Feeding red leg partridge

[baguio]

In your case and from your posts and knowledge of good partridge manors, I probably couldn't teach you a thing. I think the applicable expression is "You can't put old heads on young shoulders".

But you need to get your knowledge passed down a bit lively from your posts!

I have a good friend who's a keeper at Holkham. I've spent a few days searching for grey partridge nests before the hen had started to sit. Almost impossible to find until I was shown some that had already been found. The hen covers the clutch over with dirt etc until the clutch is complete.
Those chicks were proper wild too despite having been reared under bantams. He used to lose between 10 and 20% just getting them out to the field. The 'wild' pheasants were just the same. It was amazing that they hatched knowing that they were wild.

They must be hatching soon? Just hope we get some nice warm and dry weather and the vermin finds something else to eat.

 

[User00025]

But you need to get your knowledge passed down a bit lively from your posts!

I have a good friend who's a keeper at Holkham. I've spent a few days searching for grey partridge nests before the hen had started to sit. Almost impossible to find until I was shown some that had already been found. The hen covers the clutch over with dirt etc until the clutch is complete.
Those chicks were proper wild too despite having been reared under bantams. He used to lose between 10 and 20% just getting them out to the field. The 'wild' pheasants were just the same. It was amazing that they hatched knowing that they were wild.

They must be hatching soon? Just hope we get some nice warm and dry weather and the vermin finds something else to eat.

A friend of mine turned a job down there, he is on a wild bird shoot both pheasants and Grey's, but he has a boss who can afford the luxury.
There's a knack to nest finding and it does become easier. Could have hatched a few already, I haven't seen any yet but they could well be in cover as it's so dry at the moment, next week it's rain so could be awful. Trouble now is so much is protected ground nesting birds have no chance and the avian crowd are killing everything from Skylarks to pheasants. Ever hopeful is the motto. In the hot summer of 76 we lost loads of newly hatched to Barn owls as there were no voles. The other cause of losses was 1.5" cracks in the ground down which a lot perished. As you say

 

[User00036]

For anyone interested in Greys, should check out a book, "The Partridge, Pesticides Predation & Conservation" by G.R. Potts. I visited Holkham & Barsham Manor back in the eighties, at that time their Spring pair count was staggering, if I remember rightly 7-9 pairs on one 30 acres field. Considering that greys don't like to nest too close to each other, thats quite an achievement. Sadly Barsham I think has gone over to released Pheasants & Red legs. Anyone who manages to hang on to their greys in this day & age has my utmost respect.

 

[baguio]

For anyone interested in Greys, should check out a book, "The Partridge, Pesticides Predation & Conservation" by G.R. Potts. I visited Holkham & Barsham Manor back in the eighties, at that time their Spring pair count was staggering, if I remember rightly 7-9 pairs on one 30 acres field. Considering that greys don't like to nest too close to each other, thats quite an achievement. Sadly Barsham I think has gone over to released Pheasants & Red legs. Anyone who manages to hang on to their greys in this day & age has my utmost respect.

Packman and his fighting of the general licenses does nothing to help these beautiful birds. It's no coincidence that there are no rookeries on the Holkham estate which is approximately 25,000 acres. Not sure how they would stop them taking up residence in the current climate but they have clearly never been given a warm welcome.

 

[Dawnbuck]

Antis don't see and don't want to hear the relationship the hunter has with nature and the environment, and will push an agenda regardless of the negative impact upon wildlife. Terrible state of affairs.

 

[User00036]

Sadly its a generational thing, most country folks would never argue about predator control, but lets call it land management, if you manage the land for the benefit of birds, its a win win situation its called conservation. Sadly we have activists posing as conservationists, what concerns me is how easily a whole generation can be duped by television presenters & politicians. Correct me if I'm wrong here but Edwardian keepers despite their draconian measures never managed to wipe out a single species of predator? perhaps shooting should be a bit more proactive when we demonstrate the benefits of conservation & land management, for invertebrates & bird conservation. I regard the grey partridge as the litmus test for agricultural land.

 

[Dawnbuck]

I couldn't agree more. Shooting, hunter gathering or whatever you want to call it needs developing as a philosophy and way of life. It should the be put through the courts and recognised as philosophical huntingism

 

[User00036]

A friend of mine turned a job down there, he is on a wild bird shoot both pheasants and Grey's, but he has a boss who can afford the luxury.
There's a knack to nest finding and it does become easier. Could have hatched a few already, I haven't seen any yet but they could well be in cover as it's so dry at the moment, next week it's rain so could be awful. Trouble now is so much is protected ground nesting birds have no chance and the avian crowd are killing everything from Skylarks to pheasants. Ever hopeful is the motto. In the hot summer of 76 we lost loads of newly hatched to Barn owls as there were no voles. The other cause of losses was 1.5" cracks in the ground down which a lot perished. As you say

Good luck with the greys TFH, we have a run of good weather over the 10 day period of Royal Ascot, as you know grey chicks can fly after 10 + days, they could be feathered up now. Looks like we are in for a deluge thurs friday, but I don't think we are in for a sustained period of wet & cold, could be a good year. When they are feathered & in the corn, the main predator I reckon is a hovering kestrel, but they should be alright till the corn comes down. As you say, Ever hopeful!

