Pen Stocking Denisty

[Millomite]

Just been looking on the GCT website at pheasant stocking densities. They recommend a stocking density of 700 pheasants per hectare (300 birds per acre) in a pen.

 

Am I right in thinking that a hectare is 10000 sq metres and an acre is 4000 sq metres?

 

If so that's 300 pheasants in a 60 x 60 pen?

 

How do you do it on your shoot?

[highseas]

1 bird for every 2 meters of pen i think isnt it

[Millomite]

Is that square metres or wire length

[Ferretboy111]

I read from the GCT that its 1 meter of perimeter fence per bird. So my pens, ie: my 10*10*10*10 pen holds 40 birds, and the other 2 of 150 meters hold 150 birds, i think it can be doubled if an excess of 1000 pheasants are being released in the same pen.

 

 

Best to have it 1 meter per bird, then the birds actually get tails early, instead of having them pecked off by each other as they try and come through.

 

Alex

[Millomite]

Yeah there's so many different opinions, some people are saying 10-12 square metres per birds etc. I think it's just trial and error really, obviously with as much space as possible

[highseas]

its every meter of fence millomite

[scolopax]

Bigger is generally better birds mature and hold better when they are not stressed due to over stocking. The type of ground cover in the pen really does have an effect, my pen is roughly 12 meters by 12metres but has so much cover in it I have to cut rides through it to let the birds in otherwise they just stay inside the perimeter wire. The first year i had 120 puolts in it, last season 150. This spring I will be extending it by about another 8 meters in one direction.