THE PRETEND KEEPER

[Nickb]

That soon fizzled out mate, I guess they just don’t make them like me anymore

As I said when you were looking its nearly impossible to find compatible folk.

I was out last night until 3.30 am then out on the pigeons this afternoon..

 

[jall55]

The unsung heroes of the countryside | Episode 1: Jim Allsop

Join us as we visit Jim Allsop, one of our finalists in the Working Conservationist category of this year’s Schöffel Countryside Awards, and learn all about how his relentless drive and ability to bring people together has transformed an area of rural Britain into a haven for wildlife. I can’t...

www.schoffelcountry.com

Have a look at this Stav

I know it has its own thread but you may find it interesting mate

 

[jall55]

And this @stavross

 

[jall55]

Thanks Nick - sorry about the slight off tangent guys but we now have 80,000 views or thereabouts ! I really want this to work for Schoffel as they spread the message about our way of lives and many of the benefits we can bring
I wont keep banging on about it (much) - i probably will - !

 

[stavross]

The unsung heroes of the countryside | Episode 1: Jim Allsop

Join us as we visit Jim Allsop, one of our finalists in the Working Conservationist category of this year’s Schöffel Countryside Awards, and learn all about how his relentless drive and ability to bring people together has transformed an area of rural Britain into a haven for wildlife. I can’t...

www.schoffelcountry.com

Have a look at this Stav

I know it has its own thread but you may find it interesting mate

WOW

That is amazing, you deserve all the recognition for what you have achieved there, I can tell you one thing, if I lived near you, you would have to get an injunction out on me because I would pester you until you let me join your gang

 

[Nickb]

WOW

That is amazing, you deserve all the recognition for what you have achieved there, I can tell you one thing, if I lived near you, you would have to get an injunction out on me because I would pester you until you let me join your gang

Me too ️

 

[jall55]

TBH lads it would be me hounding you lads to come

 

[Nickb]

@ Stavross

Why dont we have a trip down to have a look around if that's okay with jall55

 

[75]

I'll pop along and put names to faces if you do make it down and @jall55 doesn't mind.

 

[stavross]

I’d love to spend a hour or so being shown around that’s right up my street

 

[stavross]

Last of the feeders repaired at home today while it was raining, picked up some chicken grit for my pens and went and bothered a farmer on the tap for oats, beans or anything else I can have for free to mix my feed up later in the season

 

[stavross]

Here’s one for ya, my mate has just rang me, now he’s a member of my syndicate but has joined another one, he said, they have been out over the past week and have seen foxes but haven’t shot any, would I go up and see what I can do I said, what’s the keeper doing, apparently he can’t get out on a night I’m just about to leave the house now and almost said I’d go now but then thought sod them they can wait, I’m now thinking I might get my feet under the table there and take it over, a nice lowland farm shoot with game cover and ponds, far easier than my forestry shoot to look after and only 10 minutes from my front door, also I know next doors shoot and they put 6000 birds down

 

[stavross]

Well, no foxes shot, but I did have a lovely evening out, I set up in a large field of freshly drilled winter wheat, nothing showed an interest in the caller, this is nothing unusual this time of year up here. Before I lost the light I was treated to curlew above me calling, a lovely sound on a warm evening, then I had 3 hare racing around the field a breakneck speed for what seemed like no other reason than just for the fun of it, to finish it off I had a few barn owls scouring the drillings after the abundance of mice, lovely to watch them through the thermal dropping out the sky. Called it a night and headed back towards the farm, almost got to the farm, looked through the thermal and there was a fox 20’ in front of me, looked and acted like a cub, it didn’t know what to do, went to run right then changed its mind and darted left straight into a field of standing wheat, so at least I know where to set up next time

 

[stavross]

Right, I’m all ready for the birds arrival at sparrow fart in the morning, I think if I can get myself out my pit I’ll go up for about 4 in the morning and have an hour or so on ginger watch, first batch of elevenses bramble gin on the go

 

[bumpy22]

Mine coming tomorrow. Stress levels through the roof and that's without trying to organise help

 

[snoozlecracker]

Mine coming tomorrow. Stress levels through the roof and that's without trying to organise help

I know your pain got 4 weeks till mine arrive and I’m still a pen and half down. Resigned to the fact that it’s a solo enterprise.

T.

 

[Phil fox man]

Right, I’m all ready for the birds arrival at sparrow fart in the morning, I think if I can get myself out my pit I’ll go up for about 4 in the morning and have an hour or so on ginger watch, first batch of elevenses bramble gin on the go View attachment 432164View attachment 432165View attachment 432166

don't forget " ginger watch" inside the pen I learnt the hard way

 

[stavross]

Well they are in, so now the madness can begin, lovely quiet birds all just wandered out the crates and straight to the water and feed, the supplier has recommended that I introduce maize to the pellet once they are over 12 weeks and once they start to moult feed a mix of whatever I can get my hands on to try and hold them, wheat, oats, maize, beans basically anything that the surrounding shoots are not feeding them, one of the lads brought me 3 bags of split maize up today, he said how much do I want, I said if it’s free I’ll have as much as you can get, turns out it’s 6 quid a bag so I’ve told him to have a whip round from the members, because the better we can feed them the more likely they are to stick around

 

[nick.308]

Ive been spreading some split maize with aniseed for several days now into the undergrowth for the poults to scratch around for.
£360 a ton delivered here. We seem to be going through a lot of pellets at the moment. 20% protein with fishmeal seems to be good stuff but at £500 a ton, bought some more 20% protein pellets at £420 a ton but not fish meal. Probably not as good but will help keep them growing until october.
Had the poults over 3 weeks now and thinking its time to leave the pen open through the night now as I dont think theres much sleeping on the ground. I just want to help let them spread now as a few tails are getting pecked.

 

[stavross]

Had a run up this evening to check and there was a fair few birds the wrong side of the wire at the forestry pen, got the majority back in and the rest were hanging around the pen and getting up into the trees, it was a similar story at Gordon’s pen but the 450 that were still in the pen were drawing the stragglers close
I had a walk around the field at the back of the farm where I stood and watched two nice fallow bucks, one with an antler missing and the other was almost black in colour, tried to take pictures through the scope but failed it’s a lovely place to be on a warm evening, there’s only pheasants that spoil it