Catching up Pheasants

[Suffolk shooter]

I realise that the time has year has now passed, but for future reference on my syndicate, we would like to consider Catching up and rearing our own birds. Seems a shame to Pay so much for them each year, when it could be cheaper (I know its time consuming) to do it ourselves.

 

Can somebody point me in the right direction regarding: -

 

HOW?

WHEN?

BEST METHODS?

 

Any Books, Websites or Personal Knowledge would be greatfully appreciated. I will check back from time to time or PM me.

 

Cheers

 

SS

[lurcherboy]

I know of a small shoot nearby SS that get the majority of their birds like this. I will contact the keeper and ask him how etc.

 

 

 

LB

[Ferret Master]

Find a rearing run and get the birds used to going in and out of it feeding on corn etc. Then fit a chicken wire cone on the inside so the phessies can find their way in but struggle to get out again a bit like a minnow trap.

 

FM

[Ferretboy111]

For small scale jamie, its pointless and very very time consuming.

 

My pheasant books and dvd's explain well how to do it. The catchers need to be checked twice daily, rearing fields found and built, incubators bought.... If you want to save money, id just do what im doing and buy in day olds, its worked well for me, again its time consuming but worth it.

 

Cuts out ALOT of money spending and hassle.

 

Alex

[henry d]

If you catch up and supply a breeder with eggs then you will receive in return a smaller percentage of poults, ask a local breeder/supplier.

[AmateX]

The easiest way is to keep feeding a hopper with some aniseed or pellet around January. Build some catching pens around it much like a partridge release pen with a net roof but put a couple of pop holes going into it. I use 3m pen sections so I have a 3*3m pen, ideally you want to have the sides made out of plastic instead of wire so they don’t do their heads in on it, same with a soft roof net. I leave a corner lifted so the bird get used to it going in and out feeding then when I want to catch simply lower the sides.

 

I put an electric fence around it and provide some shelter and drinking water, legally you aren’t supposed to catch up after the season has finished but most people do as it’s not that practical to catch in January. I also feed the pop holes to help get them going in.

 

You would be wise to worm them regularly, I use flubenvet in the food as it’s easiest and expect eggs on April fool’s day

[Suffolk shooter]

George Hare

 

Small scale isn't what I had in Mind. We are putting down some 1000 pheasants this year and combine that with the remainder not shot from last year and the high proportion of Wild birds on the estate already, then we could easily see 3-4000 over the whole estate.

 

Say the ratio is 10:3 of hens to cocks and that we only succeed in catching up some 300 hens that means we need 100 cocks give or take (i.e. 10% of overall population) On average a hen will lay 12-18 eggs so 300 x 12eggs =3600 chicks. Say we only have a 50% success rate that means 1800 poults reared on meaning a total survival rate of 30% = 600 pheasants not paid for.

 

At a current cost of £3.25/poult (Includes delivery cost etc.) 600 birds x £3.25 = £1,950.00 saved

 

We already have permission to use the Estates existing rearing pens and fields should we want to go down that road, so no cost there. It is just a time thing as you say.

 

Well I say give it a go and see, if it doesn't work then so what at least I can say we tried.

 

FB111,

 

Buying Day olds is ok, but you still haven't got them out there yet mate. As the Saying goes, don't count your chckens until they hatch and in your case until you release them and go to shoot them. There is a lot can happen between now and then.

 

I know you have been having a good run with them at the moment and hopefully that will continue, but you never know if we carry on getting this cold wet weather.

 

LB,

 

Thanks mate, any info greatly appreciated. I am trying to find a shoot round my way locally where I can go and talk to the keeper about how they do it and for him to show me the equipment he uses in order to do it, but I haven't found one yet.

 

AmateX,

 

Cheers for that, I will give it a go next year.

 

SS

[Ferretboy111]

My little ones are fine, already had a scare of a gut disease which was solved with amoxin powder.

 

Good luck with it anyway if you do decide to give it ago, you will be on the shoot everday, twice daily and sometimes longer.

 

Im on my shoot twice a day and thats just to rear 57, 4 week old chicks.

 

Rearing over 1000 chicks would be fun

 

Calculations are tricky to work out really,

 

First of all, petrol and diesel money to get to the shoot= A shed load.

 

Breeding hens and cocks will obviously need feeding with wheat, which is 100 a ton. 400 birds will probably eat more than a ton of that in there life breeding + the extra for a protein Flubenvet worming pheasant feed.

