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Author Topic: Self Feeders for released birds  (Read 19776 times)
Jake Levi
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« on: December 06, 2007, 09:41:21 AM »


Does anyone have a particular brand/style of self feeders for released birds ?

I had several back in NYS that were high enough to keep rodents out, and had a hood to keep rain out of the open feeder part, I dont know what brand they were and dont see anything like them in my poultry catalogs.

They work well in flight pens too .
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Jake Levi
Curran, MI

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jimmurray3
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« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2007, 08:59:43 PM »

is this the kind of feeder you are talking about
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Jake Levi
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« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2007, 10:06:02 AM »


Hi Jim
its similar, has a taller 'barrel' and sits high enough that rats cant feed from it, I found one in the NASCO catalog, they call it a wild bird feeder, I am still looking,  I think that they will hold about 5-20 gallons of feed.

They ae pricey.

jake
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Jake Levi
Curran, MI

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Pheasant Hollow Farm
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« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2007, 11:46:24 AM »

Jake,

Why don't you look in the local traders paper if ya have one and use the regular deer feeders.

I use them for my released birds along with the grain food plots that I have set up around the property.

I put the same grains in the deer feeders minus the mash that is in my regular mix. The timer is set to go off twice a day.

I don't need any aux water source since I have a creek and 3 ponds and now with the snow on the ground they get what they need from the snow.

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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Specializing in Manchurian Ring-necked Pheasants and Melanistic Mutant Pheasants for release, propagation and the hunting community. Licensed by the State of WV. DNR# D6-42-23-GF1
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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EST. 2001 Owner/Operator Located in Slate, WV

« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2007, 12:08:21 PM »

Jake,

Here is one of the feeders that I use.

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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Specializing in Manchurian Ring-necked Pheasants and Melanistic Mutant Pheasants for release, propagation and the hunting community. Licensed by the State of WV. DNR# D6-42-23-GF1
Jake Levi
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« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2007, 02:00:18 PM »


Hi Steve
that is similar to the ones I got from Agway except it had a large  lip over the feed itself, like the brim of  hat to keep rain out. I dont know how our bears would treat this one.  I am hoping to find some state groups through the DNR who might have ideas for feeders the bears wont destroy. The one that NASCO lists is right at 199 plus shipping.

Glad you responded: have you kept track of how many of your birds survived the winters there ?  That is the proof of the value of releasing to me.

I originally started this to just raise enough birds to release some around my place and then it grew to some other sites. As with yours each site has water close by, and I have cover at both my close sites, along with that, whatever feeder I use I want to put it close to cover and hang netting above it to at least discourage owls. If I can get some additional cover plots established there in the sspring so much the better.

Most of those around here who feed deer just put out black grain tubs and they stand by waiting for the grain to be put out. I think I have more neighbors who feed then hunt. Unfortunately one of the feeders  feeds bears and onlly lives a mile away.
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Jake Levi
Curran, MI

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« Reply #6 on: December 08, 2007, 04:45:52 AM »


Hi Steve
that is similar to the ones I got from Agway except it had a large  lip over the feed itself, like the brim of  hat to keep rain out. I dont know how our bears would treat this one.  I am hoping to find some state groups through the DNR who might have ideas for feeders the bears wont destroy. The one that NASCO lists is right at 199 plus shipping.

Glad you responded: have you kept track of how many of your birds survived the winters there ?  That is the proof of the value of releasing to me.

I originally started this to just raise enough birds to release some around my place and then it grew to some other sites. As with yours each site has water close by, and I have cover at both my close sites, along with that, whatever feeder I use I want to put it close to cover and hang netting above it to at least discourage owls. If I can get some additional cover plots established there in the sspring so much the better.

Most of those around here who feed deer just put out black grain tubs and they stand by waiting for the grain to be put out. I think I have more neighbors who feed then hunt. Unfortunately one of the feeders  feeds bears and onlly lives a mile away.



Jake,

The feeder I use is a Kenco tornado 3 way straight-line feeder. It is a deer feeder. I have been using this one for over 5 years. There are no bears in my area so I don’t have a problem with that. As long as I use mixed grains, whole corn. Milo, black oil sunflower, millet and crack corn, there is no problem of it getting plugged up due to moisture. I wouldn’t recommend using any palletized feed though. The palletized feed seems to expand due to moisture and plug up the shooting trough.

I have made other feeders with the purchase of the spinning motorized timers using my own plastic barrels. You can get the motors and timer controls under $30.00. You can fine these anyplace, Wal-Mart, Tractor Supply, online: The Sportsman Guide. 

