Raising pheasants

[tmrichardson]

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[oldandnew]

Well TMrichardson, if we want to go back all the way to the origins, pheasants are just ornamental chickens, no more or less wild than it's cousin the jungle fowl, or a peafowl, or a guinea, all of which I am assured by friends who have done it provide excellent sport. Whether a chicken has been in a pen for a few months or a few decades, doesn't change a whole lot. Pheasants are designed and wired a little tighter, and never seem to loose the wariness completely that other barnyard fowl do. Which is why they are the preserve bird of choice, quail on the other hand must be flighted from a callback to become acclimated enough to appear somewhat wild and give any kind of account but pitiful. I read history as well. and as I recall the ROMANS brought pheasants to the British Isle's in CAGES, to provide a self sustaining food source, that could rustle it's own food. Again, I doubt any wonderous enlightening scientific research occured beyond, Gee, lets let these things go and see if they make it. They got them no doubt in trade in the Mideast, having come in cages from the orient. Very similar the the releases in the US 2000 years later. Shipped from China on freighters. Cages? Wild?, Ever hear the term, Slow boat from China? How wild were those birds? Wild birds are great, as I said, as far as I know not legal for capture and release, as a private citizen. Pen raised birds will survive in some numbers if released, not "cost" efficient, on any large scale. And they compete with existing wild pheasants, if any, for available resources. But the great pheasant preserves of South Dakota release thousands of spring hens to bolster the nesting population, and meet their mandatory release quota. Raising your own, is a good way to learn pheasant behavior and give the dogs a run, I enjoy watching them myself, which is reason enough. I have no wild birds here within 50 miles at least. I doubt any experiment for my own enjoyment is going to upset the great ecological balance and topple the entire pheasant population into the abyss. Therefore I'm trying to decide what about that earned or invited a lecture from you, on ther sanctity of wild birds?

 

[FCSpringer]

The old DNR will tell you it does not work most times, for various reasons, but then to turn around and have things they do not work offten, what a bunch a bull. ( although they do get it right some times too, Turkey for example)

Raising birds for release works.........................
If done right, ask anyone in the real world around many areas. The DNR goof balls need to realize that they have done it themselves. But may have done it wrong, therefore considering it failure to try because of there own downfall. I can see there failure around here all over. (Carp traps flooding people out and destroying spawning area and so on) If they will stick to simplifying Laws which we pay them for they would be better off.

Now Coot here is the photos. Can't see the square mesh on the ground so I put a scrap piece on top the snow to give you an Idea. Oh and for those that don't have a clue, to enlighten you all the birds around here were wiped out, they came from raised birds....... and hard work. Not criticism and college knowledge.

 

[FCSpringer]

PS,, bla bla bla, same old same old drag someone down. There will be no ill effect on your wild birds at all, poppy cock. 99% are using a medicated food, chicks will have cocksidosis by the time they are adult, there for helping the wild flock surviving from past release birds, since they all are from released birds. This area in the last 10+ years has never seen such a release effort that was done by many. Now it is the best dang hunting we have ever had....... It realy trips me off when someone tells you something doesnt work when we full and well know it does. As said there were next to 0 birds left here and now they flurish because of the combined effort of many. I wonder when the first birds were brought over, must have been brouht over in a cage and raised and released. OH thats right the DNR may have cloned a wild bird. If there always right why when it became law to have you stop feeding deer "how many years ago" in MN,and claim it "may" harm deer, we now after this law has been in place have cronic wasting in MN show up, must have been the feeding from a land owner in the past. LOL "See what I am getting at here?" just don't believe evrything you hear.

 

[captaincoot]

Thanks for the :coolpics::10sign: FC gives me a good idea what needs to be done.

I'm with FC on his DNR views. They have done nothing to help with bird numbers. All they've done around here is destroy winter habitat and waste money. 1.5 million on a levy that wasn't the right height never used it and now going to take it out real smart. I've noticed over the last few years the only places were theres good pheasant numbers is where farms have been releasing birds If I'm wrong for trying so be it at least I'm trying and it won't cost the tax payers. I'm suppose to wait ten years for the DNR to tell me theirs a probelm. Hunters should run management areas we care for the future of hunting and would do a good job.

