Pheasants - Where do you begin?

dev110

I have been thinking of getting involved in rearing pheasants for the follwoing season.

I am just wondering what is needed to start up?
I have no experience with rearing pheasants so will need every bit of information and tips ye have to give.

I hope to do it bit by bit so I will be ready for next year.

What size of pen would you be looking at for 10-15 birds?
Should I be looking for a place that is sheltered by a ditch or is out in the open alright?

I will be hitting the area hard for fox/mink over the winter.

Any help will be appreciated.

homerhop

We always worked out pens to a sq yard per bird. If you have too many birds they will pick at one and other and that can lead to some serious losses.
A roll of fine mesh on the bottom dug down and turned out and 2 inch mesh higher up.
You will need shelters and perches. If using galv sheets for shelters cover them with branches as the rain hitting the sheets can startle the birds.
Sand is a must both for fluffing and they will also eat fine gravel to help with digestion esp when they go onto the wheat.
Constant supply of fresh water and get some treatment for gape worms to have on hand. You will know when they have the gapes as they will have a coughing sound.
We have 300 in a pen atm and you are more than welcome to come over and look at our set up.

cavan shooter

If you atrat at the basics then the following should be considered.

Pen: 1 meter perimeter per bird or yards if your old school. Therefor a 3 m x2m pen 10 birds. Now lads will always say you'd get more in but the birds are better quality if you give them room

Site panels (left over from the boom) make handy pens but you need to put chicken wire on it and top wire and a door.

Regardless bury the pen in a trench the depth of a spade will do and invest in an electric fence.

I use 2x 2 battons for my pen construction but 2 x 1 1/2 are good also.

Buy Poults not chicks until your ready for real hardship.

Keep them on meal for as long as you can

Build a second pen in the areas you want to put them out in and ween them onto wheat/rolled barley.

I attach a picture of my pen main pen for rearing from poults and a smaller 6 ft x 12 ft x 4 ft I use to release in various areas (it is on its side) It also doubles as a ladder trap out of season.

. Best of luck

dev110

Thanks for the replies guys.

Homer let me know whenever suits you and I will head down. I really appreciate the help.

How fine would the bottom layer of the mess need to be?
Does it matter what height the pen is? Just enough so you can walk around in it or should you go higher?

How big should the shelters be and how high off the ground should you put the perches?

The club has other pens spread across the ground but I will be releasing these where the pen will be. There is 3 big fields that haven't been used in 5 years that are over grown. These should make a nice start off point for the pheasants.

What age are poults usually bought at and at what age are they usually released?

Hunter21

I've looked into building one too, have started one but not in a rush to finish it.

But what I will say to you is tell absolutely no one about it. Make sure that the local club doesn't find out about it.
I've heard from numerous lads that if your in a club and you raise your own bird they won't be too happy about it. Supposedly?

Also make sure no one else shoots your land and keep on top of foxes and vermin.

I must get my finger out and get on with mine.. Lol

dev110

I will probably rear them in conjunction with my club but I will be the one looking after them and no one else.

cavan shooter

dev110 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies guys.

Homer let me know whenever suits you and I will head down. I really appreciate the help.

How fine would the bottom layer of the mess need to be?
Does it matter what height the pen is? Just enough so you can walk around in it or should you go higher?

How big should the shelters be and how high off the ground should you put the perches?

The club has other pens spread across the ground but I will be releasing these where the pen will be. There is 3 big fields that haven't been used in 5 years that are over grown. These should make a nice start off point for the pheasants.

What age are poults usually bought at and at what age are they usually released?

I went 1.8 meters in timber because the 2x 2 battons are 4.8 meters giving you a 3 meter length.

Our shelter is the width of the pen and about 3 ft high

Perchs in our pens are branches and 2 x 1 timber I note they like to roost outside and rarely go near the shelter.

7 week old

cavan shooter

dev110 wrote: »

I will probably rear them in conjunction with my club but I will be the one looking after them and no one else.

Try encourage more lads 5 lads out of our club are rearing birds, the increase in the population is noticeable about 400 pheasants put out pa

dev110

homerhop wrote: »

We always worked out pens to a sq yard per bird. If you have too many birds they will pick at one and other and that can lead to some serious losses.

cavan shooter wrote: »

Pen: 1 meter perimeter per bird or yards if your old school. Therefore a 3 m x 2m pen 10 birds. Now lads will always say you'd get more in but the birds are better quality if you give them room

I just read back over this and noticed that Homer would suggest a pen 10 square yards for 10 birds and Cavan suggests a pen 3m x 2m.
I was looking at the spot where I plan to put the pen and wondering would 6m x 3m be alright?

So the poults are bought at 7 weeks and how long does it take for them to be fully grown?

Sorry for the silly questions but I am a complete noob at this type of thing.

What do ye guys use for feeding? Spring feeders for adult birds and the these feeders for the poults?

owelfisherman

dev110 wrote: »

homerhop wrote: »

We always worked out pens to a sq yard per bird. If you have too many birds they will pick at one and other and that can lead to some serious losses.

cavan shooter wrote: »

Pen: 1 meter perimeter per bird or yards if your old school. Therefore a 3 m x 2m pen 10 birds. Now lads will always say you'd get more in but the birds are better quality if you give them room

I just read back over this and noticed that Homer would suggest a pen 10 square yards for 10 birds and Cavan suggests a pen 3m x 2m.
I was looking at the spot where I plan to put the pen and wondering would 6m x 3m be alright?

So the poults are bought at 7 weeks and how long does it take for them to be fully grown?

Sorry for the silly questions but I am a complete noob at this type of thing.

What do ye guys use for feeding? Spring feeders for adult birds and the these feeders for the poults?

There sh**e.use hoppers

terminator2

one square meter per bird is ok two would be better dev otherwise they peck the **** out of each other

terminator2

is that medicated straw you have on the ground CS

cavan shooter

I have 4 pens 1 main one for rearing than various smaller ones for release. The 3 x 2 mentioned is only an example of sizes.
My smaller release pens are 12ft x 6ft.
My rearing pen is approx 30 x 22

I use wood shavings when the ground in the rearing pen gets guttery.

I also have a 25 kg galvanized feeder I(swear by it) and a hopper in the pen with them.

In the smaller pen its all hoppers in and around the pen

cavan shooter

terminator2 wrote: »

is that medicated straw you have on the ground CS

good old fashion wood shavings from local co op €8 bale

Tawny Owl

Here is our Pen hope it will give you an idea not this is big so for yourself a smaller scale is ok if you want some 25ltr buckets PM me you can have a couple for free to get you started love to see Birds been bred well done showed photo with water so the pen can flood make sure they have plenty of shelter keep the grit under cover and dry they will get the gape so stop feeding for 24 hours then feed with another food to kill the gape they will get this into them real fast but keep checking a good way to check is walk after them in the Pen real fast you will hear them coughing if they have gape then treat again after this it just time / fresh water daily and lovely Birds Best of luck

Stevegeraghty

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056710219

Hope my build helps

dev110

Thanks for all the help lads. I may have gotten a place closer to home but still don't know 100% yet. If things go the way I want them to I should be able to rear 6 birds which I will be happy with. A lad down the road usually rears about the same so should be plenty for the part of the gun club that myself and a few others shoot.

Tawny thanks a million for the offer but I should be ok. Have 2 here so should be ok for the time being.

I will keep this updated if things work out in my favour.