Pheasant poults

[Vader]

Lots of woods, small fields bounded by hedges and predominantly mixed farming locally.
All of the Glastir wildlife strips are stripped bare by pheasants before the Spring, so nothing left there.
A lot of stubble turnips grown locally, followed by Spring barley or maize, where masses of pheasants that haven’t fought to the death are nothing but vermin.

Must be 1 of the big commercial shoots then i take it.
?

 

[neilo]

Must be 1 of the big commercial shoots then i take it.
?

Far from it, they just don’t hit many and couldn’t give a toss.

 

[steveR]

Do any shoots actually feed their survivors?
Our lot just leave them to fend for themselves on the farming tenants’ crops. Most end up dieing, one way or another.
I notice they are suddenly chucking a bit of grub in the release pens this last fortnight, but numbers have already been decimated. What a shame.

I'd say most small, farm shoots will keep on feeding birds. It's a few kg of wheat, which is usually well affordable.

In the past, some "generous" sweepings as bins were emptied, were ideal for late feeding....

 

[steveR]

Far from it, they just don’t hit many and couldn’t give a toss.

"toss"ers being the appropriate term?

 

[Vader]

First chicks on the year!

 

[goodevans]

First chicks on the year!
View attachment 1038070

You want to catch them, give it a week and she will be down to 1 and there's a £100 there

 

[Hfd Cattle]

You want to catch them, give it a week and she will be down to 1 and there's a £100 there

.....will pay better than Farming

 

[Frank-the-Wool]

The wild population was down 35% in 25 years. My unscientific guess would be the masses of reared mallard released for shooting managing to breed with wild birds and ruin their parental success. Much like releasing greys into areas where truly wild birds inhabit.
I think some of the mallard population issue was due to cold winters and weather patterns. I’m all for a good flight but some people show off 40-50 birds per flight which I’m not keen on.

The main reason the Mallard population is in decline is exactly the same reason why so many other Ground nesting birds have declined. There are just too many Badgers that hoover up the eggs when the Mallard nests along the Dyke banks.

 

[Chae1]

Should this be in the arable farming section.

 

[Boysground]

Unfortunately, I can see security of birds in pens being a major concern. They will be worth stealing which is not usually the case on a large scale, and sadly there will always be a buyer for poults.

Will make a change from braking into pens and catapaulting them.

Bg

 

[Hfd Cattle]

Should this be in the arable farming section.

......... the poult shortage doesn't affect them ....they can afford the escalated prices

 

[Try to succeed]

The main reason the Mallard population is in decline is exactly the same reason why so many other Ground nesting birds have declined. There are just too many Badgers that hoover up the eggs when the Mallard nests along the Dyke banks.

Definitely a fair point. Masses of corvids to have an impact on unkeepered ground too.

 

[Scholsey]

The main reason the Mallard population is in decline is exactly the same reason why so many other Ground nesting birds have declined. There are just too many Badgers that hoover up the eggs when the Mallard nests along the Dyke banks.

and increase in otter populations?

 

[carpenter1]

https://machineryauctions.stags.co.uk/auctions/catalog/id/71

A few chicks for sale here

 

[cattleman123]

https://machineryauctions.stags.co.uk/auctions/catalog/id/71

A few chicks for sale here

Yes saw that....loads for sale...chicks and poults...any shoots a bit short can get some here you would think

 

[flowerpot]

As of yesterday, a large scale game rearer I know has no pheasant chicks at all and no prospect of having any.
I think they have a few partridges.
They normally employ a few people for the season, so they are out of work as well.

 

[cattleman123]

As of yesterday, a large scale game rearer I know has no pheasant chicks at all and no prospect of having any.
I think they have a few partridges.
They normally employ a few people for the season, so they are out of work as well.

Just looked again...god you can see where the money is...making massive money 3 quid for a pheasant chick i think...yes i know 2 shoots ...small ones mine...that cant get birds...guess next year subject to bird flu...it will be overdone

 

[Optimus]

Just looked again...god you can see where the money is...making massive money 3 quid for a pheasant chick i think...yes i know 2 shoots ...small ones mine...that cant get birds...guess next year subject to bird flu...it will be overdone

god knows what it costs to run those big incubators an hatchers.let alone buying one in the first place

 

[tullah]

Back in 1969 I could go out shoot a brace of pheasants, take them to the game dealer in the feather and get thirty shillings. Index link that to today and that's £27.
A hare was five shillings.
We'll see what a chicken makes in the new year.

 

[ollie989898]

As far as I'm concerned, if you are running a shoot, you are obliged to provide feed or do things that feed all year round. That's you, committed. If not, you aren't doing the job properly.

And if you're a big commercial shoot that so much as dumps a single pheasant ever you're an arsh bringing the sport into disrepute. If you're a gun on one of them you're a double arsh as well.

Used to love being on the farm and seeing pheasants and partridge all year round flourishing.