Feed High Protein Pellets for a couple of weeks. This should build up the birds condition.

Keep pop holes as standard popholes, this will allow any escapees to re enter the pen when you walk the perimeter on an evening.

The birds will probably put themselves to wood in 6 to 8 weeks by flying over the top when they are ready.

Don't forget to have grain, grit and water available for the birds in your feed areas.

 

webber

[lister1]

luckily our release pen is in an old orchard so they tend to stick close by and roost in the old apple trees. we put feeders around the nearby land and in the orchard filled with grain and split maize. obviously we put plenty of feed and water in the pen. any recomendations of a brand of high protein feed?

 

oh and we step up the fox control. we caught a little vixen in a larsen trap at the weekend, looks like she tried to get the call bird.