gamekeeper1960 Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 Hi gents just something people like to add their voice to. What breed of pheasant hold the best? last year we had had pure ring necks and they seemed to hold well until we had extreme weather around second week in december but then they did draw back when it warmed in new year. where as this year we have manchurian cross kansas which so far are a pain in the **** and have been since we let them out. though we've put out more drinkers and even more smaller straw rides to see if it slows them down (I know if people have read my other post they'll know we've had a problem with buzzards) but even so these ******* cant half move. but what birds do people think hold best ?? Cheers Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hushpower Posted November 7, 2011 Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 speak to ray holden at HY FLY game farm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 lots are being a pain in the backside this year whatever you have, its the weather and too warm with food everywhere. When we get some proper cold weather they should be easier to hold otherwise its dog in as much as possible Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamekeeper1960 Posted November 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 lots are being a pain in the backside this year whatever you have, its the weather and too warm with food everywhere. When we get some proper cold weather they should be easier to hold otherwise its dog in as much as possible So not just us then well thats good to know . Cheers Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screwie Posted November 8, 2011 Report Share Posted November 8, 2011 agree with al4x been hard to hold this year. in previous years i found that blacknecks held well on my old shoot i used to keeper on Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamefarm Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 We have reared and supplied most strains over the last 20 years - melanistic, ringneck, blackneck, blueback, manchurian...... the list goes on. Liason with customers plus experience on our own ground points to one common fact. They will ALL stray given the right circumstances. An open autumn like this is a nightmare, with birds following natural food sources up hedgerows as fast as they can walk, and having no interest in wheat or pellets, making it difficult to feed birds into drives. As has been said, dogging in needs to be constant and regular until the harder weather sets in and natural food dries up. Shoots with a full time, conciencious keeper will be ok, but part time DIY shoots are always going to suffer. Something people often forget is that birds go further and faster for water than ever they will for food, and with the shortage of puddles around our part of the country this autumn, its been important to keep plenty of drinkers on the go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark g Posted November 9, 2011 Report Share Posted November 9, 2011 We have reared and supplied most strains over the last 20 years - melanistic, ringneck, blackneck, blueback, manchurian...... the list goes on. Liason with customers plus experience on our own ground points to one common fact. They will ALL stray given the right circumstances. An open autumn like this is a nightmare, with birds following natural food sources up hedgerows as fast as they can walk, and having no interest in wheat or pellets, making it difficult to feed birds into drives. As has been said, dogging in needs to be constant and regular until the harder weather sets in and natural food dries up. Shoots with a full time, conciencious keeper will be ok, but part time DIY shoots are always going to suffer. Something people often forget is that birds go further and faster for water than ever they will for food, and with the shortage of puddles around our part of the country this autumn, its been important to keep plenty of drinkers on the go. i went round our cover crops early on and dug a few pools with a jcb and lined them with damp course plastic, then filled them with water, still dogging in from first light until dark, some of the old time keepers this time of year would have a gun with them whilst dogging in and knock off the gobby cocks around the boundaries, i had a few hundred birds today that kept makeing for a corner of a field of stubble turnips, turned out to be a gobby cock behind the hedge calling them out to him, he will be getting a surprise one morning very soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
screwie Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 mark g could not agree more with you about cock birds leading poults astray and you can bet it will be them flying back over the beating line on a shootday too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 Old English Blacknecks hold best. They dont fly the best but given a bit of bank to launch themselves off they do make sporting birds. A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark g Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 mark g could not agree more with you about cock birds leading poults astray and you can bet it will be them flying back over the beating line on a shootday too. it can be quite difficult to tell that its a cock calling as they very often will shut up and lie low when you get anywhere near them only to start again when you have gone our birds have been hardly feeding at all for the last week or so, the dogging in is mind numbingly boring and i am getting a bit behind with other jobs but its the only thing we can do until the weather turns a bit harder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark g Posted November 10, 2011 Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 Old English Blacknecks hold best. They dont fly the best