Wooder Posted October 16, 2019 Get a number of pheasant's visiting the garden as my wife feeds them, I noticed an extremely dark hen this morning, not seen one like this before, why would she be so dark in colour, different breed maybe? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rewulf Posted October 16, 2019 Probably the black hen of the family ? African pheasant ? 😐 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chrisjpainter Posted October 16, 2019 Could be a Judas pheasant bred to be like that? Or just melanism Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Walker570 Posted October 16, 2019 Melanistic. Walkers the Game Farmers out nr Bromsgrove.... no relation.... used to rear a few thousand for an estate in Yorkshire(I think) where that is all they released. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ditchman Posted October 16, 2019 2 minutes ago, Walker570 said: Melanistic. Walkers the Game Farmers out nr Bromsgrove.... no relation.... used to rear a few thousand for an estate in Yorkshire(I think) where that is all they released. yup.............they fly fine and are a heavy fatty bird when they are bought in .............in my experience when they are caught up and bred with all and sundry at the end of the season ...they can be usless fliers (the off spring)................. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wooder Posted October 16, 2019 Just googled what the cock looks like, I have seen one or two on the shoot up the road. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
martinj Posted October 16, 2019 all ours are Melanistic this year, it's nice to see a few but boring in their hundreds. They are supposed to be good fliers, I'll let you know on beater's day Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
old'un Posted October 16, 2019 57 minutes ago, Walker570 said: Melanistic. Walkers the Game Farmers out nr Bromsgrove.... no relation.... used to rear a few thousand for an estate in Yorkshire(I think) where that is all they released. M.G. Walker and Sons, Game Farmers, are based at Farmcote nr Bridgnorth, about 20 miles from me…. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wooder Posted October 16, 2019 59 minutes ago, martinj said: all ours are Melanistic this year, it's nice to see a few but boring in their hundreds. They are supposed to be good fliers, I'll let you know on beater's day It was that tame could have caught it with my bare hands. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TIGHTCHOKE Posted October 16, 2019 1 hour ago, Wooder said: Just googled what the cock looks like, I have seen one or two on the shoot up the road. Bet you had to be careful what you entered in to google that! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wooder Posted October 16, 2019 1 hour ago, TIGHTCHOKE said: Bet you had to be careful what you entered in to google that! 😂 and at work ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Feltwad Posted October 17, 2019 Reared a good number melanistic way back in the seventy's good flyers but took some keeping on the shoot proper roamers. Feltwad Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
motty Posted October 17, 2019 Just now, Wooder said: Just googled what the cock looks like, I have seen one or two on the shoot up the road. I think you have to be careful when googling what a cock looks like! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oowee Posted October 18, 2019 Three years ago my neighbour released 20 or so white birds as trophy forfeits. Their are three that have survived the last two seasons that hang out in my field. Yesterday the beaters came up to drive all the birds to the top wood and the white birds flew the other way. They have learnt which side is safe. I sat out behind the line yesterday half debating if I should back gun as there was a lot of birds coming over. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
markm Posted October 18, 2019 We’ve only put these down for years. Everyone think we are mad but we get slightly better returns than ring necks. I was in another syndicate just up the road and we tried 100 mixed in with ring necks one year and we never shot a single one. its a funny game..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BG90 Posted November 5, 2019 A keeper I used to beat for would mix a few different ones in each year, who ever shot one would put an extra £50 towards the beaters meal at the end of the season. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hodge911 Posted November 7, 2019 we had melanistic pheasants on the shoot I drive the game cart for about 5 years back and they were the worst birds for flying we have ever had in the 15+ years I have been there . during the beat you just about had to kick them up the backside to get them to lift …. on a morning when we dogged in they would run the full length of the field with the dogs close behind and the bag numbers for that season were the worst ever ….. the land/shoot owner ordered them after attending a shoot down south the previous season ….. but he agreed it was a huge mistake and has never overruled the keeper again Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
martinj Posted November 13, 2019 We have all melanistics for the first time this season and the bags have been good so far, they are flying well enough even though we have had wet shoot days. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
figgy Posted November 14, 2019 On 16/10/2019 at 13:45, Walker570 said: Melanistic. Walkers the Game Farmers out nr Bromsgrove.... no relation.... used to rear a few thousand for an estate in Yorkshire(I think) where that is all they released. Seen loads round Ripley castle way years ago. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Walker570 Posted November 14, 2019 6 hours ago, figgy said: Seen loads round Ripley castle way years ago. I do believe that the ones reared especially by Walkers went to that location or very near. I stand corrected the phesantry is between Kinver and Brdgenorh as stated above and not Bromsgrove. We had a few mixed in with our birds from Walkers and they flew well and produced good eating birds as well. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Good shot? Posted November 14, 2019 A couple of black ones strayed onto my perm last year and saw a couple of very very light ones this week. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nmb Posted December 11, 2019 We have some melanistics this year and they have been awful flying birds! very pretty though! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Westley Posted December 11, 2019 On 16/10/2019 at 13:45, Walker570 said: Melanistic. Walkers the Game Farmers out nr Bromsgrove.... no relation.... used to rear a few thousand for an estate in Yorkshire(I think) where that is all they released. I know they can wander, BUT that is one hell of a wander ! Yorkshire to Kent ? 😄 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
