partridge question /

[zap 4]

ok fellas i have 150 pheasants in a pen and have 50 partridge on there way i was wondering if i could just put the partridge in with the pheasants or should i build a little pen with a mesh cover on roof ,if i was just to put them in with the pheasants would they just disapear ? i was thinking of just opening the crates and move straight out the pen and let them wander out on there own come back next night once they have found barings so maybe that way they would hide in wind blow rather than f*****g off ? give me some advice please as it the first time i had pheasant and partridge thanks

[proper job 1]

Build a separate pen, with a net roof.

[robsharpe 1]

hello zap the small shoot i am in had some partridge last year we only got 50 and built a small pen for them on another part of the shoot very flighty too as pj says a net top is very important the fantastic at vertical take off and landing we onl;y shot a couple of those 50 the rest just followed the sun never to be seen again

[Guest little_lloyd]

I would not of put them in a wood they prefer open pens in some cover crop Partridge pens are easier and abiy cheaper to contruct than phessie pens so try building a small pen in your cover crops

[Ricky-N.p.p 0]

as said above partridge dont need big pens 10ftx10ft would be suffice we tried partridge on a local shoot about 6 yrs ago and they now provide the best shooting on the shoot, we dont have game crops either as the area there on is too harsh for the game crops to do well, its a hilly area with loads of rushes though, with partridge they'll either be superb or non exsistant in my experiance, good luck with them mate

[zap 4]

i wish i had just got an extra 50 pheasants now they have been a piece of cake to look afer saying that theres only 150 in a pen that 2 years ago held 600 so theres loads of room ,the last couple days i have noticed 2-3 older birds that have come in the pen through the pop holes ,well i guess i will just have to build a pen for the partridge and let them out in dribs and drabs so as to try and keep them around ,thanks gents

[Guest little_lloyd]

i wish i had just got an extra 50 pheasants now they have been a piece of cake to look afer saying that theres only 150 in a pen that 2 years ago held 600 so theres loads of room ,the last couple days i have noticed 2-3 older birds that have come in the pen through the pop holes ,well i guess i will just have to build a pen for the partridge and let them out in dribs and drabs so as to try and keep them around ,thanks gents

 

Im sure if you give your partridges the keepering they require thell provide you with some pretty good sport and eating :clapping:

 

Have you any cover crops in what to put your pen up?

[alimac 882]

i wish i had just got an extra 50 pheasants now they have been a piece of cake to look afer saying that theres only 150 in a pen that 2 years ago held 600 so theres loads of room ,the last couple days i have noticed 2-3 older birds that have come in the pen through the pop holes ,well i guess i will just have to build a pen for the partridge and let them out in dribs and drabs so as to try and keep them around ,thanks gents

 

as fereterjoe said is how you need to do it, another tip, the old birds that you mention are like the kids your mum used to tell you to keep away from as they will leed you astray, the old cock birds come in around the pen even more once the new arrivals come home.. poults will follow these birds away from the pen and get lost.... imo these old birds are better delt with, il leave it to you to decide what action i suggest for them

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

IME,partridge will do o.k in pheasant pens but need clipping the same as pheasants as they are ,as said ,very flighty .On a small shoot where time is valuable them mix them in to save having to visit two pens .You will need to keep back a pair of call birds though[before they are put in the release pen] and kept nearby in a smaller mesh topped pen .This can be in a clearing around the pen and surrounded with electric wire ,run off the pen .A wire bottem to any partidge pen is advisable to stop predators digging under .

[alimac 882]

IME,partridge will do o.k in pheasant pens but need clipping the same as pheasants as they are ,as said ,very flighty .On a small shoot where time is valuable them mix them in to save having to visit two pens .You will need to keep back a pair of call birds though[before they are put in the release pen] and kept nearby in a smaller mesh topped pen .This can be in a clearing around the pen and surrounded with electric wire ,run off the pen .A wire bottem to any partidge pen is advisable to stop predators digging under .

 

not to start argument but never clipped pheas or parts , IF something gets past the pen deffenses your screwed, then you really wish you hadnt clipped them when you walk in and find 150 dead birds, if they cant fly they cant escape........ and secondly , as with all live stock i wouldnt keep what i didnt have time to look after properly, if time dont stretch to two diff pen sites, just knock up a 10 x 10 partr pen next to your pheas pen ........ as i say not looking for arguments just giving advice

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Alimac -Clipping is practised by ,I would think ,at least 75% of keepers on early,mid season birds but never on lates as they need to be out the pens .The original post ,I think ,applied to a lad trying to release on a small scale where hanging on to birds in a pen for as long as possible is the norm .In my experience if something gets in your pen you are stuffed anyway so that argument dosnt stand up .Hanging on to birds on a small acrerage far outways the small chance of something getting in a pen if constructed propper .

Ps Not knocking the way you do things ,just making a point .

[alimac 882]

Alimac -Clipping is practised by ,I would think ,at least 75% of keepers on early,mid season birds but never on lates as they need to be out the pens .The original post ,I think ,applied to a lad trying to release on a small scale where hanging on to birds in a pen for as long as possible is the norm .In my experience if something gets in your pen you are stuffed anyway so that argument dosnt stand up .Hanging on to birds on a small acrerage far outways the small chance of something getting in a pen if constructed propper .

Ps Not knocking the way you do things ,just making a point .

dont make me laugh.... if you have two birds in a pen, one that can fly up to roost etc, the other has had its wing feathers clipped that can only manage a few feet... a fox joins them in the pen... which one will get it first???? the guy i do my terrier work with is also a keeper, he had a fox in one of his pens this year, the pen holds 750,the pen posts are topped at 7 ft, have anti fox grids etc.(so yes it is constructed proper) he lost about 14 or so... if they had been clipped the story would have been alot different, and yes he shot the fox on his morning rounds.... as for your percentages , did you make that up on your way home from the i have 12 shoots around me, only two or three clipp, so thats answers that.

yes i agree that it stops them getting out the pen as quick, there for stops alot of early dogging in, but that is the only benefit....

[sidebyside 0]

Don't clip wing which ever species you have, the flight is the main form of escape from predators. ( you already know that bit) Plenty of cover in the pens and plenty of sunshine coming birds will be happy, your pheasants need to have medium and high level roosting. Partridges (Red legs) will happily stay in and around a woodland if there is easy to find feed. your returns will be down i.e. 25% but you will have some spectacular shooting if the woodland is good. Our shoot has long narrow woods 100-200 mtrs wide, we have some very high banks that can produce birds that are out of range. Woodland partridges can be the best shooting of the season.

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Alimac-We have 17 shoots within 20 mile radius and they ALL had clipped early season birds which is what I'm on about .I know this as I helped catch up all their birds and crate them from the local gamefarm .All were clipped by myself and a mate .The percentage was based on feedback from a local college ,lackham college in wiltshire that conducts surveys not based on what happens around you but nationwide .The reason it says "I THINK"in my post is because all data is not in for our area yet but 75 % is the score so far .

You are obviously a much more skilled and experienced countryman/keeper than myself so we wont even go into what happens when predators get into pens as youve seen it once and formed a conclusion . .

[Guest little_lloyd]

A gamefarmer mate of mine said to lightly clip the wings of my poults so if a fox does mangae to break through they can still be of.