 

[FCSpringer]

Weasles are my biggest worries nasty animal. I think you guys got me to not put electric fence up:thumbsup: Thats why I like to ask questions before I do something better chance it will work for me. Will me releasing the hens to the wild cause probelms? I was thinking the hawks would eat them instead of the true wild ones. And the ones that made it over winter would make fine hens.

With that fencing on the ground, I have not burried any and have never had a critter able to dig under. They always try next to the fence and go no where. And trapping after a while will keep all the critters at bay. Those sticks/boards I put at an angle where the net meets the chicken wire are for birds that roost near that edge where the net is close to them. Before that I lost alot to Owls. This way they can't swoop down and hammer them. Owls are your worst enemy here. Weasels are the hardest to defend. They climb right through the netting You have to trap them off for sucess. Big rat traps work good.

 

[jmac]

Thanks for the :coolpics::10sign: FC gives me a good idea what needs to be done.

I'm with FC on his DNR views. They have done nothing to help with bird numbers. All they've done around here is destroy winter habitat and waste money. 1.5 million on a levy that wasn't the right height never used it and now going to take it out real smart. I've noticed over the last few years the only places were theres good pheasant numbers is where farms have been releasing birds If I'm wrong for trying so be it at least I'm trying and it won't cost the tax payers. I'm suppose to wait ten years for the DNR to tell me theirs a probelm. Hunters should run management areas we care for the future of hunting and would do a good job.

+1 Dnr and GFD's don't know every thing. Pheasants where released at some point from cages/ Pens same thing inho.

 

[tmrichardson]

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[Gove County Britts]

well mister richardson I am neither a moderator nor due I support the no brained pheasant forever college graduates that still know nothing we raise birds around here and release them and have total success in them surviving and after 3 weeks you cant tell the difference between them or the wild ones and for the quail we use a call back johnny house for about a month then remove it and they are acclamated to the life change and we can barely tell the difference between the wild ones and the ones we put there but it doesn't seem to matter what we who are doing it with success is saying you would rather believe science and peaple whom are payed to tell you that it wont work your choice

 

[FCSpringer]

Did you guys read any of the links I provided? So is Pheasants forever and all their biologists just a bunch of no-nothing fools too?

Not surprised at the response by some, seems to be par based on a wide variety of other responses. But AM surprised that a moderator of a pheasant site is so anti-game/fish agency and so supportive of the idea of raising pheasants for release into the wild! Especially one from a part of a state highly dependent on state and federal lands to carry over pheasants through winter!

I am not anti game and fish, or pheasants forever, but rather anti anti's, (people that don't know how to get their hands dirty, but tell every one else there doing it wrong). no I did not read your articles, it is you who always thinks everyone is wrong and your idealisim is the way to go every topic. I need not read the articles because I know where the root of them comes from. I also see the local pheasants forever chapter raising and releasing birds, so not all agree with you and that one sided group. Many PF and DNR folks believe the oppisite. I have had Fed Wardens and Local CO's thank us and help us and talk about the other Side and why they tell every one it does not work so save your breath. I also have had Local CO's tell me it must be all my birds they find dead all over, funny when he was in Todd co, and we were consentrated in another county. Just because one Pheasants forever group feels one way does not mean they are thinking alike accross the nation on everything. Take a look at Pope co, do you know how many birds were raised to adult and released there, No I doubt you do. Look at the Bird per Sq mile ratio there now. Talk to the farmers out around Norcross and the red river valley who have done habbitat work with releasing and see what they think of it not working. Knock on any door around here and ask if they think it works. What do we have to do, band every bird? We should not have to prove our hard work to the DNR or any one, they should help in the effort. The local PF guys will give you the chicks TR if you want to do a little work, you just have to give half of them back for release. I absolutly agree with your par assumption and expected nothing less from someone either.

