Jarv Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 Do oats work as a feed, we have free access to as much we need for out 200 birds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinF Posted August 4, 2014 Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 Pheasants will probably eat oats at a push, but I think you will struggle to hold them if a neighbouring shoot is feeding wheat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarv Posted August 4, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2014 We have no other shoots or people feeding for miles round but I guess for the amount of wheat ill need for 200 birds we might as well buy some if it will hold them better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konnie Posted August 5, 2014 Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 do a mix start at 75/25 wheat to oats if its free you may be happy to make it go that little bit further, if winter turns really cold Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinF Posted August 5, 2014 Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 do a mix start at 75/25 wheat to oats if its free you may be happy to make it go that little bit further, if winter turns really cold A mix is definitely worth trying, but when we tried a mix of wheat/barley we were left with piles of uneaten barley under the feeders. Maybe try it in couple of feeders first to see how it goes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scotslad Posted August 5, 2014 Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 Ur only talking about 2T of wheat however if the oats are free. I would start them of on wheat after pellets, posibly buy 1T and mibee keep it in the more central hoppers later on hopefully holdoing the birds where u want them while feeding oats on the outsides/boundries possibly later on in year feed oats in them all, by then u should have shot ur % anyway. I would probably avoid mixing the 2 as above u generally get a pile of the poorer feed left uneaten on the ground, same with pellets i don't mix wheat/pellets just as hoppers run out gradually replace them with wheat filled hoppers, seems to work for me I know a couple of shoots that do/did fairly well only feeding barley (althou think onto wheat now as price so similar)but as others have said birds had no choice no shoots for miles about so either barley or go hungry, if got neighbouring shoots they have a choice and will generally choose wheat over anything else (all other things being equal). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jarv Posted August 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 Thanks guys I think I'll give that a go scotslad , the other thing I was going to ask is about hopper layout/patten on the land. I have 180 acres most of which is grazing land with a large ash/oak wood of about 10 acres running through the middle. The wood is in a valley with a small stream and track it has good cover around the edges and an acre of cover crop on one side and the pen on the edge of the wood on the other. There is no shooting around us and a few wild bird around, this is the first year we will put birds down (200). How many hoppers should I put out and roughly where would be the best places. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinF Posted August 5, 2014 Report Share Posted August 5, 2014 Once the birds are off pellets and on to wheat, move the feeders away from the pen gradually, until the feeders end up in the areas that you want the birds to be in on shoot days. Don't put any feeders where the farm livestock can reach them, or the feeders will be knocked over and emptied. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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