You can make your own to either hang or tripod.

The birds that are released are all banded. I use to use plastic colored numbered bands. The different colors were for the D.O.B. I have since gone to the Aluminum bands. These are more durable, and these bands have my farm name stamped on it along with a number on it.

All my birds are released on local farms in a 5-mile radius. I usually release excess (100-150) cock birds during the late summer and fall months prior to the opening day pheasant season, which opened November 3rd and will close January 7th 2008. Since all my birds are numbered, I have a record of where they are released, weather conditions during the release and the age of the bird. Since there are no other Licensed Game Bird Breeders in my area, any birds spotted are mine. Any birds that are without a band could possibility be either ”older seasoned birds,” by checking the spur length that where banded with the plastic color bands, or birds hatched out during the prior spring hen release. There are no “Wild Pheasants” in the county I live in.

I usually get a good response from people that find my birds at their location either being shot, seen at their bird feeders or by the local hunters either Ruff Grouse hunting, pheasant hunting, deer hunting or rabbit hunting during the fall and winter months.

I have had these birds spotted along the roadside walking in the late afternoon by either the mailman or the UPS driver outside the 5-mile radius and up to a 10-mile radius. Some of these birds have even made it back to my farm and walk around the outside of the pen in the springtime.

Early spring mornings when I walk the property, I can here the cock birds on the other hillside calling in the hens, along with the wild turkeys gobbling. Great spring sounds. That’s when I know the birds I released have made the winters. I love seeing and hearing them myself for my own verification.

I do have sign agreements with all the landowners, granting me access to their property anytime I want to do a survey on the birds. When I do this, I take two GSP with me. These two dogs that I use are the same dogs that I use in the pen to herd the birds for capture. The dogs when used out on the survey, will stalk, point, and then return back to me, giving me an actual sighting. I don’t do any bird surveys during the breeding months for the obvious reason.

My releases on the mature pheasant hens (1 year and up to 2 years old) are during mid-to late spring (April-May) and the early summer months (June and up the first week of July). Since I have the cooperation of the local farmers on the sightings of the cock birds during the spring and how many, this will be the determining factor on the cock to hen ratio in any given area. I will usually put out 15 hens per cock bird sighted in a 20-acre area.

In my pens, my hen to cock ratio is 1 cock per 8 hens.

Since we all know that the hens will lay eggs with or with out the males, the idea behind the 15 released hens to 1 cock is that the cock bird has a better chance on finding the hen. When the hen has mated, she is good for 10 days for the eggs to be fertile. We also have to factor in that 95% of the released hens, will not actually nest. We can only hope that the balance 5% will nest up, come to full term incubation and brood their young.

Another factor in the survival of propagation is the predatory rate factor. In my 5-mile radius release site, the major concern is the Red-Tailed Hawks during the spring and summer months. Although there have been sightings of Cooper’s Hawks, the main problem is the resident over abundance Red-Tailed.

Other predators, but not as much of a problem are the Great Horned Owl, skunk, black snake, and raccoons. Most of the mink, and raccoon problems have been around the barns and chicken areas of the local farms.

My release of 6-8 week old and 8-10 week old birds hasn’t been successful in the past. I have spotted them up to 2 weeks after the release and that was it, even with the abundant cover during the spring and summer months. I haven’t seen any of these released birds come to full maturity. I haven’t even seen any of these birds found dead on the property. 

On another note, I forgot to mention, it seems that the Melanistic Mutant Pheasant cock and hens seem to survive longer, it could be the fact that these birds are much darker in color and harder to be found by sight.

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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Specializing in Manchurian Ring-necked Pheasants and Melanistic Mutant Pheasants for release, propagation and the hunting community. Licensed by the State of WV. DNR# D6-42-23-GF1
Jake Levi
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« Reply #7 on: December 08, 2007, 08:59:29 AM »


Hi Steve

your experiences are exactly what I have been wanting to read. I was wondering this week on the value of early vs late releases, your post pretty much answers that. Are your black birds selected from the Manchurians ? It makes sense the color could be a survival factor.

What you have done is very much what I am hoping to do here.  Its also corroboration that the idea I have had is doable and can bear fruit.  I was also going to band my birds, they arnt expensive thats for sure, a color band for the year, and the aluminum for more info. What age do you band your birds?

My release numbers for next year are pretty modest, a hundred or so each of Pheasant and Bobwhites. In selected sites with feed and cover, and a feeder. As I said I'll put a net over the feeder also. I have seen RTs hit a pheasant taking off, its quite a sight. We have a lot of them around here, also Coopers and Bald Eagles.  No shortage  of predators. Having birds survive to become breeders is an accomplishment. Tim will tell how well this works, and that will depend on how much I can learn before doing it.

