game farm

[farmboy807]

Got a new rough shoot starting next year in Berkshire looking for recommendations for  game farms and what birds shoot

is 150 acres pretty flat overall  

thanks John 

Edited January 2, 2020 by farmboy807

[Walker570]

On 150 acres I wouldn't wste time putting birds down, just put a few feeders out and don't over shoot it.

[farmboy807]

Hi thanks already did that this season had few birds about 

but the owner of the land is paying for it all we just have to do the work he’s putting some cover crops in etc so thanks why I ask 

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, pop along to Holme Park Game farm and see what they recommend, and water/small pond ?

[NoBodyImportant]

My best field is a small 7 acre plot.  I have beat 100 acre fields but I preferred to set in a blind in a small field with someone shoot the other side to keep them flying. 

[farmboy807]

F

7 hours ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

hello, pop along to Holme Park Game farm and see what they recommend, and water/small pond ?

Water pond do you mean is there any water 

[oldypigeonpopper]

2 hours ago, farmboy807 said:

F

Water pond do you mean is there any water 

hello, yes is there a small pond  where you could try keeping some Duck like mallard, or areas that flood in winter you could feed on barley

[farmboy807]

5 minutes ago, oldypigeonpopper said:

hello, yes is there a small pond  where you could try keeping some Duck like mallard, or areas that flood in winter you could feed on barley

Yes there’s a pond we feed already small one few duck get on there it’s not me the owner really wants to do a pheasant shoot 

[oldypigeonpopper]

18 minutes ago, farmboy807 said:

Yes there’s a pond we feed already small one few duck get on there it’s not me the owner really wants to do a pheasant shoot 

hello, sounds like a decent farmer, good luck with the new shoot

[farmboy807]

Thanks ya he just bought the land into his shooting big time and can’t wait to do pens and all that 

[B725]

12 hours ago, Walker570 said:

On 150 acres I wouldn't wste time putting birds down, just put a few feeders out and don't over shoot it.

We used to put down just 50 bird's each year on maybe 60 odd acres, we had 4 or 5 Saturday morning's shooting over the dog's. The plan was to eventually be just wild bird's, four year's ago the farmer died in a house fire (overcome by smoke). For legal reason's we haven't been allowed to shoot but the pheasants have stayed and can be seen everywhere so it did succeed as far as wild bird's. 

[Walker570]

Question is, how do you know those where the same 50 birds.  I shoot a few Saturday mornings on a farm around the same size and all that is done is the placing of three feeders in some small coverts filled regularly with wheat enhanced with aniseed.  Three drives on a Saturday morning sees as many as twenty to thirty birds out of each covert.  Four mornings a season.

If your only putting 50 birds down then how about rearing your own.  Not difficult to build a small rearing pen and run and the resulting birds will be hefted onto that spot.  Your released birds could well be away over the boundary before you have left the farm.   Just my take, but after some 45yrs of releasing and running syndicates, I have been there.

[farmboy807]

Well we have done a season with just feeders and resulting not many birds but this could be down to what’s around us compared to yours 

but end of the day the owner wants to put a pen in covers etc and so on all I’m doing is building pen feeding and generally bits so if that’s what he wants to do then so be it will just have to see how it goes 

[B725]

2 hours ago, Walker570 said:

Question is, how do you know those where the same 50 birds.  I shoot a few Saturday mornings on a farm around the same size and all that is done is the placing of three feeders in some small coverts filled regularly with wheat enhanced with aniseed.  Three drives on a Saturday morning sees as many as twenty to thirty birds out of each covert.  Four mornings a season.

If your only putting 50 birds down then how about rearing your own.  Not difficult to build a small rearing pen and run and the resulting birds will be hefted onto that spot.  Your released birds could well be away over the boundary before you have left the farm.   Just my take, but after some 45yrs of releasing and running syndicates, I have been there.

Before we started there was no pheasants as there are no shoots for miles, we had a pen built for the poults until they could look after themselves, feeders were put all over and topped up until summer time. We also had two cover strips trapped magpies and foxes all year round. This went on for around 10 years each year we would wild broods especially when I was driving his combine. As with most thing's and his unfortunate death it came to an end just as we had got to were we aimed for by releasing bird's on a 10 year plan. There are still pheasants down there. 

