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Feeding wild pheasants

  • 03-10-2007 4:13pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15


    Hi, new to this forum. Just wondering has anyone had much luck in supplimenting food for wild pheasants? I have put out a number of hoppers this year.Will be interesting to see if there are any significant changes in numbers of cocks shot this year. Also, has anyone tried feeding anything other than wheat such as oats, barley, etc?


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 2,719 ✭✭✭oleras


    Dont know much about shooting, but i do know they like apples !

    I have had 4-6 cocks hanging around my garden the last week or two eating up all the windfalls on the ground, and done a fine job of it aswell. I went out last night and shook lots more off for them, very tame "wild" birds.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 468 ✭✭foxhunter


    Oleras
    Somehow i dont think they are wild birds more likely to be releases from the local gun club wild pheasants dont get tame.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,719 ✭✭✭oleras


    foxhunter wrote:
    Oleras
    Somehow i dont think they are wild birds more likely to be releases from the local gun club wild pheasants dont get tame.

    Oh i know that, and they take a few weeks to become more cautious of humans. Very nice to see up close though.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 15 Kerbdog2007


    Always great to see a Pheasant or two around the garden. Personally I think the mixed cover/feed crop idea is the best solution for making sure there is food available for the birds but is so hard to organise due to time, money, permission, etc. Hopefully with the latest REPS programme more farmers will sow it along field margins, etc. Would be great for encouraging pheasants (wild or not) and the spaniels seem to love jumping around in the stuff!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,464 ✭✭✭Double Barrel


    Habitat conservation.
    Tillage crops, mangles, swedes, and wheat,barley,oates etc.
    Plant fennel (anise) as early as possible and let it go to seed.
    "Food Crops
    We would suggest where a pheasant release programme is in place that a number of food crops be sown throughout the district. The suggested food crops are as follows:- Quinoa, Sweetcorn, Kale, Swedes, Artichokes, Kingmix, Oil-seed rape, Oats, Turnips and Potatoes. As a matter of fact, if the ground is just ploughed and left, a good crop of weeds will emerge which will include redshank, lamb's quarter, fat hen etc, which in themselves make an excellent source of food, including playing host to abundant insect life.
    We suggest that anyone who is actively involved in farming or who has the friendly ear of a farming relation or neighbour should in the nicest possible way advise against further habitat destruction."
    http://www.nargc.ie/conservation.html


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 468 ✭✭foxhunter


    One of the lads in our club had some cabbages that the slugs had got at this year so we bagged them up and gave them to the pheasants to see if they would eat them.It was like watching a frenzy of piranna fish they didn't stop till they had scoffed the lot .As far as i can make out they will thrive on anything including each other if they are hungry .


  • Registered Users Posts: 708 ✭✭✭Terrier


    foxhunter wrote:
    One of the lads in our club had some cabbages that the slugs had got at this year so we bagged them up and gave them to the pheasants to see if they would eat them.It was like watching a frenzy of piranna fish they didn't stop till they had scoffed the lot .As far as i can make out they will thrive on anything including each other if they are hungry .

    Turkey & Game feed they love it.. cabbage is a big favourite of pheasants in the west anyway..


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 68 ✭✭wildfowler


    Habitat conservation.
    Tillage crops, mangles, swedes, and wheat,barley,oates etc.
    Plant fennel (anise) as early as possible and let it go to seed.

    http://www.nargc.ie/conservation.html
    can you tell me where i can buy cover crops for pheasants


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 68 ✭✭wildfowler


    can anyone tell me where i can get cover crops for pheasants


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 468 ✭✭foxhunter


    wildfowler wrote: »
    can anyone tell me where i can get cover crops for pheasants

    Try the farmers co ops they should be able to point you in the right direction.
    Artichoke is another favourite of the pheasant it can be sown as a game crop no problem.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 2,067 ✭✭✭EPointer=Birdss


    We have used rolled barley this year, its readily available from co-ops or feed distributors... Proves very good. Shot one cock with so much barley in his crop it looked like a tennis ball.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,072 ✭✭✭cavan shooter


    I have 6 feeders up at the minute and feed rolled barley. However I also have bags of economy pigeon mix which I buy from Murtaghs in Balough, North County Dublin. Now you might be wondering why feed economy pigeon mix, quite simply it has the following seeds in it and the pheasants love it.

