want to raise a few pheasants and quail

[high country]

Ok I know bone does some pheasants....anyone else?

here is the deal, I am getting a new pup in the spring and would like to try to get a few birds on the farm here to train my new dog. I only have 10 acres to work with, but I am irrigated and not grazing any stock this year, so I think I can get some fenced islands for cover and I was planning on planting corn and sunflower all the way around the pasture. I would like to here any ifo that might help from pens to feed to disease.....any info would help. I plan on keeping the feral/banded cats & dogs at bay via controlled hunts. I have a tractor, tiller and a seed drill if needed. I expect a decent loss, but as stated I am mostly looking to get my new pooch onto some birds, as well as have a few more running around my place.

any help greatly appreciated.

[Bighorse]

Well you can't just drop a bomb like that and not tell us what a man with such means is getting for a dog. 

Come on.......What breed strikes your fancy.

Thats an extensive plan you have in place there.  Impressive to say the least!

Contact someone at the Coyote Ridge rearing facility and see what they have done to ensure healthy birds.  They have developed a reputation for good birds.  Although......reputation aside......I found some exceptional roosters in my W. WA release area this year. 

Another thing to consider is the use of a smaller bird.....IE  Chuckar and pigeon for a puppy until they get a larger maw.

Merry Christmas

[boneaddict]

I can help you extensively.  I have about 36 pens, and just a tadbit of experience.  I assume you are after local birds, pheasants, quail, chukar etc.  Get your breeding pens ready, I can discuss pitfalls etc.  Then I would suggest getting a couple breeders, and raise your birds and release the offspring.  Chukars are a good breed, maybe some huns if you can find them, Valley quail work well.  If you have money to burn, mountain quail are excellent.  Bobwhites may work.  Usually lots of them and ringnecks available in the spring at feed stores.  I like to add some spice to mine, and have black mutants.  Not your normal ones, but exceptionally bred ones.  I've kind of gone in reverse as I am breeding thm with normal ringnecks kind of back to the normal ones you can find.  Anyway, the WDFW also requires a permit if you are going to sell or release any birds that are native species.  If you stick to exotics then you don't need one. 

Here is a catch......if you intend to do tis for your dog, that means you have a bird dog on the premises.  You will be wasting alot of time and money dong this project if you don't secure your area.  the dog will run everything out and or kill it.  They tend to harass the pens while you aren't watching and all those will be dead as well fron stress, breaking thei ecks on the wire etc.   If you have tame birds at all outside of a pen the dog will catch them.  My Bassett hound can, so I am sure a bird dog can and will, even wild ones.   I have a fenced off enclosure around my pens to keep the coyotes and dogs at bay.  I have no idea if your dog will be kenneled or what. 

As far as exotics other than the black ones, I would suggest Reeves, or Silvers.  The Reeves acclimate the best.

[high country]

the dog coming will be a drahthaar.

I plan on keeping an acre or so fenced for the dog to "play" in, a smaller "kennel" area for it's "home" and about 2-3 acres for the bird farm. I can use the remainder and the "play area" for my training area. I fully expect to lose a good number of birds as I attempt to train, but I really don't mind. as for exotics vs native.....I will have to look into the permitting. I don't want to disrupt out local bird stock....so I don't know how exotics play into that. ideally this is not intended to be a money maker for me, just a hobby and my feeble effort to get the new dog up to my old dogs speed ASAP.

I have very little knowledge of rasing birds, but I know that one of my neighbors bought 100 pheasant chicks and about 60 made it to maturity. if I can do half that good I will be happy.

I have a few resident pheasants now and a crazy number of quail. my overall plan is to increase the quality habitiat here and help them live a little easier life. my lab and my FIL's setter have not done much to disrupt the local birds.....they seem to keep coming back for more high oil seeds.

I would love to see some huns or chukar here in the area, I have a friend who has a put and take hunting area and he says the chukar are doing very well here.

thanks guys.

[boneaddict]

That sounds good.