Ferretboy111 Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 Hello, After getting and watching the keepers diary dvd's, ive had an idea that i will not only buy in poults next season but also buy in day old chicks. Not silly numbers, only 120 poults and 50 chicks. First question is, how much are day old's going for nowadays? Second is has anyone tried to rear pheasants from day olds with much success? From what my books and dvd's say ive got all the equipment to rear a few and shouldnt have too much trouble in doing so. Its really an experiment, as if it works out well, i may just rear them from day olds instead of buying in poults at £3-£4 each. Many thanks Alex P.s until the shoot can afford an incubator and i know i can rear chicks, i wont be catching up last years stock and getting the eggs from the laying pens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferret Master Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 If the option is available to you I would use bantams to raise them from eggs. It is what we have done in the past and have had a very low mortality rate as the chickens teach them everything they need to know early on. If you can borrow a few from smallholders who aren't brooding them it would be ideal as people don't want chickens that are broody and not laying. FM B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferretboy111 Posted January 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 Cheers ferret master, the farm i work on has bantams. Trouble is i dont really have the time or the effort to look after chickens all year, also the means of housing them and collecting eggs as yet. Surely buying in day olds saves alot of hassle. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 Surely buying in day olds saves alot of hassle. Come on think about it.......... how many `keepers do that because they think it`s less hassle. Factor in the LONG hours you`ll put in never mind heaters/gas etc. and see how cheap they are(n`t) you need to be raising 1000`s to re coupe any money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferretboy111 Posted January 8, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 I bet that it will be cheaper in the long run. Chicks were about 60p each a few years ago, poults are more like £4 each. They only need to be fed and watered and kept warm with an electric lamp. They go out in the pens at 9 odd weeks old and sumtimes even earlier than that. to buy 50 poults will cost the farmer £200, to buy chicks £30. You cant tell me from no experience in rearing this way that a few bags of feed, n lets face it that isnt going to be many, and electricty from a bulb which prob cost 2p an hour to run is going to add up to £170. Labour isnt going to be much either, fed n watered and cleaned, n the retired farmer can do it somedays. Im going to give it a go anyway and see from the costs and results what i do next next season. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted January 8, 2007 Report Share Posted January 8, 2007 Remember to add every hour or part thereof,fuel,cost of buying lamp/leads etc. Then wait for the mass suicide attempt/rat/stoat/hedgehog......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suffolk shooter Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 Alex, Seriously mate, my missus uncle has more than a few chickens and tried to rear a few wild phezzies hatched from eggs under his broody bantams he collected from the hedgrows on his 13.5 acre field. I'd bought him an incubator already and he tried that as well. It isn't as easy as you think it is and certainly isn't as cheap as buying poults in the long run. The stupid phezzies tried everything they could to commit suicide, some of the chickens took offense at them and pecked them to death. Those in the incubator, some hatched, some didn't the mortality rate is high and freaks of nature can be bred if too much heat/too cold/too much moisture/not enough moisture/too much air/not enough air, we are talking changes of half a degree in temp. here not loads. If you want to try it, collect eggs from the hedges on your shoot and give then to V & A to put under their bantams. Better to do a small amount to see what happens befor eyou go buying them for no or little return. I'm no expert, but having tried it, it isn't as easy as it sounds or looks. Poults £4??? Where you getting them from? I've been to Mallard Barn and he told me £2.50 for ex layers and £2.80 - £3.20 dependant on strain. Go see Peter and/or Charlie his son and see what he says. SS PS 20th - 21st sounds good for ferreting take it thats a Saturday as some of us have to work during the week, we can't all be scrounging Students. B) Now where did I spend my Loan :yp: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferretboy111 Posted January 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 Ok maybe i over exaggerated on the price of the poults. Still £3 is still a fair bit of money, i think im going to give it ago anyway and rear 50 day olds, im not attempting to hatch any, just buy in chicks from the game farm i got my poults from and see how it turns out. Doing it more for experience than anything. My dvd's and books says it can be done with ease if you have the equipment and it tells one how to rear them, and i have an old chicken concreted barn, lamps, drinkers, feeders etc at hand. £30 for 5o, its not really breaking the budget if they die. Regarding vermin, nothing can get in... ill set my fens up like i usually do aswell. P.s pm sent, also i can imagine how the chickens killed them, i tried introducing chicken chicks to chickens and they certainly didnt like them. Alex Any more infor would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiercel Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 Why not catch all the hens you can at the end of the season and swap them with a game breeder for poults. They get layers and you get fresh poults. I have seen adverts for them in the past. Tiercel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferretboy111 Posted January 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 Yeah it is one option, but id rather have pheasants that know how to survive out in the wild already than risk having poults which dont. Thanks for the idea though. Has anyone on here bought ex-layers and had much luck with them? Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiercel Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 Dohh! You get the poults when you buy in your new ones. if you can get two poults for one hen that means you have extra poults that have only cost you the time it takes to catch the old birds. Tiercel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted January 9, 2007 Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 Has anyone on here bought ex-layers and had much luck with them? My farmer friend had a lot of luck with them........they got further than the great escape team......despite feeders safe surroundings and quiet,got a 12% return Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferretboy111 Posted January 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2007 they got further than the great escape team yeah have heard they can wander far and wide. Im going to call up my local game rearer and ask him what he suggests. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferretboy111 Posted January 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2007 Do you get many die, What would be your top tips for me? Im rearing them first in a circle of hardboard to stop them crowding, with a pig lamp infra red. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teal Posted January 17, 2007 Report Share Posted January 17, 2007 Used wood shavings on the floor, put pebbles in the drinkers so they can't drown themselves. If they huddle under the lamp lower it, and if they are all around the periphery raise it. I've reared a few pheasants on that scale from my incubator, and it's not that bad. Just clean the water regularly and don't overstock them in your area. When it's only a hobby it's good fun too The only trouble with getting day olds from the farm is they may come in with disease. Much better if you had an incubator and hatch the eggs as you can be sure of sterility of everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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