releasing pheasant

natdog

looking at releasing some pheasant in march.
They are from an estate in scotland birds that rode there luck this season.
Do you think im mad or is it worth a go only putting out a small amount thinking 30 hens 10 cocks and whats the chance of them breeding.
I will be putting out feeders for them.
any info would be great lads thanks

EPointer=Birdss

natdog wrote: »

looking at releasing some pheasant in march.
They are from an estate in scotland birds that rode there luck this season.
Do you think im mad or is it worth a go only putting out a small amount thinking 30 hens 10 cocks and whats the chance of them breeding.
I will be putting out feeders for them.
any info would be great lads thanks

If they are incubator birds they may or may not sit long enough to hatch if they survive vermin at all. Is your ground well contolled?
Why don't you fence em in a run, collect the eggs every day & hatch em under hens or in an incubator every week once a clutch is gathered....
I can bet you that a cock & 4 hens & collecting the eggs will give you a better return than releasing those guys...
By all means if you get a good deal leave off the rest & see what happens...

I breath a few every year & 4 hens give between 25-28 eggs a week when on layers pellets. That's realistically 20 to 25 chicks all things going well. (Sometimes can be poor & you get a lot less) 20 ckicks by 4 is 80 a month & by 3-4 months of laying is possibly 300 birds...
You need a set up though, with runs, red lamps, hoppers etc etc & a bit of know how...

Alternatively, clip the hens wings & keep em in a big open top enclosure with plenty of cover... No need of more than 2 to 3 cocks... Let the cocks come & go & hope the hens sit before their wing feathers grow back & hatch the eggs for you...

jap gt

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

If they are incubator birds they may or may not sit long enough to hatch if they survive vermin at all. Is your ground well contolled?
Why don't you fence em in a run, collect the eggs every day & hatch em under hens or in an incubator every week once a clutch is gathered....
I can bet you that a cock & 4 hens & collecting the eggs will give you a better return than releasing those guys...
By all means if you get a good deal leave off the rest & see what happens...

I breath a few every year & 4 hens give between 25-28 eggs a week when on layers pellets. That's realistically 20 to 25 chicks all things going well. (Sometimes can be poor & you get a lot less) 20 ckicks by 4 is 80 a month & by 3-4 months of laying is possibly 300 birds...
You need a set up though, with runs, red lamps, hoppers etc etc & a bit of know how...

Alternatively, clip the hens wings & keep em in a big open top enclosure with plenty of cover... No need of more than 2 to 3 cocks... Let the cocks come & go & hope the hens sit before their wing feathers grow back & hatch the eggs for you...

how big should runs be, myself and a couple friends were thinking of getting a few now and slowly releasing them, how old must the chicks be before release, when should you start releasing them

EPointer=Birdss

jap gt wrote: »

how big should runs be, myself and a couple friends were thinking of getting a few now and slowly releasing them, how old must the chicks be before release, when should you start releasing them

I have a 20 by 14 foot laying run with 5 birds.
I have 14 * 14 runs for my bantam hens & each clutch of chicks with a grass floor.
For the chicks with red light is more complicated, you need small 4*4 boxes with rounded conners, a red light. I move em onto a smaller run after 3 weeks with grass but still has a box on it's side with a red light. I usually try & slip em under hens if possible.

If your buying em we had gread success with 8 week olds this year that we bought to supplement the stock. Kept em in a open top release run with trees in it & the bantam raised birds would always roost & they followed em, hung around there for a few weeks & then ventured out but came back to roost... Getting off the ground is key...
We got those in September I think (one of the last clutches you can get)
They weren't really out til Dec which was great as they topped up the numbers...

natdog

thanks epointer great knoledge on birds.
We havent got a pen dont know what the farmers opinion would be on us making one but for now i think it will just be a case of releasing them.
the land has a small number of wild birds and birds that are released in sept just thought we could top it up as much for the dogs as anything

EPointer=Birdss

By all means give it a go if you get a good deal.. Some few should lay & that...
Do a good job on the foxes & mags etc though if you do & keep the dogs away from em off season obviously...

