Prepacked game birds

[walt1980]

Seen a few times about the lack of birds being eaten, namely partridge. The subject came up today with a friend, he said his main reason for not taking a couple of brace was the hassle and mess. Do you think people are more likely to take them if they are oven ready?

I'm thinking about getting a plucker and prepping birds to "swap" on the shoots. The idea being I drop off say 20 brace, plucked and packed oven ready, and collect 20 brace just been shot. The amounts of birds would have to be pre ordered. The prepared birds can be given to the shooters etc if they'd rather have them like that rather than in the feather. Obviously I'd charge for the service and would need a decent amount of birds with a sensible supply. If enough shoots wanted to do it tho, it may be ok.

I own a cafe so food handling etc wouldn't be a problem, sorting out the purchase of game should be ok I assume as well.

Just wonder if maybe it'd get a few more people eating it, could donate to a local care home if there were any left over from shoots etc.

[sishyplops]

Thatsba great idea Chris

[Cranfield]

Quite a few shoots I have attended, the Game Dealer comes at the end of the day to collect the birds and brings oven ready packed braces for the guns (if they don't want birds in the feather).

I think you would need to check what food handling regulations/certificates, etc., are involved in such an enterprise.

[scotslad]

U may even need a game handling licence, and a food handling licence from local council. Even if u already have the food handlin having game in feather might alter it?

I know even butchers are not meant to handle game in the feather and game dealers are meant to have different areas for fur and feather.

 

Must admit I have thought of something similar for a few years but usually decided not worth the hassle.

It also might get complicated if shoots want there own birds back, as the previous shoot will likely have been 1 or 2 weeks earlier

 

Most of the shoots near me do wot cranfield said and most of there game dealers will bring 'x' amount of pre packed oven ready birds each shoot day

[filzee]

I know an old boy retired game keeper who has a plucking machine and does exactly this.

 

He gets his birds free from a large estate who just want rid of them and then in his garage he makes them oven ready with a couple of strips of bacon over the top.

 

He sells them to local butchers, farm shops, and back to shoots for the guns.

 

He makes more in the shooting season now than he did in a full year as a keeper

[CharlieT]

For some years I have paid for birds to be made oven ready, in a tray and wrapped in clingfilm. Partridges in braces and pheasants singly. I pay around a £1 per bird. I then give every gun, local landowner, picker up, beater and so forth a couple of brace after each shoot day.

 

OK it, costs me money, but is my small gesture to ensure I'm doing my bit.

[scotslad]

Must admit reading the other tread about game prices, there mibee is more of a demand if u go bigger and took all the birds from an estate and marketed sold them ur self.

 

Similar to Charlie I've heard of a couple of hobby boys doing birds for about £1 a bird (but find if ur local game dealers are offering that service to estates 1st).

I'm sure if u were selling them for £2-3 quid instead of the 6-7 there currently charging u should have a fair bit of profit for ur time, esp if ur getting the birds for nothing

[Scully]

Local lady dresses all my birds and those for the guns who stay in the local hotels during the season. She charges £1.50 a brace.

[Michael Scotland]

There is a guy in newbridge near Dundee he does a really good job on any game bird he changes £3 a bird they come in a tray with cling film over top with a sticker may contain led shot . He has a industrial size plucker .if I buy twenty and give him twenty fresh ones he only charges me £1 each