More Cocks Than Hens!

[Blakloks 5]

We were having a discussion at our annual shoot meeting regarding the ratio of cocks to hens one member reckon he was told it was better to keep a higher number of cocks than hens for holding purposes is there any truth in this?

[Lab 10,979]

Nonsense.

[Ideation 8,217]

Yep nonsense. Too many cocks is a problem i think.

 

Fairly unrelated, but we had a shoot day this year where we shot the exact same number of cocks and hens, which is rare, over the season we seem to shoot way more cocks.

[Astral 253]

I heard that you only need very few males to keep a high breeding population of females, as they will seek out many mates. Having too many cocks is a problem as the numbers can mean the females are bothered too much and there is too much competition for the males. Though this is just what a game keeping buddy of my dads has told me I have no gamekeeping experience myself, but I heard its why shooters are encouraged to take cocks over hens?

[Hydropotesinermis 724]

Do you have wild partridges on the ground? Some wild partridge shoots will only put down Cocks because they don't lay into Partridge nests.

[Ideation 8,217]

I heard that you only need very few males to keep a high breeding population of females, as they will seek out many mates. Having too many cocks is a problem as the numbers can mean the females are bothered too much and there is too much competition for the males. Though this is just what a game keeping buddy of my dads has told me I have no gamekeeping experience myself, but I heard its why shooters are encouraged to take cocks over hens?

 

 

Most released phesants won't really breed, from what I have seen, or rather when they do, they don't raise the young well, because they are shit mothers, having been hatched in an incubator themselves. We often have hens sitting nests, but as soon as one hatches, they feck off leaving the rest.

 

But you are right with regard to wild birds. And you are also right in that too many males will lead to them hassling and driving the hens out, and fighting and even killing each other.

 

With wild bird shoots you aim to shoot cocks not hens to protect the breeding population.

[paulus 26]

 

I heard that you only need very few males to keep a high breeding population of females, as they will seek out many mates. Having too many cocks is a problem as the numbers can mean the females are bothered too much and there is too much competition for the males. Though this is just what a game keeping buddy of my dads has told me I have no gamekeeping experience myself, but I heard its why shooters are encouraged to take cocks over hens?

 

 

Most released phesants won't really breed, from what I have seen, or rather when they do, they don't raise the young well, because they are shit mothers, having been hatched in an incubator themselves. We often have hens sitting nests, but as soon as one hatches, they feck off leaving the rest.

 

But you are right with regard to wild birds. And you are also right in that too many males will lead to them hassling and driving the hens out, and fighting and even killing each other.

 

With wild bird shoots you aim to shoot cocks not hens to protect the breeding population.

good to watch though

[Ideation 8,217]

Oh aye, brilliant mate, they do really go at it!

[Lab 10,979]

Before we had nets on our laying pens I used to love watching any strange cock birds that turned up try and fly in the pen for a fees. No sooner had its feet landed it was harassed out the pen in seconds. Once they have established there boundaries that's it.

[paulus 26]

Oh aye, brilliant mate, they do really go at it!

all wild birds here mate, they have pritty much been left to get on with for years as i have no interest in shooting them :laugh:

 

and the wiiner is

[Blakloks 5]

Cheers guys some useful info there I think it's a case of too many cocks spoil the broth!!

[The one 8,587]

I thought older cocks dominated the territory at the feeders so having surplus cocks stopped others from feeding as well ?.

[Ideation 8,217]

I thought older cocks dominated the territory at the feeders so having surplus cocks stopped others from feeding as well ?.

True.

[mudman 14]

I have been told cocks hold better than hens and tend to agree with that. Maybe more of a case that all pheasants will wander but when hens do it they tend to go as a gang, a girls day out!

 

Reared pheasants will breed in the wild with some chance of success, in fact they are far more productive than reared partridges. The key is to make sure they are well fed through the spring, they are so dependent on winter feed that they run down quickly when deprived of that after the shooting season. They either then abandon the nest because they are starving or if they do hatch are more interested in feeding themselves (again because they are starving) and effectively abandon the chicks.

 

Keep some feeders topped up right through to June and the pheasants will do far better.

[Lab 10,979]

Keep seriously on top of vermin if you want to help pheasants to rear there own.....and keep your fingers crossed for some heat in the weather.