 

1,000 poults from day old to 12 weeks will need around 3-4 tons of food- and at starter crums, mini pellets and growers pellets being around £250 a ton thats around £750 to start with. so thats around £1000+ for that lot.

 

Then incubators and hatchers and there maintanence- they must be atleat £2000 or more, or even using bantams would cost enough in food and time.

 

+ gas, heaters, bits, brailles, spectcles, drinkers and feeders, water, electric fencing, wood shavings- That must be atleast another £500 for all that and some.

 

So the set up and ive probably missed out a few things is around £3500. Then the upkeep of it all and the gamekeepering of the game.

 

Say you get 600 pheasants back from that 1800, you will be loosing over £1000.

 

Thats why most books, such as gamekeepering by jeremy hobson say that buying in chicks cuts down some of the initial capital- ie: incubators and hatchers and there maintanence.

 

So say buy in 1000 day old chicks which are about 0.80p each so £800, with around a 10% death rate which seems the usual from the research gathered. That would mean 900 pheasants, needing again about 3 tons of food so about £750, + water, drinkers, feeders, heaters, bits etc- another /£300 probably. Dont forget also that the problems of rearing day olds will still occur with catching up process.

 

Thats £1,850 for 900 pheasants- saving just over a £1000.

 

I did a hell of alot of research on it myself as was thinking about catching some up for my shoot but decided on the day old route, and i have ALOT of time on my hands for my shoot.

 

Thats why unless your releasing 10,000+ pheasants or are a full time gamekeeper/ retired person you dont save any, or little money from it all.

 

:look:

Alex

[AmateX]

Hi suffolk shooter, if I was in your position I would catch up laying hens and trade them with chicks from your preferred game farmer. A laying bird is worth from £4-6 depending on availability etc. If you take early chicks you should get a better exchange rate as not many people want them (I find the first hatch superior to the later ones).

 

I only rear 10k birds and am paying around £300t for chick crumb, £280t for mini pellet and £240t for grower pellet for Flubenvet add £60t, gas is approx £25 for a 47kg bottle. It may be best if you bought the food and gas from the game farmer as he will get these rates or better.

 

As for your predictions of eggs from a hen they are a bit safe I and many others aim for 50 eggs a hen and you should achieve 70-80% hatch with a bit of practice. I don’t know what the going rates are in Suffolk is but £3.25 + delivery is not the cheapest you should be able to pick up decent poults for £2.80-£3 including delivery if the game farm is local.

 

The GCT green books are about the best, get the egg production and incubation, game bird rearing and game birde disease one.

 

I have about 3000 spare for August if anyone is interested in some or all. :blink:

[Ferretboy111]

AMATEX, sounds a good idea for Jamie (SS) to trade layers for chicks :blink:

 

 

Alex

[al4x]

give it a go if you're really keen but I'd almost bet you don't do it 2 years on the trot. Its extremely labour intensive, high risk and you need to be very hygene concious, talk to as many local keepers as possible and see how many recommend doing it

[Suffolk shooter]

al4x,

 

I have been looking at your avatar for some days trying to work out what the hell its all about, and .................... I've just realised its Bill clinton and the cigar incident. Jesus it didn't take long for that one to '***' out.

 

Guys cheers for all the advice.

 

FB111 what the hell do you care about costs, Farmer J pays for it all and we shoot it on beaters day. Question, are you going to put leg rings on your day olds to see what the ratio of shot birds to released is???

 

At this stage it is all hypothetical, and I would like to do it once we get up and running properly. So any advice is greatly appreciated hence asking questions now rather than when we want to do it. SO if anybody has Books or DVD's/videos that they want to sell or can recommend, I'd appreciate it.

 

SS

[Ferretboy111]

I just want to make my shoot an affordable and decent one- Also the money saved on paying for pheasants can be used to diversify my shoot into other areas of game, such as duck or partridge aswell as improving pens/equipment.

 

Oh and maybe go into my pocket aswell!

 

I wont be using leg rings this year, as from the melanistics i will be able to tell that they are this years released, from spur length etc, along with the 1st cross americans and manchurians as they are different to chinese ringnecks.. so basically should know the returns from that.

 

Not really bothered though, just as long as there is a decent number like last year, plenty of wild stock about through constant all year feeding n predator control.

 

I recommend the keepers diary dvd's, oh and jeremy hobsons gamekeeping book and the golden cockeral series of game keeping, ive got those and they cover most aspects.

 

Alex