Poults or Adults?

mallards

I know this is not strictly 'shooting' but I reckon this would be the best place to ask. Will people be releasing poults or Adult pheasants this year? The reason Im asking is I released poults in the past and had a lack of shooting!
What are everybodies feelings on this?


Mallards.

dimebag249

We will mallards, vermin being the main problem. What are the populations of foxes, grey crows, mag-pies and so on like in your area. They'll massacre young birds, we have some fairly effective traps set at the moment. Some people reckon it's a waste of time regardless, I figure it depends on your vermin control. Thanks for raising the question, I'll be interested in hearing others opinions on this.

mallards

Well I try my best at the vermin control. I shoot out any magpies or crows nests I find on my ground. Go crow shooting every once and a while. Take the odd fox with my shotgun aswell as let a group of fox hunters push out likely areas twice a year. I put out feeders and have good release pens. Im only talking about 60 odd birds, but would I be better releasing 60 odd adult birds? Has anyone any experience of doing this or even any tips for poult releasing?


Mallards.

Terrier

If your not doing this then don't even think about poults!!
(fox pictures are too graphic to post)

mallards

Nice!


I have a larsen going at the minute. We have a few grey crows but magpies are my biggest worry. I made a large funnel trap from one of my partridge pens and it catchs a lot of jackdaws and the occasional grey.

Mallards.

mallards

Also I use a closed topped pen and the poults are nearly adult sized by the time of their eventual release. Would a grey tackle a near adult sized bird?

Mallards.

mallards

Im leaning towards adult ex-laying birds, has anyone any experience of doing this?


Mallards.

wildfowler

uncle has a shoot in scotland put down 300 ex-layers in 1 part of shoot and never saw them again

Donalmit

Hi Mallards,
All the above posters are 100% correct regarding predator control. Whether you rear from 6 week olds or release adult birds, a few foxes in your area will clean them up in no time. Magpies and Greys cause most damage to wild bird eggs and young. Once a poult is 6 weeks old it can avoid most predators by roosting or just flying away. There are 2 critical ways to keep your birds in your area apart from pest control and they are the breed you select (some are more prove to straying than others) and the amount and siting of your feeders. We have used Black necks this year and the return has been excellent. I plan to rear some (150) under bantams this year and hope to keep our area topped up. We used to place our feeders along ditches and hanging from trees etc. The problem here is that it is too easy for a fox or CAT to lay in ambush and they could take a bird a day (or more) before you know it. Move your feeders to a location that allows the birds to see any trouble coming. Give them every chance you can and your returns will improve. BTW have others noticed a very good survival rate for wild birds last year?

Rgds,

Mitch