[Walker570]

Good to hear and a great effort.  If that wild stock still exists then I still would look at a good feed regime.  I would also look to up the release to 100 and expect to have aleast 50% of those wander off.   A lot of this is guess work for sure and I don't know what the land around you looks like. If yours is made more attractive then you will benefit obviously.

On one area I had which was exceptional game holding ground on the edge of a well known estate. I suggested I double our release numbers but the Head Keeper on the estate said not to expect a much greater return, maybe 10% at most and he was right.  The area we had would only hold a set amount without intensive care of a permanent 24hr Keeper which we did not have.

I have found over all those years that you tend to get out what you put in and that can be the problem when you all have full time jobs, families etc., to look after as well.

Best of luck and hope to have some reports next season.+

OH and if you do release some then try and get some Old English Black necks, I found they held far better and gave a useful carcase to take home. 

[Nmb]

I’d make a netted pen as central as possible and as above try and get some black neck pheasants as they are a great holder and take a bit of pounding before ********* off.

A bit of cover crop near the pen for them to naturally find will help and trickle releasing them over a few weeks out of the pen also keeps them near home as I find they want to get back in with their buddies. 
Perhaps making a panelled pen might be best if it’s not too big so that it can be shifted easier if you find a better location. 

[farmboy807]

Hi thanks for this there not masses

of wood which is mostly the problem a centre square wood perfect for the pen loads of bramles and thick bush two sides to stop wind break small trees for roosting along which bigger one 

a long belt wood rounds of this and a another wood need the top plenty of fields he wants to put 9-10 covers in scattered around with two pens as said before he’s paying for it all and really eager to go ahead but how many birds would you say would be ok for 155 acres 

[Nmb]

If it was me I’d have one large netted pen as no need for two in such a small acreage they will get where they want to be quite quickly. You seem to have a nice bit of wood in the middle which looks ideal for a decent pen from which you could feed them out into cover crops or the other smaller belts. 
couple hundred pheasants and see how it goes? 

[farmboy807]

Thanks ya the middle wood is perfect it only reason I said two pens is because he wants to do little 50 birds days and put around 800 birds down with partridge 

obliviously if this was a run syndicate I would dare start with that many but that’s what he want to do 

I don’t want to say no to he or ruin what he has planned to do as this is on my door step and get the pros of pest control etc on top of this 

[Walker570]

If the man wants to do that then go ahead. Looking at your map I think that is way over the top.  The area looks like you could release about 100 and with plenty of feed stations  and game cover strips you MIGHT just hold them and give you a once a month walk round for 10 to 15 birds.  I make no apology for being a bit of a wet blanket but in these things you have to look at the worse scenario and I have been involved with releasing on small self help shoots for a long time on far better country than you have there and over twice the area and much more.

[decoy1979]

6 hours ago, farmboy807 said:

Thanks ya the middle wood is perfect it only reason I said two pens is because he wants to do little 50 birds days and put around 800 birds down with partridge 

obliviously if this was a run syndicate I would dare start with that many but that’s what he want to do 

I don’t want to say no to he or ruin what he has planned to do as this is on my door step and get the pros of pest control etc on top of this 

Hi John, I think 800 birds down is quite ambitious on that sort of acerage but there is only one way go find out I suppose.

A few things to think about:

What's the farmers relationship like with his neighbouring land owners? Is there is a chance of blanking there fields in or even shooting over there land to give you a bit more area to work with as with 150 acres your drives/covers will essentially be on top of each other so shooting one may well push the birds out of the next drive.

Partridges - assuming you are thinking red legs will probably stay in one covey even if released from different pens so they are unlikely to feature in multiple drives unless you try to chase them around all day. 

Rather than 50 bird days I think 20-30 may be more realistic October onwards once a month.

Good luck and keep us posted as the work gets underway.

 

[farmboy807]

Thanks everyone ya understand what your all saying about the size and drives on top of each other’s all I can say to him is about this so either less birds or if he wants to go for it then that’s up to him but will be a big big trail