    Maize
    wheat
    barley
    peas
    and other seeds (bird seed by the looks of it).

    This I spread by hand

    So far this year I have in a fairly small patch 5 cocks and numerous hens. I thinned that back from 7 cocks at the start of the season.

    To prove that feeding works, I strated doing it in August in an area I spotted some birds (1 cock and 3 hens). I used to give the feeder springs a good shake and using a sand trap was able to see that they were using the feeder. By October I noticed that I had 3 extra cocks on the patch and more hens. Late october I released 3 cocks I got

    My feeders cannot be see from the roads, in fact you have to drive down farm lanes to get them.

    The yound cocks I let out where wild enough but on occassion one would come towards the jeep after he associated my jeep with food. A couple of shots in his general direction (not wishing to hit him) sorted that out.

    Everyone did this (2 hrs on a weekend) the country would be alive with birds


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,067 ✭✭✭EPointer=Birdss



    Everyone did this (2 hrs on a weekend) the country would be alive with birds

    No truer words said. This coupled with Predator control by all neighbouring gun clubs & alot less birds would have to be released!

    Its all well & good breeding, feeding all year if you are not working on the the other aspect of it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 68 ✭✭wildfowler


    we reared 200 7 week old chicks lasted year released them in two differant pens one close top and one open had good return out of both. but birds out of open top were far bigger and bitter flyers.have any of ye come across this before.


  • Registered Users Posts: 66 ✭✭LOUTHSHOOTER


    I have 6 feeders up at the minute and feed rolled barley. However I also have bags of economy pigeon mix which I buy from Murtaghs in Balough, North County Dublin. Now you might be wondering why feed economy pigeon mix, quite simply it has the following seeds in it and the pheasants love it.

    Maize
    wheat
    barley
    peas
    and other seeds (bird seed by the looks of it).

    This I spread by hand

    So far this year I have in a fairly small patch 5 cocks and numerous hens. I thinned that back from 7 cocks at the start of the season.

    To prove that feeding works, I strated doing it in August in an area I spotted some birds (1 cock and 3 hens). I used to give the feeder springs a good shake and using a sand trap was able to see that they were using the feeder. By October I noticed that I had 3 extra cocks on the patch and more hens. Late october I released 3 cocks I got

    My feeders cannot be see from the roads, in fact you have to drive down farm lanes to get them.

    The yound cocks I let out where wild enough but on occassion one would come towards the jeep after he associated my jeep with food. A couple of shots in his general direction (not wishing to hit him) sorted that out.

    Everyone did this (2 hrs on a weekend) the country would be alive with birds
    sorry cavan shooter not being picky but did u mean whites agri in balough


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,072 ✭✭✭cavan shooter


    sorry my mistake Whites it is the turn is at Murtaghs :o


  • Registered Users Posts: 297 ✭✭J. Ramone


    sorry my mistake Whites it is the turn is at Murtaghs :o

    I got a funny look when I ordered a pint of Guinness & a bag of pigeon mix.


  • Registered Users Posts: 972 ✭✭✭mallards


    Whites is near me. Is there much difference in cost between the pigeon mix and a bag of wheat as I would like to try this (Not personaly!:P)?

    Mallards.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 16 00pip00


    bale of straw and put lots of wheat on top of it in a fairly open are so u can hav a look at what u are dealin wit.u will get a gud lot of pheasants hangin found it.they wll pick at it for weeks


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 68 ✭✭wildfowler


    HI LADS
    can u get artichokes and millet at any co-op or do i have to order it from some where else.

    thanks
    wildfowler


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,072 ✭✭✭cavan shooter


    I think that you'll pobabally have to order it in. There are websites that can help and will deliver but I dont know the costs


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