Selling "fresh" pigeons to a game dealer

[Blunderbuss]

I know game dealers will buy fresh or frozen birds, offering less for the latter, but how fresh is fresh? Does it mean collected on the day they are shot, or if stored in a cool place or fridge within a couple of days?

 

On a related matter, if you place shot birds in the pattern on a hot day, do you still eat them if they've been out in the sun for a couple of hours?

Edited August 5, 2009 by Blunderbuss

[M ROBSON]

There is all sorts of European legislation controlling food hygene with respect to game.

 

If you don't own a chiller they should be taken straight to the game dealer the day they are shot.

 

In a chiller set to 3 degrees you can have up to 4 days storage.

 

Mark.

[Blunderbuss]

There is all sorts of European legislation controlling food hygene with respect to game.

 

If you don't own a chiller they should be taken straight to the game dealer the day they are shot.

 

In a chiller set to 3 degrees you can have up to 4 days storage.

 

Mark.

Sounds about what I expected, cheers.

[Harnser]

I generally use the first half dozen or so birds for decoys . If it is a hot day and the birds have been out for the day as decoys they will be fly blown and well on the way to being rotten ,it dosent take long . These birds are buried at the end of the day . In the winter they will be allright to eat or sell on to the game dealer . The birds shot in the summer are usualy bagged as soon as shot or put into a very damp hession sack and kept in the shade all day . If you look at the birds vent and see any shade of green then discard as unfit for eating . Believe me they can start to decompose very quickly on a hot day if not looked after . To my mind keeping the birds fit enough for eating on a hot summers day is the worse part of pigeon shooting . On a hot muggy night the birds wont keep fresh over night out side of a chiller .

Harnser .

Edited August 5, 2009 by Harnser

[mikee]

i like the wet sack trick harnser, its bugged me for years how to cool them in the field, i will be taking a sack and tub of water next trip

 

mikee

[Blunderbuss]

Yep good tip. I might nick a few of the missus' hessian reusable shopping bags

[Toombsy]

Great tip Hanser

 

Thanks mate

[Cranfield]

I have a large refrigerator, as well as freezers, in my garage and dead birds that I have used as decoys go in there and are used the next day as decoys again.

Fly blown or not, they last 4-5 days like this, that saves "wasting" fresh dead birds every day.

[Imperfection]

When i retrieve shot birds and its hot-i pop them in plastic carrier bags and knot them to prevent flies getting in.I then then place the bags somewhere cool in the shade and go straight to the butcher or pub on way home when i've finished.

 

I like Harnsers damp hessium sack idea,but to be honest-i havent seen any for years now.

[pegasus bridge]

When i retrieve shot birds and its hot-i pop them in plastic carrier bags and knot them to prevent flies getting in.I then then place the bags somewhere cool in the shade and go straight to the butcher or pub on way home when i've finished.

 

I like Harnsers damp hessium sack idea,but to be honest-i havent seen any for years now.

 

try fleabay for the hessian sacks- cheap as chips

[Harnser]

For years i used to use the old hession grain sacks . Unfortunately they are hard to come by ,but are still available if you ask around . Feed merchants may have some or grain dealers or there may be some around the farm .

Harnser .

[Lez325]

why not just use a cool box and Ice packs??? - £20 from Argos works better than any other method Ive tried and you can use the box as a hide seat

 

Les

[shoughton]

why not just use a cool box and Ice packs??? - £20 from Argos works better than any other method Ive tried and you can use the box as a hide seat

 

Les

 

Good thinking. Daft thing is I use mine when I go fishing but I've never thought of using it for pigeons. Cool boxes are probably too small for most people on here - but I've not had many days when I would run out of room in mine

[gyp]

How much do they pay for rabbits and pigeons?

[Lez325]

Good thinking. Daft thing is I use mine when I go fishing but I've never thought of using it for pigeons. Cool boxes are probably too small for most people on here - but I've not had many days when I would run out of room in mine

 

 

Never thought of the amount concerned- I have a 35 litre box could get more than enough woodies in there for personal consumption- even more if you breast them - just a good idea to keep them fresh

 

Les

Edited August 6, 2009 by Lez325

[chrispti]

Builders hessian, can buy it in large rolls

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=250422234177

[Bluebarrels]

Builders hessian, can buy it in large rolls

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=250422234177

 

or why not use military issue sand-bags?easy enough to come by

[mikee]

How much do they pay for rabbits and pigeons?

 

at the moment mine is paying 35p for fresh pigeons and 60p for fresh rabbits if gutted and head shot or hand killed

 

mikee

[Sundodger]

I am getting £1 per bird breasted. and £1.25 per bird plucked and dressed.

 

Sundodger

[Nial]

I am getting £1 per bird breasted. and £1.25 per bird plucked and dressed.

Sundodger

 

 

Do you not need a game license to sell birds that aren't still in the feather?

 

 

 

Nial

[Lez325]

I am getting £1 per bird breasted. and £1.25 per bird plucked and dressed.

 

Sundodger

 

 

PM his phone number I could sell him 100's

 

Les

[danccooke]

A local pub will buy them off me for £1 a bird, however i don't have a game license just a basic food and hygiene, and he doesn't like crowning them, so sell them to him in feather. Then 'help out' crowning them in return for a pint or two.

Too be honest though most of the time I prefer to eat what I shoot myself and so far haven't had one of those red letter days where I have too many for my own (brother and parents included) consumption.