Young pheasants

12gaugedave

Iv just seen a hen pheasant with 4 chicks pop out of a hedge on the side of the road. Is it not very early for them to be hatching? Would have thought it would have been at least another month. Anyone else seen any?

deeksofdoom

12gaugedave wrote: »

Iv just seen a hen pheasant with 4 chicks pop out of a hedge on the side of the road. Is it not very early for them to be hatching? Would have thought it would have been at least another month. Anyone else seen any?

That's ****ing nuts!

Kiltris

Jesus that's unbelievable! Have our breeding seasons become that messed up?

270WIN

i saw a very young clutch in Dec 2014...would released hens be the cause?

Kiltris

It's very hard to know, maybe milder winters have something to do with it too. Breeding seasons definitely have been a bit out of kilter with the last 2-3yrs.

12gaugedave

270WIN wrote:

i saw a very young clutch in Dec 2014...would released hens be the cause?

It was on our club land and I know for a fact we havn't released any hens. These birds were 2 weeks old I'd say judging on size. Iv never in my life seen them this early.

breakemall

Thank God I am not alone... I thought I was beginning to lose it! I was down in Wexford for the last few days and I saw some poults on the side of the road south of Enniscorthy. They cannot have been more than a fortnight old.

blackpearl

this is mad whats going on here, how in the name of god did a hen pheasant rear young poults to the age of 3 weeks or so in the middle of the winter.

Kiltris

Or with the mixed bag of weather we've had! Have we as hunting enthusiasts messed up the breeding season of pheasants by continually releasing reared hens. Over time you would imagine that it would have to have some impact. Or is it simply to do with changes in our seasons, mild winters etc.

breakemall

It does not make any sense at all. When I visited Bettws Hall game farm in Wales they used flood lights this time of year to give the birds longer daylight hours to bring them on lay earlier, and they rear 1.5 million plus annually so they know a thing or two. So it is light rather than weather that should get the hens settling down and this time of year while it has been mild, the days are still not long enough in theory?

The other question is how are the chicks surviving because insects would still be thin on the ground?

Kiltris

I have no answers!

Bogwoppit

I saw a swallow yesterday!

berettaman

I saw 4 small pheasants near Oylgate (South of Enniscorthy)..last Tuesday.
I actually mentally processed them as small hen pheasants with no tails.

I couldn't bring myself to think that there would be poults at this time of year...glad I am not going mad here!!

It has to be the mild winter. There are cocks calling for the last two weeks ( way too early IMHO).

I did a drive around today..there are a few cocks around already, is this the earliest mating season ever?