PS I said nothing about PF, some as always in the past are good at putting words in peoples mouths. Can we get back to helping Coot help his birds survive if he chooses to work at it unlike others.

 

[mnmthunting]

Pen raised pheasants came from eggs or chicks or captured adult wild birds.
NOT the other way around originally.
Most wild populations came from pen raised birds. Done by private interested citizens, and surely not government employees.

The problems the DNR encountered are. Birds were released on public Wildlife management areas and other areas with NO thought of predator control, or Winter food sources. Mamma skunks are as welcome as game birds.Not much chance of success, but still a small% make it.

The DNR does not have the desire to put in much money or time on a pheasant restoration project.

Releasing pen raised pheasants works very well, when people do it correctly. Been done over and over and proved many times.

Supply Winter cover, a Winter food supply and control predators and it's simple. Released pen raised survive nicely and reproduce very well.

 

[FCSpringer]

Did you guys read any of the links I provided? So is Pheasants forever and all their biologists just a bunch of no-nothing fools too?

Not surprised at the response by some, seems to be par based on a wide variety of other responses. But AM surprised that a moderator of a pheasant site is so anti-game/fish agency and so supportive of the idea of raising pheasants for release into the wild! Especially one from a part of a state highly dependent on state and federal lands to carry over pheasants through winter!

PS don't forget that about this area and the resolve of local people making that reality:thumbsup:, the land that is. Glad they work toward that effort around here. Also don't forget the Tax payers have a part in there salery as well. I wish you could see how much work local sportsman clubs do as well. Maybe people like Viking sportsmen supporter and others like Art Ingelbritzen donating their land to the DNR to remain public and wild forever might help as well, "Or was that all majic by State and Fed government"? LOL..Some need to learn how to get their hands dirty. What do you do for habitat or wild life if you know how to make the world a better place? I can come up with plenty of cases of donated land, and matched funds for public land TR so to say it is all State and Fed, is well missleading.

 

[FCSpringer]

Coot, if you invest in an incubator that does the turning for you, it will help in your effort a bunch. Not opening a incubator that is working right and set perfect is the way to go, and even one you can regulate humidity with. The less it is opened the better hatch you get when set perfect. I had one to start that you turn by hand twice a day and it not only gets annoying, but does not work very well as far as hatch %. Or just buy chicks and save the hassle.

 

[captaincoot]

How bigs your pen FC and how many you raise? Do you let them go in the building? I'm sure my farmer friend will do his best at turning them he's been raising chickens and such for years. I'm sure if I think it's going to work I'll invest in a good incubator. Or Maybe I'll go to the hactery in town and see if they'll have room to hatch them.

TM have your opinion but it seems like people are have success at it. If you want me to fail fine shows what you really are. I'd appreciate we just talk about stuff that will help me succeed and lessons people have learnt along the way

 

[FCSpringer]

Here is a pic of a GQF Sportsmen (Love The Name), it holds about 354 eggs, - 400 if you get creative. It has timers to turn the trays automatically, and a bottom hatcher tray. It works pretty well, but I am going to put some sort of humidistat on it next time I use it. Then it will be the bomb, for the serious hobbyist. I got mine from a big grower that had 18 of them and bought a huge walk in. She may still have one left. There is 3 egg trays, you can see two cause I pulled out the top one for the view so the 2nd one is hidden in the photo. Once you have a set up in place the work is much easier. And when you work on an area say where you release 75 birds, to return later and flush just about as many, it's a good feeling despite what others think. There will always be those that complain, do nothing to give back and still hunt the heck out of the birds. Maybe some day they will change, we can only have hope for them. Also below is a pic of the incubator and a photo showing I am "Not" anti pheasants forever, it is the hat I wear daily, along with half of the shells I bought with the PF logo on them.:thumbsup: there is ways to support "Pheasants" forever(meaning the bird) more then just saying I paid 35 $ toward something. Although that is good too.:thumbsup:

PS a good tip is if you look, note the scribbling on the top? it is important info on temp and days for stop turning, candling, hatching days etc. Also keep a calender to see when to do what for a log, and some different colored non tox markers to label each batch. As you will have different batches sometimes in the incubator.

