Catching up

[Stealth Stalker]

I fancy having a go at rearing a few birds for next season on our syndicate shoot, I've made a cage approx 6ft x 2ft x 2ft high, I'm having trouble with the catching funnel? what are the prefered dimensions? I'm finding the birds are eating the grain at the entrance & half way down but not commiting fully to the cage? Are there any tips to better my chances?

 

Also what would be the best way to incubate, I'm thinking of getting a few broody hens , would they bring the little-uns along or would I have to seperate them once hatched & put them under a lamp? How does one go about getting broody hens?

 

This is also a ploy to get a few free range chickens in the garden, I've already made a coop & run hidden down the back.

 

Mrs SS isn't to keen

 

I'm not thinking of huge numbers of birds, maybe 20 or 30 as a first attempt, I'm also thinking of doing all of this in my back garden, so I can keep a better eye on procedings.

 

Any tips & advice appreciated :unsure:

 

SS

[Ferret Master]

The broodies will be PERFECT they will teach the birds how to feed and forage naturally and protect them from danger. We raised a few phessies a little while ago under our bantams and had a very high success rate. I will fill you in with a bit more info tomorrow if you want it but I'm currently bogged down with homework for tomorrow.

 

FM

[Stealth Stalker]

If you could please FM

 

Cheers

[al4x]

personally I'd try an incubator and lamp because you can monitor a bit more closely and it is a nightmare getting hold of broody hens. They will teach the chicks things but you will need to give them free run of the garden and they will trash it. You need to do it for your amusement as its hard work and the reason most keepers these days buy in poults.

[Browning]

SS,

 

Have you set your catcher on straw? If not then try it, it will definitely help.

 

With my catchers I have a "pop hole" (rabbit netting funnel) at each end. Sprinkle wheat all around

the outside of the catcher, and inside the funnel, then have a large amount just inside the catcher.

 

Mine usually take a couple of weeks before they start producing much, but once the birds find

them they keep coming regularly.

 

Remember you are not allowed to 'catch up' out of season.

[Stealth Stalker]

SS,

 

Have you set your catcher on straw? If not then try it, it will definitely help.

 

With my catchers I have a "pop hole" (rabbit netting funnel) at each end. Sprinkle wheat all around

the outside of the catcher, and inside the funnel, then have a large amount just inside the catcher.

 

Mine usually take a couple of weeks before they start producing much, but once the birds find

them they keep coming regularly.

 

Remember you are not allowed to 'catch up' out of season.

 

The catcher is set up on straw, what are the dimensions of the funnel?

 

Its only been down a few days, so maybe I'm being a bit impatient.

 

And as you rightly point out the season,s coming to an end soon.

 

Talking to my gamekeeper mate he advised setting with one end open for a few days, let the birds find it, then close the end without the funnel, then set the funnel. Makes sense really!

 

Do you incubate or sit a broody on the eggs?

 

Not wanting to sound daft but wouldn't the hen pheasant sit on her clutch?

 

Cheers

 

SS

[sandersj89]

I always let them have free access to the trap for a week so they get used to it and then put in the final panel and start catching.

 

Also, what have you on the roof? If it is bare chcicken wire you can scalp the birds as they try to fly out the top. I hang hessian sacking under the roof , about a foot lower than the acutal wire roof, to protect them.

 

Make sure you aim a a decent ration of cockcs to hens, you dont want a duff cock resulting in sterile eggs.

 

Jerry

[Ferretboy111]

I seriously thought about catching up some birds at one time on my shoot, but forgot that idea when i saw the price and size of incubators. I buy my day old chicks in at 0.80p each and put them all under lamps.

 

But if i were to catch up a few and try and rear some from eggs id:

 

1. Buy an incubator of around a 40 capacity. = £100ish

2. Find someone with bantams and borrow them as they become broody.

 

The only trouble with having chickens and expecting them to be broody, is that each chicken would become broody at different times, some not even atall. Therefore getting a staggered batch of pheasants out= equalling alot more work. We have 50 bantams at the farm where i work at and only a few get seriously broody, some lay but not all sit tight.

 

The old gamekeeper on my shoot used to use broody's, he let her do all the work and then put mother and chicks out into a roofed release pen. He then used to remove the mother after a week or so.

 

Alex

[Tarka]

leave the catcher 'unset' and put some maize inside, once you know the birds are happy enough to go inside the catcher, then shut it all up and place the pop hole in place. we use netting to cover the tops with, but if you got squirrel around it may be worth leaving the net off until the catcher is set and ready to go

 

the hend phesant will sit on her clutch but you will nee to remove the eggs from under her ASAP if youy are gunna use an incubator otherwise the embryo will start to develop then die once they have been taken from the hen bird

[Browning]

Another thing to think about, if you don't want the expense and hassle of setting up to rear your own chicks,

is to speak to your game farm and see if you can do a deal with him.

 

My game farm gives me three poults next season for every hen bird I take to them.

 

My pal who keepers the shoot next to me gets a very good deal on day olds.