Hand Feeding

[Roe stalker 0]

Hi guys I'm wanting to hand feed this year. So far I have 1500 plots to wood with another 2000 to put in as and when we get a dry day. My plots that are in the pens already are useing minoler feeders for the past 5 days but I want to get them on the whistel am I best letting the minolers run dry while scattering a bit of feed around?

[longdog98 7]

I give the birds a week or so to settle, feeding in their usual feeders, topping up at the times i intend to hand feed, whistling as i go. This gets them used to you coming in at certain times of the day and gives you an idea of food intake. Then I'll start feeding on the ground in a trail, letting the feeders run out. Then it's just a case of fine tuning the quantity of food to keep them sharp. It's all a balancing act to get them on the hand feed before they are getting out of the pen in numbers but still making sure they don't get stressed in the first few days in the pen. The younger you can get birds to wood, the easier it is and a lot depends on the weather. The most important thing is to stick to your feeding times cos if you get it right they will be waiting for you at the gate and god help you if you're late!

Do you intend to hand feed right through? Mine go on hoppers once they are on wheat, but i certainly find it gives me a lot more control to get the birds where i want them.

[shovel leaner 7,648]

Be careful . It seems that you are looking after a good few birds mate . That represents a considerable financial investment . And yet you are asking basic keepering questions . I'm not knocking you , but it's very easy to mess hand feeding up if you are not carefull . By that I mean getting the birds too tame . I knew a keeper who got the sack because his birds were kept "sharp" / "hungry" and the birds were so used to the sound of his vehicle that on shoot day the guns turned up on the drive and the birds flew out of the cover and down to the guns and started pecking around the guns feet . Also getting hand fed birds to fly can be a problem . It just depends on the size of ground . If it's a postage stamp , ok maybe it's the best option , but if you have room I would recommend hopper and trail feeding . Ad lib feeding the birds works and keeps them wild . And dog in if you have time . Keep the vermin down and create a little safe pheasant paradise free from tooth , beak and claw . Bollock dog walkers with dogs off the lead . And you will have a good season . All the best , and this is only my opinion . No doubt some of the others on here will have their ways but I would be very careful . Why not try one pen this season hand feeding and see how you get on and your usual feeding regime on the others . That way you will find which works best on your ground .

[riohog 5,621]

hand feeding does have a place , butlike said be carefull not all birds feed at the same time so keepsome hoppers about ive hand fed , its ok for pulling birds into game crops .but there again you can have tomany birds in one cover ,and they will troff all the grub and bugger off . its a fine balance so imo keep some feeders about