Favorite bird for pups ?

[Jake Levi]

Whats your favorite bird to start pups? Quail, pigeons ? What? 

[Inkmann]

I use Bob White Quail with my English Springer Spaniel. My "Bobs" are strong flushers/fliers, they recall great, and are fun  and easy to keep.

I am looking foreward trying Chukars as my dog gets older, she's only !6 months now but is bird crazy.

Thanks
John

[Briar Hill Brittanys]

For the youngest pups, quail.  Starting at about 5 weeks, the "smaller" size of a quail keeps even the smallest Brit interested.  Never trained with pigeons, although I can see how they would be tougher. 

Mark

[labmancan]

Pidgeons, and Pheasants I get dead from a Breeder, I keep other birds so the dogs get their smell. Makes for better blind retrieves when the dogs know what to look for.

[Jake Levi]

Quail, a few pigeons and Pheasants is what I'll have to train with this year, maybe some Huns next year.

[finnegan]

Hi Mark i love the brittanies they work real well Jim

[Jake Levi]

I'm starting one Lab, hoping for two , by the time they are 6 mos they are ready for hens that maybe arnt too pissed off.  I plan on getting a small number of Huns started this year, enough to raise out 3-4 pairs for breeders , maybe they'll make a good bridge between BWs and Pheasants.

[chlt lab]

  Hi Jake,

  I wouldn't worry to much about bridging the gap.  Get your new pup excited about birds with the quail then go right to a hen pheasant.  A cable tie or rubber band around the feet/legs to keep them from running works wonders.

  That leg shackle also keeps them from standing up so the crabby ones can't wing beat a young pup.

  The breeder you are thinking about buying from starts her pups at 16 weeks or so on pheasants that way. She will also use mallards at that age in a similar fashion. A leg shackle than tape one wing to the body so they can't wing beat the pup.

Jerome

[Jake Levi]

Yeah, need to encourage them to move on in, Quail are great to start youngsters but they got to learn to play with the big birds sooner or later.

[chlt lab]

 

[DoubleL911]

Jake
Dad and have 6 Brittany's that we hunt behind. We started all of them out on quail until they got really fired up and the drive was strong to get them in their mouth. Then we change over to pigeons. Cost less ,last longer ,home to coop to be used again.
P.S. older dogs sometimes sower on pigeons

Larry Lain
www.doublelquailfarms.com

[chlt lab]

  Hi Jake

  There's an interesting article in the July issue of Gun Dog on using pigoens for serious training and why. 

  Never thought of some of these reasons(angles) for using pigoens.



 Peace,
         Jerome

[slider]

I would use the type bird that they are going to be used to hunt.

[Vrex]

I prefer to let my pups play in our BW flight pens, then graduate them to chasing in the field.  When it comes to starting training I prefer pigeons, if you make a mistake with your dog at least it is not with a game bird.

Mike

[chlt lab]

  Right-on Vrex

  That was the authors point in the article.  If you have to disipline the dog it wont mistake the gamebirds with punishment and start blinking birds on you.


 Peace