Advise on pheasant pen netting.

[deeksofdoom]

Looking for some advice on a pheasant pen, we recently put up a small pheasant pen 44 metres square and got 30 X 7 week old cock poults for it.

 

The gamekeeper we got the poults from advised us not to use a net over the top of the pen so as to encourage them to roost, he also cliped the birds wings. Now we had a net on the pen anyway and seeing as the birds can't fly we decided that we should keep the net on the pen, also we had an outbreak of gapes that we are treating the birds for with panacur so it was better to keep them confined with only the medicated water in the pen, the birds are making a good recovery.

 

So my question is when should we remove the netting from the top of the pen? the birds are now 8 weeks, we only got them last week, how long will it take the feathers to grow back.

 

The lads are worried that a cat will get in over the top of the pen if we remove the netting,but I'ld be more concerned that they'll die on the ground if they don't roost when we do leave them out.

 

My idea is to remove the netting and open the fox grid and leave them off to do their own thing keep the hoppers and drinkers filled so that they can feed in the pen.

 

When should we remove the netting.

Edited August 6, 2012 by deeksofdoom

[al4x]

we haven't netted ours and they have been flying out since day 2, with elevated fox grids so they can get back but not out easily it seems to be working fine, we push them back in in the evenings till they get used to using them. As yours are clipped it may be worth keeping them in longer but the issue may be that you've a small pen hence the disease issues, ours are a bit spoiled with a half acre pen for 200 but the reason is a long story. As they are clipped really they need to be able to fly reasonably to keep out of trouble so may be worth un netting it and seeing how it goes.

[Scully]

We have a 10mx10m pen inside a 1/2 acre pen.Throughout there are an assortment of trees;conifers,beech etc which we trim on a regular basis to keep the height down.We buy ex-layers and specify we want them unclipped.We release into the small pen initially,which is netted overhead to keep out magpies(we collect eggs and put thenm in incubators)and buzzards,as some ex-layers are poor flyers initially.We put a couple of broodies in to begin with also,as the pheasants soon learn to roost from copying them.

After a few weeks we open the pop-holes and they find their own way into the bigger pen,which has no overhead net,but they can still roost,and if feel threatened,can move back into the smaller pen.

We opened pop-holes in the bigger pen a while ago,and all have now dispersed around the land;we only see them in dribs and drabs once in a while,while we're checking feeders,and there's always that feeling that they've gone,but miraculously,come the shooting season,they all turn up!

[hillmouse]

I stopped clipping years ago as I would rather have live birds scattered than dead birds in a pen when (not if) the worst happens and basil or some other evil varmint gets in to the pen.

Full winged poults have better weather protection in crud summers like this and will often go up to roost the first evening.

I agree with the keeper and wouldn't net a pen as to do so creates a cage with no escape when something gets in. Partridge pens always scare me for the same reason and I try to get them empty as soon a possible.

Anyway,if the poults were lightly clipped at 7 weeks they usually take two to three weeks to get going enough to scraffle up to roost or make it over the wire.

I did clip one pen where farm activities were unavoidable so it helped keep the poults in another couple of weeks until the crop was cleared there. They were going over the top in just over a week but it was never a problem.

[Alycidon]

I have mine unclipped, if charlie or a cat does get after them then they have a chance to fly away.

 

ALL pens need a good electric fence around the outside, on posts about 2m apart and about 300-400mm high. That will deter charlie and cats a bit but we did rifle a fox the other night right next to a pen electric fence.

 

It sounds like your pen is in the open rather than a wood, either way clipped birds will be flying pretty soon so I would myself have that wire roof off within the next few days. However you must have re entry pop holes to allow the birds to return into the pen, these need to be protected with anti fox grids and the aforesaid elec fence. You don't want charlie getting in through a pop hole. PM me if you want design details, I will send you my phone number and we can talk it through.

 

Make sure that someone walks your returning birds back into the pen about 8.15 each night, give it another 2 weeks and it can be every other night as they will know their way in. Dont forget to have a water supply and food on the outside of the pen as well, one feeder and one drinker will do for now.

 

Good luck.

 

A

Edited August 8, 2012 by Alycidon

[Bleeh]

I never used top nets, or clipped there wings, it means you have to pay a lot more attention to having food, cover, and roost closely but it provides these above mentioned results of:

 

1.) It's harder for foxes to catch them, I always net the partridges and I've seen 150 dead to a fox before, but never close to that with pheasants and they fly off.

 

2.) It's harder for someone to nick them for the exact same reason

[Bigandy1022]

I have never put a top net on a release pen with poults in it either. Why cocks only? As they get bigger if they can't get out they will get like angry teenagers. Get the roof off and make sure your electric fence wires are tip top.

[deeksofdoom]

I'm in ireland thats why they're all cocks we can only shoot cocks in the wild.

 

The pens is a square pen it has two building site panels on each of the 4 sides. I have electric fencing all around it and and have just the one pop hole with fox grid and wings to direct the birds in.

 

There is a field of winter barley right next to it, so I'ld prefer to keep the birds in the pen until that is cut.