jaydub1970 Posted December 28, 2023 Report Share Posted December 28, 2023 Some advice please? I've just taken on a New Shoot ( DIY ) for 24/25 season. Need some advice on how much wheat will be needed please? Birds will go in 3 Pens around July 24 time. All Pheasants, we will be putting down around 1500 birds. 1st Day will be end of Oct 24 and last day end of Jan 25 So some advice of how many Tons of Wheat would be needed please. Many thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted December 28, 2023 Report Share Posted December 28, 2023 Contact the NGO, they will have the correct answers to all your questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydub1970 Posted December 28, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2023 Topman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archi Posted December 28, 2023 Report Share Posted December 28, 2023 Game and wildlife conservation trusts states per 1000 bird - 2t of growers pellets to take up to 12 - 14 weeks of age and then 6 tonnes of wheat. So you would need 3t of pellets and 9t of wheat the old saying used to be 1t of wheat per 100 birds from memory just need to ensure they deer don’t empty your feeders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydub1970 Posted December 28, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2023 Very helpful. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam triple Posted December 28, 2023 Report Share Posted December 28, 2023 7 minutes ago, jaydub1970 said: Very helpful. Thank you Metal feeders or squirrels will chew into them , you will also need plenty of water several large water tanks and plenty of drinkers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jall25 Posted December 28, 2023 Report Share Posted December 28, 2023 8 hours ago, jaydub1970 said: Some advice please? I've just taken on a New Shoot ( DIY ) for 24/25 season. Need some advice on how much wheat will be needed please? Birds will go in 3 Pens around July 24 time. All Pheasants, we will be putting down around 1500 birds. 1st Day will be end of Oct 24 and last day end of Jan 25 So some advice of how many Tons of Wheat would be needed please. Many thanks Thats a lot of birds if you dont quite know what you are doing More important is the cover etc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8 shot Posted December 28, 2023 Report Share Posted December 28, 2023 It will largely depend on how much vermin and deer you have. One of our pens on a DIY shoot was close to a Rookery and could easily get through 40 to 50 kilos a day to Rooks and Jackdaws, had to resort to Battery operated spinners on barrel feeders. All deer love a feeder of any type during the winter months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weihrauch17 Posted December 28, 2023 Report Share Posted December 28, 2023 48 minutes ago, 8 shot said: It will largely depend on how much vermin and deer you have. One of our pens on a DIY shoot was close to a Rookery and could easily get through 40 to 50 kilos a day to Rooks and Jackdaws, had to resort to Battery operated spinners on barrel feeders. All deer love a feeder of any type during the winter months. This Corvids, Rodents and Deer can consume huge amounts. We put down 600 and feed 7 tonnes in feeders and a lot doesn't go to the Pheasants. Gets pricey @ £200 a tonne and a lot more in the not to distant past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaydub1970 Posted December 29, 2023 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2023 Very helpful. Thank you all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiny tim Posted January 1 Report Share Posted January 1 We have 900 pheasants. 2t. Pellets 8 ton wheat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
williamwansbeck Posted January 2 Report Share Posted January 2 (edited) On 28/12/2023 at 15:16, archi said: Game and wildlife conservation trusts states per 1000 bird - 2t of growers pellets to take up to 12 - 14 weeks of age and then 6 tonnes of wheat. So you would need 3t of pellets and 9t of wheat the old saying used to be 1t of wheat per 100 birds from memory just need to ensure they deer don’t empty your feeders Always worked on 1 ton per 100 birds and its nigh enough,1 ton of pellets for 400 birds Edited January 2 by williamwansbeck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rim Fire Posted January 6 Report Share Posted January 6 I had 1200 birds this season we got one shoot date left and i have used 4 ton wheat 1 ton of medicated 1 ton of growers 1 ton of chopped maze and got hardly any left i had 3 beaters out shooting squirrels over 3 pens don't forget your bird numbers also decline as the year go on as been said it's got a lot to do with other wildlife eating its share Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enfieldspares Posted January 13 Report Share Posted January 13 (edited) You will need to feed the birds after your last day to keep them fed until the arrival of Spring and nature's natural larder becomes available again. Or at the very very least I hope that you will do so. But, yes, as others have said the feed bill should get less as you shoot more birds. FWIW if anyone has access to a .22LR rifle I'd use the six days between your last formal day and 1 February to at least "get in" amongst the cock birds and shoot as many as you can (and of course enjoy eating them). Again depending on the layout of the shoot you may benefit from "dogging in" and walking the hedgerows (or other lines of possible exit such as abandoned railway lines) in towards your main holding woods one the season begins. Edited January 13 by enfieldspares Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted January 13 Report Share Posted January 13 1 ton per hundred birds as a rule of thumb, with maybe a couple of ton extra depending on the take by deer, squirrels etc (never underestimated how much wheat gets eaten by the unwanted. I would budget on 18 ton. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jall25 Posted January 13 Report Share Posted January 13 10 hours ago, enfieldspares said: You will need to feed the birds after your last day to keep them fed until the arrival of Spring and nature's natural larder becomes available again. Or at the very very least I hope that you will do so. But, yes, as others have said the feed bill should get less as you shoot more birds. FWIW if anyone has access to a .22LR rifle I'd use the six days between your last formal day and 1 February to at least "get in" amongst the cock birds and shoot as many as you can (and of course enjoy eating them). Again depending on the layout of the shoot you may benefit from "dogging in" and walking the hedgerows (or other lines of possible exit such as abandoned railway lines) in towards your main holding woods one the season begins. Yes - good point Enfieldspares We actually feed all year round on our shoot - not all the hoppers but certainly half I really keep on top of the vermin and hand feed until well into spring too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enfieldspares Posted January 14 Report Share Posted January 14 Also remember that if you are "catching up" hens to use as laying stock (and the odd cock) that this MUST be done by 1 February at the latest as afterwards it is actually illegal to trap them after the close of the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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