THE PRETEND KEEPER

[stavross]

Do you boys not have your pop holes open from day 1 ?

Up here mine are like this too stop them just been able to walk out, it’s not ideal with both pens in the middle of woodland, I like them to stay in the pen for a good week too 10 days then I’ll lift the tunnels, down at my mates place it’s on farm land so there’s nowhere for them to go so his are open from day one

 

[jall55]

Up here mine are like this too stop them just been able to walk out, it’s not ideal with both pens in the middle of woodland, I like them to stay in the pen for a good week too 10 days then I’ll lift the tunnels, down at my mates place it’s on farm land so there’s nowhere for them to go so his are open from day one

Thanks Stav
Ours are in the wood and we have ours open from day 1 - we tend to have quite a few out and about from day 1 - so i thought / think its better they can get back in
Food for thought though

 

[Rhodesianjess]

Put a forked stick in as a prop, birds get past easy, the stick stops the wire collapsing.

Piece of smooth fencing wire threaded through the tunnel then the ends pushed into the ground, forming a semi circle. Keep the tunnel from collapsing and don't rot

 

[stavross]

Thanks Stav
Ours are in the wood and we have ours open from day 1 - we tend to have quite a few out and about from day 1 - so i thought / think its better they can get back in
Food for thought though

They can get in no problem they are open from the front and tunnelled inside, it just stops them from being able to walk out the pen, mine used to be open but a few years ago a lad I know on a commercial showed me his and they work really well, he said they only use them when the pen is surrounded by woodland, he said if there’s an open field next to the pen they don’t bother because that’s where they will want to be

 

[stavross]

Piece of smooth fencing wire threaded through the tunnel then the ends pushed into the ground, forming a semi circle. Keep the tunnel from collapsing and don't rot

I do the same as that but I use car brake pipe cable tied to the end, then when I lift them I hook the brake pipe through the fence to keep them out the way

 

[stavross]

Back up to check on them and they seem happy enough, no more than a dozen outside the main pen and all walked straight back in no problem, nice evening so I had a walk over the far side, bit of public relations around the campsite field where there was a group of people where they shouldn’t be, bit of a chat for 10 minutes, let the young lads have a look through the scope ( unloaded of course ) and everyone went away happy looks like it’s going to be a warm’un for the next couple of days

 

[jall55]

Just back in myself as the grass gets cut i keep looking - but i think i have done a pretty (very) good job this last few years as nothing seen ...again.
It might be different once the wheat is off

 

[jall55]

Had a lovely night watching the owls and the roe rutting though

 

[stavross]

The birds all seem happy after their first night out in the wild, they have made themselves at hame, scratching around and dusting themselves, the have emptied 3 feeders in the main pen which is good to see, I’ve put the bird tape up because there’s a few BOP’s kicking around

A little question, does anyone put things in the pen to keep them entertained, I have a mate who hangs up sunflower heads and corn for them to peck at, says it keeps them out of mischief

 

[Tim.243]

The birds all seem happy after their first night out in the wild, they have made themselves at hame, scratching around and dusting themselves, the have emptied 3 feeders in the main pen which is good to see, I’ve put the bird tape up because there’s a few BOP’s kicking around

A little question, does anyone put things in the pen to keep them entertained, I have a mate who hangs up sunflower heads and corn for them to peck at, says it keeps them out of mischief View attachment 378378View attachment 378379

straw bales put feed on the bale and they well scratch at it

 

[stavross]

straw bales put feed on the bale and they well scratch at it

Yeah, I do that, was just wondering if anyone put’s things like corn or sunflower heads in for them, once they go over onto wheat I feed 90% on the ground ether on straw or just on feed rides, just so they have to work for their feed

 

[Rhodesianjess]

If you only doing a few, things to occupy them makes the keeper feel better, not sure it stops the little sods tail pulling though!
Mostly amuse themselves,bear in mind the pens undergrowth is the first time they've seen green growth, hence not cutting day before to prevent compacted gizzard with long bits of vegetation.
If they're not packed in like football fans they'll be ok bud,too many in there starts problems like wandering off and tail pulling. You'll know more in 3 weeks when they're bigger

 

[jall55]

straw bales put feed on the bale and they well scratch at it

I would avoid in the pen - Rats and disease

 

[jall55]

Yeah, I do that, was just wondering if anyone put’s things like corn or sunflower heads in for them, once they go over onto wheat I feed 90% on the ground ether on straw or just on feed rides, just so they have to work for their feed

I dont Stav - but to keep the BOP - More specifically the owls guessing i have put up a few flashing lights - like they have on the roadworks - had none this year predated by them - Coincidence ?

 

[Rhodesianjess]

I would avoid in the pen - Rats and disease

Plus risk of aspergillosis if they stay damp after rain.

 

[Dillon]

Reverse engineering of the ramp pop hole, I’ve been using these for 20 + years. Easy to make and install. Most of the materials were sourced from FB market place, I paid £5 for each 8ft x 4ft sheet of weld mesh from a salvage job.

 

[Dickie]

Reverse engineering of the ramp pop hole, I’ve been using these for 20 + years. Easy to make and install. Most of the materials were sourced from FB market place, I paid £5 for each 8ft x 4ft sheet of weld mesh from a salvage job.

An old keeper I knew did similar but he’d acquired some shopping baskets from a supermarket and used them

 

[stavross]

Well, the buggers went in nice and calm and are still calm, but they do like to wander around, with where the pen is situated there is so much natural food outside the pen they are pecking away all day, I walked between 350/400 back in this evening on my own, so I’ve put a group message out asking for help with this over the next week, I don’t mind if they don’t stray too far from the pen but I need them to know where they live, also the wheat is still on the field at the back of the farm and I can’t afford for them to get into that, fingers crossed that comes off at the end of this week

Started the first batch of the bramble gin today, so if all else fails we’ll just turn elevenses into an all day event

 

[stavross]

So my birds have found their feet ( and wings ) they are exploring, they do seem to be heading back to roost and are getting through 50/75 kg of pellets a day which is a little high considering how much natural there is about, after feeding this morning I had a walk around for an hour and came across a stunning doe ( crap picture but it was about 40 yards away) in her finest summer coat, back up tonight to guide them home

 

[Smellydog]

So there I was playing Scrabble and I made up a word that fitted, nyes!
What the heck is a nyes.
Apparently it's the word for a flock of or a brood of pheasants!
Who knew