Next season?

[London Best]

Just received the news that the partridge shoot where I have taken most of my days for the last fifteen years has completely abandoned the idea of shooting next season as they are unable to source any partridges at all. Apparently they changed suppliers last year and now nobody will supply them.

[enfieldspares]

Is there bad blood then? 

[Old farrier]

Perhaps it’s time keepers started rearing there own again 

instead of buying in maybe the tide is turning 

[London Best]

39 minutes ago, enfieldspares said:

Is there bad blood then? 

Don’t think so. Suppliers are said to be looking after long term customers.

26 minutes ago, Old farrier said:

Perhaps it’s time keepers started rearing there own again 

instead of buying in maybe the tide is turning 

I think you may be right.

[Lloyd90]

2 hours ago, Old farrier said:

Perhaps it’s time keepers started rearing there own again 

instead of buying in maybe the tide is turning 

I was told it’s not cost effective due to the U.K. banning the type of cages they use in France. 

[Old farrier]

4 hours ago, Lloyd90 said:

I was told it’s not cost effective due to the U.K. banning the type of cages they use in France. 

And it’s cost effective to get no birds ? 

 

[Dave at kelton]

We changed supplier this year as one more local had capacity for pheasants due to shoots closing. I guess partridge suppliers will deal with their best and most longstanding customers first like any other industry.

[Smokersmith]

See the topic ‘Poults’ in Gamekeeping & Shoot Management.

Many, many shoots will be affected.

[Walker570]

Just had an e mail on the subject from Richard Gray Premier Game Days and fortunately non of his shoots have been hit.  

Whwn I ran a syndicate we purchased our birds from Walkers at Enville  (no family connection) and they used their own eggs and birds ahd brilliant large pens with brush piles for them to lay their eggs in natural conditions.   Of course I am sure they will have been problems this year with the bird flu situation.

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Just been reading through the previous minutes and agenda for the upcoming AGM from our shoot in Yorkshire.

Currently no plans to raise the price for the year.

No spaces available though, we are fully subscribed.

[oldypigeonpopper]

Hello, if anyone remembers game keepers row at game fairs in the early days it was much about rearing your own birds and most game dealers have gone bust now, it will only be the big and expensive payed shoots that can get their birds this year's, those small shoots can still survive by looking after natural grown pheasant and partridge with good gamekeeping, and the shoot days can still be enjoyable 

[London Best]

Pheasants do not seem to be so badly affected by this event. 
The shoot referred to in my original post is a partridge shoot. They usually only release 3000 pheasants, and I quote, “to make sure there is something for the beaters at the end of the season.”

[TIGHTCHOKE]

8 minutes ago, London Best said:

Pheasants do not seem to be so badly affected by this event. 
The shoot referred to in my original post is a partridge shoot. They usually only release 3000 pheasants, and I quote, “to make sure there is something for the beaters at the end of the season.”

ALWAYS look after your Beaters!

[Lloyd90]

7 hours ago, Old farrier said:

And it’s cost effective to get no birds ? 

 

 

It doesn’t cost you anything to not have them 🤷‍♂️

 

People are moaning about the price of birds this year. 
 

Imagine they were done in-house, yet more price rises. 
 

 

[Old farrier]

39 minutes ago, Lloyd90 said:

 

It doesn’t cost you anything to not have them 🤷‍♂️

 

People are moaning about the price of birds this year. 
 

Imagine they were done in-house, yet more price rises. 
 

 

except the ground rent the keepers wages the maintenance of the equipment planting of game covers ( obligatory und some land management schemes) and a few other things 
 

 

Massive amount of predator control and a good amount of habitat creation and the birds on the shoot ground would multiply grouse moors are a example     No predators controlled and no heather burning equals no grouse 

appreciate labourer costs and energy costs however the bags of today are no higher than the Edwardian era and I’m sure they never imported the birds 

I think to many people have relied on the cheap imported birds and eggs for a bit to long 

there’s plenty of shoots that do it all in house catch up the hens hatch and rear the chicks release and have a good shoot 

selling the surplus to offset costs either selling poults or a few days through the season 

 

I’m fairly sure the estate LB mentioned holds the record for the most wild birds shot in a day so it could be done 

[Walker570]

I quote Richard Gray again. On average birds have gone up £2 a bird on shoots he has booked so In mind of the fuel price alone never mind food prices I can live with that. Adds about £35 to one of my days on average.  Just bite the bullet and do away with some other pleasure you really do not need.

[Lloyd90]

1 hour ago, Old farrier said:

 

I think to many people have relied on the cheap imported birds and eggs for a bit to long 

 

That’s the truth of it right there. 
 

Goes hand in hand with the fact many shoots are reliant on the fact that they don’t pay the beaters and pickers up more than a few quid. 
 

The hare truth of it is a lot of shoots are either financially unviable or the owners are cutting corners to pocket the difference. 
 