but given a bit of bank to launch themselves off they do make sporting birds. A i find them the easiest for holding also, they take to handfeeding better than any other breed, not many gamefarms do them these days though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamekeeper1960 Posted November 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 i find them the easiest for holding also, they take to handfeeding better than any other breed, not many gamefarms do them these days though I totally agree with you you always knew where you were with black necks but a supply of good banks in norfolk is something we're short of !!., Cheers Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamekeeper1960 Posted November 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 10, 2011 We have reared and supplied most strains over the last 20 years - melanistic, ringneck, blackneck, blueback, manchurian...... the list goes on. Liason with customers plus experience on our own ground points to one common fact. They will ALL stray given the right circumstances. An open autumn like this is a nightmare, with birds following natural food sources up hedgerows as fast as they can walk, and having no interest in wheat or pellets, making it difficult to feed birds into drives. As has been said, dogging in needs to be constant and regular until the harder weather sets in and natural food dries up. Shoots with a full time, conciencious keeper will be ok, but part time DIY shoots are always going to suffer. Something people often forget is that birds go further and faster for water than ever they will for food, and with the shortage of puddles around our part of the country this autumn, its been important to keep plenty of drinkers on the go. Do you supply any the size of barn doors and that fly the speed of a carthorse for some of our not so hot shots!!! Cheers Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark g Posted November 11, 2011 Report Share Posted November 11, 2011 I totally agree with you you always knew where you were with black necks but a supply of good banks in norfolk is something we're short of !!., Cheers Dave. i wouldnt worry too much about how they fly early season, guns and most importantly employers only seem to remember numbers and most crucial are the january ones as they are the last ones they have to remember, i shouldnt really say it but when anyone discusses the success or otherwise of any particular shoot i have heard numbers discussed 99 per cent more than how the birds performed, pure blacknecks do the business for us in january Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gamekeeper1960 Posted November 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2011 i wouldnt worry too much about how they fly early season, guns and most importantly employers only seem to remember numbers and most crucial are the january ones as they are the last ones they have to remember, i shouldnt really say it but when anyone discusses the success or otherwise of any particular shoot i have heard numbers discussed 99 per cent more than how the birds performed, pure blacknecks do the business for us in january Thanks Mark, yes I rekon you're right our syndicate guns alway know how to point their fingers when its not going so well, but seem to forget your name if its a good day !!but for me the worse thing was that after last saturdays shoot I had guns leaving without even thanking the beaters ! now I dont know if its just because I'm getting old but for me this is a NO NO !!I can never rember that sort of rudeness when I was younger. Cheers Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gamefarm Posted November 11, 2011 Report Share Posted November 11, 2011 What I can provide you with is some Guns who can shoot straight!! Alternatively, we do a good line in brailed birds - much easier on the cartridge/kill ratio, but need VERY high Norfolk banks to show well - I have heard good results from the Whitecliff syndicate, near Dover - they however, use ex olympic shot putters rather than beaters. :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taffyshooter Posted December 20, 2011 Report Share Posted December 20, 2011 Anyone use Michegan Blue crosses?? - Heard good thing bout these in terms of hardiness and getting up for the guns!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark g Posted December 21, 2011 Report Share Posted December 21, 2011 Anyone use Michegan Blue crosses?? - Heard good thing bout these in terms of hardiness and getting up for the guns!! they reared well when i did some and they flew well but after the first 3 days we never saw them again, they are probably a bit better now, that was 18 years ago but i still wouldnt have any more find a breed that will stay and then use topography and placement of your guns to make the most of what you have, dont be afraid to experiment with driving birds and standing guns in differnt ways, its the only way to find the best way, four of our best drives we drive away from the guns but its the way that produces the most sporting birds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alycidon Posted December 29, 2011 Report Share Posted December 29, 2011 (edited) Bluebacks will fly very well BUT they walk miles and miles, usually in a straight line. First one I ever saw was in one of my pens in Febrauary, took me 2 seasons to find out where it had probably been released, over 4 miles away. At least Blacknecks by and large stay at home. A Edited December 29, 2011 by Alycidon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quist Posted December 30, 2011 Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 Yep, there's a reason for those bone-like tendons in the drumsticks. They didn't get them by flying everywhere! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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