 

[User00025]

Good luck with the greys TFH, we have had a run of good weather over the 10 day period of Royal Ascot, as you know grey chicks can fly after 10 + days, they should be feathered up now. Looks like we are in for a deluge thurs friday, but I don't think we are in for a sustained period of wet & cold, could be a good year. When they are feathered & in the corn, the main predator I reckon is a hovering kestrel, but they should be alright till the corn comes down. As you say, Ever hopeful!

We live in hope. The Spars are always the worst as they take the adults, usually the hen when they are just paired. Buzzards are a pain as well but we have a few hundred acres of beans so they should be safe until the end of harvest.

 

[baguio]

We live in hope. The Spars are always the worst as they take the adults, usually the hen when they are just paired. Buzzards are a pain as well but we have a few hundred acres of beans so they should be safe until the end of harvest.

I was told that the buzzards actually take the sparrow hawk chicks out of their nests in the tops of trees and do much less damage to the partridges. Therefore he preferred to have a few buzzards on the place. Not sure how true that is but given a choice I would certainly choose buzzards over hawks.

 

[boltmaker]

I was told that the buzzards actually take the sparrow hawk chicks out of their nests in the tops of trees and do much less damage to the partridges. Therefore he preferred to have a few buzzards on the place. Not sure how true that is but given a choice I would certainly choose buzzards over hawks.

All birds of prey are a disaster for British wildlife .On springwatch even the Kestrel was bringing in blackbirds.The marsh harrier cleaned up the leverets just for fun and the buzzard was very catholic with its diet.Our wildlife was most plentiful and healthy when badgers ,birds of prey and corvids were controlled all year round.The 1954 protection of birds act has been a disaster for some groups of birds as has the 1992 badger act.

 

[steve sxs]

All birds of prey are a disaster for British wildlife .On springwatch even the Kestrel was bringing in blackbirds.The marsh harrier cleaned up the leverets just for fun and the buzzard was very catholic with its diet.Our wildlife was most plentiful and healthy when badgers ,birds of prey and corvids were controlled all year round.The 1954 protection of birds act has been a disaster for some groups of birds as has the 1992 badger act.

This makes so much sense, rather than blaming farming practices and habit loss and pollution, some people will never admit that they are wrong and when those people have influenced many it is not a good outcome

 

[baguio]

All birds of prey are a disaster for British wildlife .On springwatch even the Kestrel was bringing in blackbirds.The marsh harrier cleaned up the leverets just for fun and the buzzard was very catholic with its diet.Our wildlife was most plentiful and healthy when badgers ,birds of prey and corvids were controlled all year round.The 1954 protection of birds act has been a disaster for some groups of birds as has the 1992 badger act.

No, I get that but do buzzards keep down the sparrow hawk numbers?

 

[steve sxs]

No, I get that but do buzzards keep down the sparrow hawk numbers?

No

 

[steve sxs]

No

Just another miss guided missile

 

[countrryboy]

Thanks for comments chaps. Will get some more pellets ordered. To clarify will be releasing a week before the season at approx 14 weeks old (season starts 1st Nov) in one location and then released in two other locations over subsequent weekends- can't do all in one day.

Ignoreing all the good advice about feeding pellets, keeping so long in pens and releasing so late.
I take it time is an issue?
By law if a bird is in an enclosed pen u u'll have to check it every day, so sooner ou the on h better free ur day up for other things esp if a DIY keeper

I read u wat tto shoot them walked up?
Don't know wot coveru have on ur ground, but I've found red legs to be an absolute waste of time walking up.
Even in fairly dense cover will just run on in front.

The shoot I ran we done a lot of walking up in areas with quite nice cover, rashes, white grass, and scrubby trees/shrubs and the reds would just run and run.
Pheasants weren't to bad bu the Grey's were excellent for walked up would sit as tight as anything.
Personally I wouldn't waste my time releasing reds for walked up shooting.

If u haven't got any native wild Grey's I'd buy in some grey poults, far better sport out off them.
And buy poults we had some good sport and decent returns which should off been higher if shooting straighter out of grey poults and not an arable field for 5+ miles, but when switched to ex layer Grey's just a complete waste of time.
We thought with them being in a roof netted pen they'd get hefted but no.

I'm not as old as many on here but when I started I don't think anyone I my area had ever released a red leg 30 years ago, but many shoots released Grey's into turnip fields which where far more common in those days and often shot walked up.

 

[boltmaker]

No, I get that but do buzzards keep down the sparrow hawk numbers?

We see very few sparrowhaw’s now and people say buzzards take them off the nest.I have never seen it .I have seen a sparrowhawk eating/ plucking another sparrowhawk though.

 

[steve sxs]

We see very few sparrowhaw’s now and people say buzzards take them off the nest.I have never seen it .I have seen a sparrowhawk eating/ plucking another sparrowhawk though.

Was the one eating the other in danger of lead poisoning

 

[boltmaker]

Was the one eating the other in danger of lead poisoning

No ,not that I know. .It was on a tree stump , I went back to photograph it but there were only a few feathers left.

 

[User00025]

We see very few sparrowhaw’s now and people say buzzards take them off the nest.I have never seen it .I have seen a sparrowhawk eating/ plucking another sparrowhawk though.

Sure it wasn't a small Gos?