Melanistic pheasant cock wanted

[dannewhouse]

I didn't know which section to put this in.

We have got our pheasants caught up but to differentiate our home bred ones from the bought in ones I fancy a melanistic cock, what would my chances of getting one be? How much £££ and is there any legalitys? Ie ornamentals aren't allowed to be released.

 

[JHT]

We do contract pheasant rearing for a shoot and had a few thousand Melanistic chicks last year- boy did they take some keeping alive! I never want to see another as long as I live! The ones that lived were pretty though! [emoji23]

 

[dannewhouse]

We do contract pheasant rearing for a shoot and had a few thousand Melanistic chicks last year- boy did they take some keeping alive! I never want to see another as long as I live! The ones that lived were pretty though! [emoji23]

Ahh doesn't sound an over good idea for our first year doing some!

 

[JHT]

Ahh doesn't sound an over good idea for our first year doing some!

Maybe we were just unlucky but they drove me nuts! Melanistic made up 25% of our rear but over 50% of the daily mortality! Didn’t do much for my profits! The common/brown ones were a doddle in comparison.

 

[dannewhouse]

Maybe we were just unlucky but they drove me nuts! Melanistic made up 25% of our rear but over 50% of the daily mortality! Didn’t do much for my profits! The common/brown ones were a doddle in comparison.

What's sort of percentage would you expect to be left with say from hatching to release

 

[JHT]

What's sort of percentage would you expect to be left with say from hatching to release

We reared 96% and 93% the last 2 years- anything below 90% and there’s not much in it for us. It’s a hell of a lot of work!

 

[dannewhouse]

We reared 96% and 93% the last 2 years- anything below 90% and there’s not much in it for us. It’s a hell of a lot of work!

We will see how we go, got 27 hens 3 cocks in 3 pens 20ft X 20ft ... Let egg collection commence

When and how many eggs would you expect? Or don't you get involved in that side of things.

 

[JHT]

We will see how we go, got 27 hens 3 cocks in 3 pens 20ft X 20ft ... Let egg collection commence

When and how many eggs would you expect? Or don't you get involved in that side of things.

We rear them from day olds to about 8/9 weeks old so slightly different scenario- good luck!

 

[dannewhouse]

We rear them from day olds to about 8/9 weeks old so slightly different scenario- good luck!

May we'll need it! Still planning on buying in the normal amount, any reared are just a bonus

 

[steveR]

We aquired a few oddbod poults a few years ago through a guy doing some work for a breeder and was owed some money...

The melanistic were not great survivors based on the numbers shot that winter, but interestingly there was a hen that survived the season and hatched several "dark'uns" last year. And around the feeder by the house at the moment are two of her offspring.

 

[It was already broken.]

The keepers here rifle off any pheasants which are not 'normal' at the end of the season as they don't want them reproducing.

 

[dannewhouse]

Do you kill excessive cock numbers? At end of season. It's a bit of a rumour kicking around that you should, we don't have high numbers left so don't think it will matter.
Any winged or pricked birds get shot.
I would leave any healthy bird regardless of colour!

 

[It was already broken.]

Do you kill excessive cock numbers? At end of season. It's a bit of a rumour kicking around that you should, we don't have high numbers left so don't think it will matter.
Any winged or pricked birds get shot.
I would leave any healthy bird regardless of colour!

Yes we have cock days but its any wrong coloured ones that feel the pain. They only want pure bred ones as they see it.

 

[Flat 10]

Do you kill excessive cock numbers? At end of season. It's a bit of a rumour kicking around that you should, we don't have high numbers left so don't think it will matter.
Any winged or pricked birds get shot.
I would leave any healthy bird regardless of colour!

'Old fashioned' people in the fens where there were decent numbers of wild birds never shot hen birds after new years day. i think it seems sensible.