Where are they all ?

[uztrac]

Where are all the gamebird chicks? Hen pheasants wondering around with zero chicks at heal.Pairs of English & French partridges looking lost.
I have NOT seen one chick.Wet,cold and muddy fields have killed them all off around here.What is the situation in other regions ?

 

[Spencer]

Seem a fair few here before crops closed the rows

 

[Kidds]

Very rarely do see their chicks. Weather,magpies, cats etc have them here.
Loads of ducklings though

 

[Cab-over Pete]

We had a moorhen with a brood on the pond by the house, all gone a few days later.

Same with a duck and 5, all gone within days.

 

[Exfarmer]

Very rarely do see their chicks. Weather,magpies, cats etc have them here.
Loads of ducklings though

Never see more than day old ducklings here since the otter moved in

 

[Lakes Nash]

We’ve this, 6 young, parents love the dog! Moorhen has 2, no ducks at all this yr,

 

[copse]

The wet weather has done most of them her sadly.

 

[yellowbelly]

Don't normally get English Partridges hatching until Lincolnshire Show week here, and that's still almost a fortnight away, so plenty of time yet.

 

[robs1]

Saw one pheasant brood while mowing ten days ago and a twin and two single fawns so far

 

[Stw88]

Grouse is looking like a disaster. Keeper hadnt seen a single chick when I was talking to him mid week. Haven’t seen any pheasants either, hen birds all just still wandering around in the open. Count on 1 hand the lapwing and curlew chicks that’s about. Just been too wet and too cold.

 

[Hindsight]

It’ll be intensive farming and hedgerow removal at fault.

 

[Adeptandy]

Just don’t mention the badgers like I did on a local FB nature group the other day, wound a few up a bit

 

[Tarw Coch]

Just don’t mention the badgers like I did on a local FB nature group the other day, wound a few up a bit

Doesn’t fit in with what they want to hear

 

[Hfd Cattle]

Where are all the gamebird chicks? Hen pheasants wondering around with zero chicks at heal.Pairs of English & French partridges looking lost.
I have NOT seen one chick.Wet,cold and muddy fields have killed them all off around here.What is the situation in other regions ?

Brexit !!

 

[Spencer]

Grouse is looking like a disaster. Keeper hadnt seen a single chick when I was talking to him mid week. Haven’t seen any pheasants either, hen birds all just still wandering around in the open. Count on 1 hand the lapwing and curlew chicks that’s about. Just been too wet and too cold.

Overrun with lapwings and chicks here. Constantly have to get out on one field to move chicks that get stuck in furrows.

 

[BrianV]

Never see more than day old ducklings here since the otter moved in

Foxes take most young chicks of all sorts in our area.

 

[Hilly]

Grouse is looking like a disaster. Keeper hadnt seen a single chick when I was talking to him mid week. Haven’t seen any pheasants either, hen birds all just still wandering around in the open. Count on 1 hand the lapwing and curlew chicks that’s about. Just been too wet and too cold.

Tics

 

[neilo]

We have 5 signets on the lake again. I think it's 4 years since any made it to adulthood, although we have a clutch every year. They seem to die off steadily over the first few months, from disease rather than predation. Bird flu endemic now?

Local shoot were scratting round for pheasants last year and ended up getting bits & bobs from all over. Disease went through one of the release pens wiping the lot out. They were left to rot, the stink of death being evident from some way off. All helps to spread the disease round a little more.
I couldn't help thinking that I'd have, rightly, been prosecuted if I'd done the same with my sheep.