I saw an article on the news just last week with the same thing in horse yards, Staff being paid pittance and owners complaining they can’t afford to pay them anymore. 
 

 

[Centrepin]

Isn't it true though that absolutely everything except wages(& pensions) are spiralling out of control.

If you just look at the weekly shopping bill as an example 🙄 or if you don't shop maybe you buy cartridges.

I'm afraid that only "us" at the lower end will feel it and what has always been an expensive yet just about affordable hobby will once again become an elitist pastime? Maybe that's what the upper classes are aiming for.

Pigeon, Crow and rats for the oiks like me.

 

[nic]

Driven pheasant has always been a sport for people with cash to spare.  

You cannot argue that it is good value for money from just the meat that you could put onto the table, or the amount of time spent doing a pastime when compared to there pastimes like angling/golf/cinema.

On the bigger shoots where it is done on a commercial basis then obviously they are there to make a profit... anyone who cannot accept that is daft.  It is the whole point of business.... overheads must be less than income and the excess is your profit.  if you increase your expenses (eg beaters pay) then you must increase the cost to the client.

The issue with going back to the old days of rearing your own is the cost of employing people to do it.  is it actually viable for the average shoot?

[macca2017]

 I saw this message from one particular shoot -

"The forthcoming season may well be a challenge for a number of estates with escalating costs and uncertainty in the supply of chicks.

We though having supported local game farmers for many years and will continue to do so which has secured our birds, and being farmers too, we have our wheat already in the ground and earmarked for us."

 

Therefore I made an enquiry and received this - 

 

"Unfortunately, due to the ongoing issues with bird flu in France which has caused a dramatic shortage of game available we have had to take the hard decision to cancel this season as it is just not viable"

 

Extremely difficult for many, I have days booked but not 100% confident they will all  go ahead. 

[Scully]

Just been told big shoots are the most liable to struggle next season. Wheat now over 400 quid a ton and eggs at 8 quid each! May be looking at 50-60 quid a bird next season. Smaller shoots may do ok. 
Our ‘big’ commercial shoot may be shooting steel only next season. Time will tell. 

[Walker570]

On 19/04/2022 at 14:56, nic said:

Driven pheasant has always been a sport for people with cash to spare.  

You cannot argue that it is good value for money from just the meat that you could put onto the table, or the amount of time spent doing a pastime when compared to there pastimes like angling/golf/cinema.

On the bigger shoots where it is done on a commercial basis then obviously they are there to make a profit... anyone who cannot accept that is daft.  It is the whole point of business.... overheads must be less than income and the excess is your profit.  if you increase your expenses (eg beaters pay) then you must increase the cost to the client.

The issue with going back to the old days of rearing your own is the cost of employing people to do it.  is it actually viable for the average shoot?

Almost all activities carry a price and everyone spends their hard earned cash how they feel fit. I am a pensioner and fortunately now old enough not to have a mortgage. All of my spare cash after looking after ourselves goes into my garden or shooting, be it whacking tree rats or having a nice day on the partridge or pheasant. I drive a 34 year old Landy and have a X type Jag which cost me £4000 for best and just a splash of Scotch each evening medicinally is all I waste on alcohol. I have 12 days booked this next season and assured that they will run.  I have yet to hear from another estate which may add another day or two.  A few less than normal but my choice.  I choose to shoot instead of throwing money at foriegn holidays and my money stays here in the UK. I'm also fortunate in having a wife for the last 59years who enjoys the shooting days more than I do.

[Scully]

46 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

Almost all activities carry a price and everyone spends their hard earned cash how they feel fit. I am a pensioner and fortunately now old enough not to have a mortgage. All of my spare cash after looking after ourselves goes into my garden or shooting, be it whacking tree rats or having a nice day on the partridge or pheasant. I drive a 34 year old Landy and have a X type Jag which cost me £4000 for best and just a splash of Scotch each evening medicinally is all I waste on alcohol. I have 12 days booked this next season and assured that they will run.  I have yet to hear from another estate which may add another day or two.  A few less than normal but my choice.  I choose to shoot instead of throwing money at foriegn holidays and my money stays here in the UK. I'm also fortunate in having a wife for the last 59years who enjoys the shooting days more than I do.

Sounds grand! 👍

[London Best]

1 hour ago, Scully said:

Sounds grand! 👍

Sounds SO similar to my situation.

[rimfire4969]

I buy a few days and am lucky enough to get a some invites to some nice shoots. But for value for money my syndicate is good as long as you don't want big bags £700 ish per season, shoot 10 days bags from 20 to 45, plus pest control year round. A great bunch of guys, we feed and water our beaters but don't pay them, they do have the pick of the bag and we also have a healthy amount of children that come along for the day. Local golf club in comparison membership is £680 per year or £45 per round.