natdog

paying ten for hens and seven for cocks no delivery charge is that an ok rate

jap gt

natdog wrote: »

paying ten for hens and seven for cocks no delivery charge is that an ok rate

where are you getting them from, where are you

natdog

being brought in from scotland by a lad in limerick

EPointer=Birdss

natdog wrote: »

paying ten for hens and seven for cocks no delivery charge is that an ok rate

If they're not so old that they come with free Zimmer frames that's much cheaper than buying birds before the season...

sfakiaman

With the old cocks from Scotland it's not the glint in the eye to look out for it's the tilt in the kilt.

greenpeter

You will know by there teeth;)

natdog

might be able to hit them if there that old and if there incontinent the dog might be able to smell them:)

vermin hunter

from past experince tour better of gettin more cocks than hens last march we got 70 cocks a 30 hens and it worked out ok for us from what i know hens of a driven shooted dont have a good record of laying in the first year but if they survive you should get eggs. best of luck wiyh what you decide

mallards

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

Getting off the ground is key...
QUOTE]

+1

bruskey

Hello lads. Can anyone tell me where i could buy eggs to incubate as the club is getting one and were afraid if our hens dont lay successfully well have wasted a year unless we can buy eggs somewhere.:(

EPointer=Birdss

How ar ye set up to handle the eggs as a matter of interest?

bruskey

A few lads have bantys and we were going to go that road first. if that dont work well work the incubator.Its all about keeping cost down and having birds ready for release at different times to find out when they do best. We have tried fully grown birds for a few years but the cost doesnt justify the poor returns.We have the release pens and sheds to handle the chics so its worth a try.

EPointer=Birdss

bruskey wrote: »

A few lads have bantys and we were going to go that road first. if that dont work well work the incubator.Its all about keeping cost down and having birds ready for release at different times to find out when they do best. We have tried fully grown birds for a few years but the cost doesnt justify the poor returns.We have the release pens and sheds to handle the chics so its worth a try.

Do your hens roost? If so, & they are good broody ones you are laughing...
We move the hens to the open top run with the chicks at 4/5 weeks... Plenty of trees & a few sheds for em to get up on & get shelter.
When they are ready they move out...
Hawks can be a pain though... Found the Cds help...

fiestaman

I got some last april and they were still around in late august so id recommend it. i had feeders out and you need that big time. i didnt do enough vermin shooting though and i think thats where they went in the end. land is beside a river and i think mink took a few and a wild cat but my mate does trapping and has lurcher and he done away with the cat and trapped the mink so im gona try a handfull again this year. vermin control is key, and feeders if your not near corn fields.

bruskey

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

Do your hens roost? If so, & they are good broody ones you are laughing...
We move the hens to the open top run with the chicks at 4/5 weeks... Plenty of trees & a few sheds for em to get up on & get shelter.
When they are ready they move out...
Hawks can be a pain though... Found the Cds help...

sorry EP for the delay in answering .Major computer malfunction.ME. Anyway were not too sure what way these bantys will behave as both them and us are new to all this.That,s why i was looking about eggs, just in case the bantys went ape. I have since found a place in wicklow that can supply eggs if the worst happens.Thanks for the info .;)

jap gt

bruskey wrote: »

sorry EP for the delay in answering .Major computer malfunction.ME. Anyway were not too sure what way these bantys will behave as both them and us are new to all this.That,s why i was looking about eggs, just in case the bantys went ape. I have since found a place in wicklow that can supply eggs if the worst happens.Thanks for the info .;)

could i get the details of the place in wicklow

bruskey

Sure thing Jap .I,ll send it to you tomorrow.

EPointer=Birdss

bruskey wrote: »

sorry EP for the delay in answering .Major computer malfunction.ME. Anyway were not too sure what way these bantys will behave as both them and us are new to all this.That,s why i was looking about eggs, just in case the bantys went ape. I have since found a place in wicklow that can supply eggs if the worst happens.Thanks for the info .;)

What breeds has he?
Just the normal fellas?

bruskey

EPointer=Birdss wrote: »

What breeds has he?
Just the normal fellas?

sorry for delay EP.I dont know to be honest.All i can tell you is they were all ring necked and the best flying birds i;ve tried to shoot at.All good heavy birds and very well fed and managed.Good and wild and all memorable shots.:D