Thread: Quail & pheasant numbers

I see the quail which have been absent from my property for many years are back with lots of young ones in tow but pheasant young are notable by their absence...plenty of hens about and roosters...I was told some time ago that the roosters need cleaning out as they become sterile with age, is this correct?

Pheasants are terrible parents

An older and bigger bird may well be able to fight off the young guns, but unable to produce the goods. So that is why they need the occasional cull, doesnt hurt the gene pool either to let in some young / new blood.
And yes pheasants are crap at raising young, if you have a lot of Pukeko about they will hunt them down and kill the young, along with the rest of the usuall suspects.

No pooks and the cull rate by humans is disgraceful...may have to trap them.

I’m surprised your seeing any what with all them hedges ripped out.
So shocked last time I was back up your way that you could see from the end of Backers road (Alexander Road end) all the way through to Manawaru road. Quail love them hedges and the wider at the base the better. A perfect shaped hedge for such birds is A framed. Wide at the base. That way they can get under it and away from the hawks. Also they will hop along the hedge using it as a barrier.
Nice to hear that there coming back some. Trap as much as you can hedgehog, stoat, cat and rat. Also make up some shelter for them. You will need to weigh those down if you don’t want them hitting Hamilton when you get your next easterly save up your ash from your fire grate and put this under the shelters. This will give them a nice dust bath. If you do 1 every 100meters of hedge it will give them a nice little sanctuary.

Originally Posted by Sideshow

I’m surprised your seeing any what with all them hedges ripped out.
So shocked last time I was back up your way that you could see from the end of Backers road (Alexander Road end) all the way through to Manawaru road. Quail love them hedges and the wider at the base the better. A perfect shaped hedge for such birds is A framed. Wide at the base. That way they can get under it and away from the hawks. Also they will hop along the hedge using it as a barrier.
Nice to hear that there coming back some. Trap as much as you can hedgehog, stoat, cat and rat. Also make up some shelter for them. You will need to weigh those down if you don’t want them hitting Hamilton when you get your next easterly save up your ash from your fire grate and put this under the shelters. This will give them a nice dust bath. If you do 1 every 100meters of hedge it will give them a nice little sanctuary.

A lot of the hedges were ripped out to make way for the cycle trail, in fact many kilometers of them...the ash from my fireplace is probably too toxic...I burn off cuts of treated timber, pallets and painted stuff.

the work for this years crop started last season, if ya didn't do a bit of a cull on the roosters ya gonna have less this year, the old boys kill alot of young birds

Originally Posted by kawhia

the work for this years crop started last season, if ya didn't do a bit of a cull on the roosters ya gonna have less this year, the old boys kill alot of young birds

Yeah well, maybe this year someone may cull a few hopefully.

Am very willing to assost in the rooster reduction this season if you can pm me please.

Originally Posted by DavidGunn

A lot of the hedges were ripped out to make way for the cycle trail, in fact many kilometers of them...the ash from my fireplace is probably too toxic...I burn off cuts of treated timber, pallets and painted stuff.

Careful dont end up like my old school mate down the road....he was the son of the sawmill owner!

The cycle trail runs the length of Manawaru road.... Backers road runs parallel to that. There were a few hedges that ran along Manawaru road but not a lot. Paddy Lyeahys Farm had a short bit, James & the Bay farm had a bit but I’m more talking about over all not just on the road sides.

Originally Posted by Sideshow

Careful dont end up like my old school mate down the road....he was the son of the sawmill owner!

The cycle trail runs the length of Manawaru road.... Backers road runs parallel to that. There were a few hedges that ran along Manawaru road but not a lot. Paddy Lyeahys Farm had a short bit, James & the Bay farm had a bit but I’m more talking about over all not just on the road sides.

I think there were at least 80 piles of hedging ripped out for the cycle way...I think that is more than "not a lot"

The roads that run parallel to Manawaru Road are Te Aroha - Gordon Road and Alexander Road...there is a Bakers Road that goes between Manawaru Road and Alexander Road.

There were/are two sons of the two sawmill owners on Te Aroha - Gordon Road...which one are you referring too and what happened to him?

Ian Morhing went to school with him at Manawaru primary born in 1973 died of cancer 2011. All that arsenic they used to treat that timber and him running around in it for most of his life. Left behind five kids!
80 piles is also not a lot in the grand scheme of what has been ripped out.

You don’t seem all that interested in advancing there habitat or in encouraging them to stick around.

Originally Posted by Sideshow

Ian Morhing went to school with him at Manawaru primary born in 1973 died of cancer 2011. All that arsenic they used to treat that timber and him running around in it for most of his life. Left behind five kids!
80 piles is also not a lot in the grand scheme of what has been ripped out.

You don’t seem all that interested in advancing there habitat or in encouraging them to stick around.

I have 30 acres of bush, I am not sure how to increase it.

By managing the habitat that you have to encourage the animal life that you want... ummm it’s pretty obvious.

Originally Posted by Sideshow

By managing the habitat that you have to encourage the animal life that you want... ummm it’s pretty obvious.

One somehow has to convince the townies to stop dropping their unwanted cats off at the end of the road.