 

[BleuBijou]

Those are neat incubators!! I bought the motors and made the trays and box and works great. I loan it to the kids school to hatch chickens every year! Keep on keepin on !!!!!!:cheers:

 

[FCSpringer]

My flight pen is 32'x 50' and 14' high in the middle. I hatched around 500-700 chicks with around 20 hens. I start out with them in big cardboard boxes from fleet farm, the dog biscuit boxes with triple thick cardboard. They save me some in the spring when I let them know. They have the 45 degree angeled corners which is nice for pile ups. I keep them in there with screens and hard board foam on top with thermostats to keep the temp right at 100 degrees. I put grass clumps in and things for them to peck, river rock in the waterer's, so when they power nap and flop their heads in the waterer they don't drown, (Yes they do). They are the stupidest critter to raise, they are gifted at killing each other and themselves. So I have them spread out and do it all summer, some getting used up as there older for training, and the later ones I kept until season was over or spring when winter is like this and let them go. Many I just open the pen and let them go on their own and give them food and water for a bit out side. It works for me some are biologists and that I am not. But I chose to learn how to do it from someone who makes their living raising pheasants. I think it is safe to believe they would know a bit more on the subject. So if you know someone in your area, spending some time over there if they will accommodate you, that will help a bunch. I am lucky to have such a person here.
Once they croud the box and get some feathers I take them out and let them run the shed inside( about two weeks). I have it divided in two parts, for older ones and newbies. At first when they go out I just open the door and let them come and go, but chase or usually catch every stupid one and put them back in at night, or they pile and die. Then I mist them to develop oils and plumage some, not a soaking just short sprinkles. Around the time they go out beak rings or blinders is a must, or they will t rex each other. This is about 4-6 weeks. After they become adapt to outside weather and stop piling tendency during rain, (around 8 weeks), I leave them out and what lives, lives. Some years it's almost every one and others half. Depends allot on weather. But in the end you have plenty. The early hatch can be released as young colored adults if you have places they will not be harassed and blasted off right away. Like at home I never shot a bird for a few years and just catered to them. Meanwhile trapping predators heavy. Now It sucks to have to walk 40 yards from the front door and have a crack at a rooster from time to time and I am working on bringing habitat closer to the back door, but it is still acceptable. I think it will be easier when the switch grass is growing 15' from the deck down the road. And all the cover,shrubs and evergreens mature. But one thing thats for sure, is released birds will play an important roll in my back yard.:thumbsup:

 

[tmrichardson]

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[FCSpringer]

Never have I lost a bird to ground preditors. You are wrong about the local pheasants forever here, they do release and raise birds. I have been involved with some of it. Another thing is the only thing that has changed in my backyard and surounding area is my land. There has been no other additions to cover in the general 5 mile area at all..... the only thing that changed the low bird count was releasing birds that became wild very fast and survived well. Sorry to inform you that not all agree with you and your not always right. I have never been to a grower that has double netting and I go to many. I guess they all know nothing and have no sucess. Do you need a list of growers to go and see for your self? You don't need a double net to have sucess. The only ground preditor I have ever had get in was a weasel last year and he is 6" under now with no issue since. Keeping the net away from pirch areas is all you need. Yes you will ocaisonaly loose a bird or two to raptors, mainly owls. But there are ways to scare them off as well. TR why don't you stop being so negitive and come up with a plan to help.

 

[FCSpringer]

Common Pheasants were introduced in North America in 1857, and have become well established throughout much of the Rocky Mountain states (Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, etc.), the Midwest, the Plains states, as well as Canada and Mexico. In the southwest, they can even be seen south of the Rockies in Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge 100 miles south of Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is now most common on the Great Plains. Common Pheasants have also been introduced to much of north-west Europe, the Hawaiian Islands, Chile, St Helena, Tasmania, New Zealand and Rottnest Island off Australia. It has also been unsuccessfully introduced to many other countries.

A great UPH article: http://www.ultimatepheasanthunting.com/info/pheasant-history/