Thanks again.
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Jake Levi
Curran, MI

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Pheasant Hollow Farm
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« Reply #8 on: December 09, 2007, 06:21:20 AM »


Hi Steve

your experiences are exactly what I have been wanting to read. I was wondering this week on the value of early vs late releases, your post pretty much answers that. Are your black birds selected from the Manchurians ? It makes sense the color could be a survival factor.

What you have done is very much what I am hoping to do here.  Its also corroboration that the idea I have had is doable and can bear fruit.  I was also going to band my birds, they arnt expensive thats for sure, a color band for the year, and the aluminum for more info. What age do you band your birds?

My release numbers for next year are pretty modest, a hundred or so each of Pheasant and Bobwhites. In selected sites with feed and cover, and a feeder. As I said I'll put a net over the feeder also. I have seen RTs hit a pheasant taking off, its quite a sight. We have a lot of them around here, also Coopers and Bald Eagles.  No shortage  of predators. Having birds survive to become breeders is an accomplishment. Tim will tell how well this works, and that will depend on how much I can learn before doing it.

Thanks again.


Jake,

Quote
Are your black birds selected from the Manchurians ?
No they are Melanistic Mutants Pheasants.

Quote
What age do you band your birds?
I place a color tie wrap on the legs. I will put the alum bands on the birds at 10 weeks. I use a number 7 leg band. The plastic bands are fine for a year or two, then they become brittle and break, causing them to fall off. The alum bands aren't cheap.

That's the thing about the propagation, time will tell. The hen has to fulfill her obligations, if not, all is lost.

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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« Reply #9 on: December 29, 2007, 02:00:03 PM »

anyone know is i legal n PA to put feeders out for released birds?
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Jake Levi
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« Reply #10 on: January 01, 2008, 10:34:54 AM »



On suppliers for released bird feeders, Cutlers seems to have the most in feeders

http://www.cutlersupply.com/store/index.html

they have a lot of other good stuff for game bird breeders too, a nice quail recall trap,
I havent bought any of their feeders yet but proably will, I'd like to get the same pheasant feeder for flight pen as for the released birds later.  Ditto the Quail feeders.

My releases will all be on private property, of birds privately raised for release so it is legal in Michigan. Always best to check with your state laws. Also, this pertains to birds 'native' to the state.
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Jake Levi
Curran, MI

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puphood1
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« Reply #11 on: July 03, 2008, 09:52:59 AM »

Jake,

Here is one of the feeders that I use.
Thanks for the photo and encouragement of a auto self feeder as I have toyed with the idea of using them both in my pens and after release for quite a few years. Is there any one kind you recommend (solar powered)? I would like to make my own as shipping of the barrel and legs becomes expensive.

....puphood1

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm
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citypickle
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« Reply #12 on: July 03, 2008, 09:32:24 PM »

 Just my 2 cents plant it let them find it???? Weather is making it hard here planted it watched it DIE and the Deer had a Feild day with the Sunflower !!! hope all is better with the food plots elswhere
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wildergamebirds
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« Reply #13 on: July 04, 2008, 12:41:03 AM »

Just my 2 cents plant it let them find it???? Weather is making it hard here planted it watched it DIE and the Deer had a Feild day with the Sunflower !!! hope all is better with the food plots elswhere

  Not a very good endorsement of your suggestion.  Not that there is really anything wrong with that suggestion in most years.  (Kind of points out that supplementing is sometimes necessary).

  Also, just a note to Puphood; This thread is over six months old (the last posts), and Jake hasn't even been on for quite a while.

  So, question for others what happened to Jake?  Swallowed by the giant Summer Monster?
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« Reply #14 on: July 04, 2008, 01:01:42 AM »

anyone know is i legal n PA to put feeders out for released birds?

Wouldn't it be beyond your control if quail came and ate out of your "wild bird feeders" ?

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the Deer had a Feild day with the Sunflower !!! hope all is better with the food plots elswhere

If it isn't the rain, it's the crows, deer. and turkeys.........coons will be next.  I had some sunflowers that made it past the first deer mowing, now the 3' tall ones that I thought they wouldn't mess with are munched off down to a 6 inch nub as of the other day, not a single one left now. No wonder farmers want all the deer dead.  I'm on their side after what has happened to me this year.   s53

« Last Edit: July 04, 2008, 01:08:41 AM by CharlieHorse » Logged

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