how big?

[welshboy454 3]

Out of curiosity I looked up the Basc guidance which suggests 700 birds per hectare ( about 14/15 sq metres per bird)for a release pen. Release pens operate for a short timespan say 2 months maximum 3 months during the growing season.

 

The EU allow 4 sq metres per bird for free range hens 12 months of the year including the non growing season !

 

An interesting comparison

 

Is it just me thinking that something does not stack up here ? or is the conservation tail now wagging the shooting dog !

 

The European Union regulates marketing standards for egg farming which specifies the following (cumulative) minimum conditions for Free range method:

• hens have continuous daytime access to open-air runs, except in the case of temporary restrictions imposed by veterinary authorities,

• the open-air runs to which hens have access is mainly covered with vegetation and not used for other purposes except for orchards, woodland and livestock grazing if the latter is authorised by the competent authorities,

• the open-air runs must at least satisfy the conditions specified in Article 4(1)(3)((ii) of Directive 1999/74/EC whereby the maximum stocking density is not greater than 2 500 hens per hectare of ground available to the hens or one hen per 4m2 at all times and the runs are not extending beyond a radius of 150 m from the nearest pophole of the building; an extension of up to 350 m from the nearest pophole of the building is permissible provided that a sufficient number of shelters and drinking troughs within the meaning of that provision are evenly distributed throughout the whole open-air run with at least four shelters per hectare.[10]

•

Releasing pheasants and partridges BASC

• Shoots should refer to the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust guidelines for sustainable game bird releasing.

• These provide a rule of thumb, advising that in order to avoid damage to habitat in most situations shoots should avoid releasing more than 1,000 pheasants per hectare of pen, and more than 700 per hectare of pen in ancient, seminatural woodland and that pheasant release pens should not, in total, take up more than about one third of the woodland area on the shoot.

• Where shoots exceed the recommended densities they should be able to demonstrate that their particular circumstances and management regime (for example, by limiting the period of time birds are in release pens) does not significantly damage woodland flora and fauna.

• Partridge release pens should be sited in cover crops on arable or improved grassland, rather than on seminatural or unimproved habitats.

Edited April 20, 2009 by welshboy454

[warm barrels 0]

You will need a release pen at least the guideline of 1sq ft per bird for that amount you will require a pen somewhere in the region of 25yds x 15yds. We here rear in excess of 10000 birds each year and we make sure ours have room in them.the more the better with natural cover inside. Good luck.

Edited April 22, 2009 by warm barrels