brettberry
New member
Kansas boy originally, moved to Missouri, drought's hurt birds bad this year, but it'll still be fun to see the guys. Got a good little pointing lab. Don't hunt as much as I used to. However, I eventually want to save for a property and plan on creating habitat for the birds, both quail and pheasant.
I have studied the idea of pen-raised birds for about 7 years now and have read probably every piece of literature on quail and pheasant and the pros and cons of trying to release them to establish a population, etc. I have 2 books from English authors (in Great Britain, hunting pheasants, and more so, Huns are becoming strictly released birds). One of the authors discusses a system to brood pheasants for release; they put 10-12 eggs and subsequently chicks in with a broody bantam hen or adoptive hen pheasant in a chicken wire cage in a pasture, feed and water with no human contact, and then soft release them at a set age into larger flight pens with netting to prevent predators (with trapping) and a lot of natural cover. Just before the season, they push the birds out into the hunt areas. Some of these birds survive and adapt to life in the wild. the author also gets into managing habitat for nesting and more so for roosters to establish territories, which is an incredible topic for everyone on this forum...
He states that a significant part of the breeding season (and pheasant population) revolves around roosters establishing territories. There are certain topographical features that roosters look for to establish their territories. Once they have found a territory, they begin to attract hens, breed with them, and defend their territory. this is relevant because if a property is monoculture, it won't be as attractive to dominant roosters and the population won't be as good. He identifies hedges (think of england), wood thickets (150 yards long x 50 yards wide) and thick fence lines as being attractive to dominant roosters if they border nesting areas. The idea is the bird likes the cover nearby and wants to be able to have a relatively open area to see - watch for hawks, predators, and attract hens. Logical. I think he said that a good rooster with a good territory can attract quite a harem, while a rooster with a poor territory doesn't have such a good sex life.
Once bred, the hens travel a ways to actually nest, but usually stay fairly close to the rooster's territory (he lays out the study results of the travel to nest which are interesting) so you want to have good nesting by the rooster territories, otherwise your hens leave. The key then becomes having good brooding cover nearby so the hens don't have to move the chicks as far -- this kills the chicks-- statistics back it up. Basically, you want to have an area of brushy cover with open, nesting habitat next to it and a significant weed patch to brood within 100 yards of each other. If the hen has to move the chicks more than a couple hundred yards to brood cover with bugs, they die off. Anyway, that all has a lot of implications to how we can better develop our habitat to not just increase numbers, but retain and attract numbers of birds.
Another, very incredible, study I recently read was in the newsletters put out by "Quail-Tech" of Texas Tech University and Tall Timbers research station that statistically gives credence to the idea that pen-raised birds can be introduced into the wild -- under certain circumstances-- and carry over and reproduce. Good genetics and great habitat are factors, but the interesting thing to me was the use of actual (wild-trapped) parent quail and/or adoptive parent quail to brood chicks in a chick pen with natural habitat. From there, they are moved to a flight pen until 10-12 weeks of age and then released. I thought this could have relevance to pheasants as well, since it's very similar to the method I read about being used in England. I'll let you read the reports for yourself so I don't get assaulted by the pen-raised birds nay-sayers, but the carry over success is incredible thus far. Also, the statistical evidence supporting spreading feed on a set route during the nesting season produces incredibly better nesting, brooding, and adult populations. Add that to your plan as well.
I know this is a hot subject, but I think finally some of the major factors for success have been identified. Maybe we can move forward with these studies.
here's the link: http://quail-tech.org/NewsLetterArchive.htm
I will try to dig up the books I mentioned. They should be required reading for anyone on this forum.
Good forum guys.
BB
I have studied the idea of pen-raised birds for about 7 years now and have read probably every piece of literature on quail and pheasant and the pros and cons of trying to release them to establish a population, etc. I have 2 books from English authors (in Great Britain, hunting pheasants, and more so, Huns are becoming strictly released birds). One of the authors discusses a system to brood pheasants for release; they put 10-12 eggs and subsequently chicks in with a broody bantam hen or adoptive hen pheasant in a chicken wire cage in a pasture, feed and water with no human contact, and then soft release them at a set age into larger flight pens with netting to prevent predators (with trapping) and a lot of natural cover. Just before the season, they push the birds out into the hunt areas. Some of these birds survive and adapt to life in the wild. the author also gets into managing habitat for nesting and more so for roosters to establish territories, which is an incredible topic for everyone on this forum...
He states that a significant part of the breeding season (and pheasant population) revolves around roosters establishing territories. There are certain topographical features that roosters look for to establish their territories. Once they have found a territory, they begin to attract hens, breed with them, and defend their territory. this is relevant because if a property is monoculture, it won't be as attractive to dominant roosters and the population won't be as good. He identifies hedges (think of england), wood thickets (150 yards long x 50 yards wide) and thick fence lines as being attractive to dominant roosters if they border nesting areas. The idea is the bird likes the cover nearby and wants to be able to have a relatively open area to see - watch for hawks, predators, and attract hens. Logical. I think he said that a good rooster with a good territory can attract quite a harem, while a rooster with a poor territory doesn't have such a good sex life.
Once bred, the hens travel a ways to actually nest, but usually stay fairly close to the rooster's territory (he lays out the study results of the travel to nest which are interesting) so you want to have good nesting by the rooster territories, otherwise your hens leave. The key then becomes having good brooding cover nearby so the hens don't have to move the chicks as far -- this kills the chicks-- statistics back it up. Basically, you want to have an area of brushy cover with open, nesting habitat next to it and a significant weed patch to brood within 100 yards of each other. If the hen has to move the chicks more than a couple hundred yards to brood cover with bugs, they die off. Anyway, that all has a lot of implications to how we can better develop our habitat to not just increase numbers, but retain and attract numbers of birds.
Another, very incredible, study I recently read was in the newsletters put out by "Quail-Tech" of Texas Tech University and Tall Timbers research station that statistically gives credence to the idea that pen-raised birds can be introduced into the wild -- under certain circumstances-- and carry over and reproduce. Good genetics and great habitat are factors, but the interesting thing to me was the use of actual (wild-trapped) parent quail and/or adoptive parent quail to brood chicks in a chick pen with natural habitat. From there, they are moved to a flight pen until 10-12 weeks of age and then released. I thought this could have relevance to pheasants as well, since it's very similar to the method I read about being used in England. I'll let you read the reports for yourself so I don't get assaulted by the pen-raised birds nay-sayers, but the carry over success is incredible thus far. Also, the statistical evidence supporting spreading feed on a set route during the nesting season produces incredibly better nesting, brooding, and adult populations. Add that to your plan as well.
I know this is a hot subject, but I think finally some of the major factors for success have been identified. Maybe we can move forward with these studies.
here's the link: http://quail-tech.org/NewsLetterArchive.htm
I will try to dig up the books I mentioned. They should be required reading for anyone on this forum.
Good forum guys.
BB
