|
|
My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
I have 180 Quail 2 wks old and every 6 wks I am getting 200 newly hatched birds till november.I am on a major campaign to have wild birds.Is this nuts?
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
nope not at all,done the same thing before
|
|
colt45
|
|
(Pro Tracker)
|
|
04/19/08 09:52 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
curious, what is the survival rate?
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
pretty much all of them,just keep your cocks separate from your hens,or the cocks will peck a head off some of your other birds,keep your breeder cocks seperate dont put breeders togeather in the same cage.fight one dead
|
|
Perow
|
|
(Woodsman)
|
|
04/20/08 07:14 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
how much money and time does an operation of your size cost to run?
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
Your question has the word "wild" in it. Pen raised
birds will not in most cases-populate in the wild. They will
live-as long as you take care of them-but most die-and they
sure die before next year.
|
|
bmowatt
|
|
(Bird Dog)
|
|
04/21/08 05:39 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
I agree with Huntmaster, I have worked with pen raised birds, when they get in the "wild" they can't find the food or water supply.
|
|
colt45
|
|
(Pro Tracker)
|
|
04/23/08 05:48 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
what Huntmaster said....
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
ditto!
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
All your doing is feeding coyotes, racoons, and anything else that wants a helpless tasty treat. Check out quailrestoration.com You could go a couple of ways. There is the surrogator, which is expensive, and results very. Or, for semi wild quail you can always use a johnny house and release birds the day of your hunt. PM me if you would to discuss this more. Im looking into getting into the business of providing wild and semi-wild covies to land owner and leasees.
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
quailquest,
my experience has been different than the others posted here. quail I released last fall are still alive on my place. if they have food, water and cover they will survive. will they reproduce? i'll let you know in a few weeks...
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
I have 2 coveys from last season running around.As for the survival rate I'm not sure but I figure it can't hurt to try.I am only paying $100 per 200 day olds and it takes about $20 in food to get them to 5 weeks.I have 3 reliese cages and 3 feeding stations made so far.I figure I'll let them imprint for a about a month before letting them go.After I let them loose I'm going to pick up the cages and replace them with a feeding stating.I have them on nipple waters so that should keep me from giving other wildlife water.
|
|
kyotee1
|
|
(Pro Tracker)
|
|
05/06/08 11:25 AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
Good luck...placing a feeding station(s) will only concentrate the predators (aerial and ground)to where the quail or any other prey species will be.
Are the coveys you have on your place native birds or the ones you released?
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
They must be released birds because the only wild birds we have seen was about 10 years ago.We see other birds about a mile down the road but those might be some of the birds from last year too.I just kicked the last 9 out of there return pen today and replaced them with 186 5 week olds that I am going to split up this weekend.
|
|
kyotee1
|
|
(Pro Tracker)
|
|
05/07/08 11:14 AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
Do you have permits for your birds since you have a 'return/call back pen'?
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
It can be done. Best case you will lose 50-60 percent. Worst case all of them. e-mail me for details
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
Exactly right-a carry over of 50% of a wild bird population
in unheard of. Stats. and every article, study, survey shows
80% and up of a wild bird population dies every year. That's
just the way it is. Now on "pen raised birds" that's a whole
new ballgame. Study, after study, after study all find-it
can't be done with cost saving success. These pen raised birds just don't understand this sex thing-and how to
protect them in the wild. Sorry.
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
I wasn't aware i need a permit.I do have all receipts for the birds though.
I tried my reliese cage and it didn't go so well!!! Some thing ripped a hole in it and ate a couple and let some out.They hung around until the next time a midnight raid took place.So I let the remaining 20 free.Now I have 120 birds in a cage AND I have 200 more chicks to pick up Monday.LOL I did notice some of the birds are still around where the cage is.
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
good luck and keep us posted as to how it is working.
|
|
TexasEd
|
|
(Pro Tracker)
|
|
06/03/08 08:46 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
I would love to hear an update.
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
The feeder cages are working well.I have lost about half of the reliece birds but they are coming to the water.I left the chicken wire on the cage so they can put there head in for water and not to make it home.the next batch is only 2 weeks old.
|
|
kyotee1
|
|
(Pro Tracker)
|
|
06/04/08 11:15 AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
My wife thinks I'm nuts...I'll agree with her.
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
I don't have any input. But I do wish you good luck and look forward to reading your updates.
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
Hello quailquest,
I said I would keep you posted: my released pen-raised birds have successfully mated and produced quail chicks just thirty five miles from Dallas. The adults were pen-raised, the chicks are WILD!! Yes, we have fire ants, but we also have cover, water and food. We raise cattle but do not over-graze. Don't accept the opinions of the 'experts' on this site! If you have a passion for quail and are willing to do what it takes - go for it. 'There are those who look at things the way they are and ask why -- I ask why not?' (paraphrased) RFK. Grow some quail for your kids and mine.
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
Hey reeltexan...I was going out to check on my quail today and ran across a pair of quail.THEY HAVE BABIES!!!! I'm not going to run my pup over there for about a month or so.Also I have seen some of this years hatch over the fence.I have about 160 lil ones almost ready for release.
|
|
Sixxem
|
|
(Outdoorsman)
|
|
06/17/08 09:38 AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
Just to add my 2 cents here. In Southern Colorado where I live we have no wild bobwhite population at all. We only have scaled quail. At our training grounds, last year we did one hatch using the "Surrogator" system. Two weeks ago we saw the first hen with a huge covey of very young birds. So I know it can work if the habit, food, and water sources are there to support the birds. These grounds have had extensive improvements in habitat and food sources specifically for building up semi-wild bird populations. Now on our other training grounds, birds won't live from week to week when turned out. There just isn't the food, cover,or water sources. So...it can work, and does work if all the elements the birds need to survive are in place. We have 4 "Surrogators" full of birds that will be released in 2 weeks and we will have 3 more releases before the year is out. This should give is a good indication in next year how well this will work.
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
sounds good six, keep us posted how that works out for you.
|
|
|
|
Re: My wife thinks I'm nuts
|
|
The real question is there anything when it comes to birds where the wifes don't think were crazy?!
Eric
|