Category: News & Advice

Over the past few nights, a fox has been stalking around our partridge release pen. He’s been pushing in the wire and scaring the birds in his attempts to get inside, but as yet, he’s only been able to kill one bird outside the pen. With the electric fence and rabbit netting all around the pen, it’s unlikely that he’ll be able to get in, but the future’s not bright for the birds once they are released.

Having studied the way that he is moving around the pen by looking for his footprints in the wet moss, it’s quite obvious that he’s using some distinct tracks back and forth. A fox trap might just turn the tables on this nocturnal prowler, so we have set one up against the sitka spruce plantation where he likes to walk. It’s important to cover the floor of a cage trap so that any curious fox will not be put off by having to walk on galvanised mesh to get inside. We covered the floor of the trap with moss peeled from some old stones so that the mesh is totally hidden, and baited the trap with a dead rabbit.

The trap has been set for a couple of days now, and it is quite normal that nothing has happened yet. Foxes are very cautious animals, so it may be some time before the human smell wears off and the trap starts to pull its weight. The good thing about the Solway Fox Trap is that it is side entry, making it far more versatile than many other “straight through” traps. It can be used to catch foxes on awkward corners or in places where traditional traps or snares are unsuitable.

It’s now just a matter of playing the waiting game…

The Solway Ladder Trap, our own version of the traditional crow trap (also known as a letterbox trap) which has been used across the country for the past century.

Unlike Larsen traps, letterbox traps don’t use springs or any moving parts to catch birds. They depend on the same principle used in lobster pots, which allows birds in from outside but doesn’t let them out from inside. The birds pop down through the ladder and then find that they can’t physically fly vertically back up through it.

Letterbox traps work best with a live decoy, and they have an advantage over traditional larsen traps because they can catch dozens of crows in one setting.

After eighteen days in the incubator, disaster struck. A day before the eggs were due to hatch, the incubator was accidentally switched off overnight. The temperature fell to just 25 degrees and stayed there for around ten hours. Despairing and distraught, our first reaction was to call the whole project off, but it transpired that all hope was not lost. Turning the incubator straight back on, it had reached almost 37.7 degrees in just under an hour. The following morning, the eggs started to chip.

It seems that unhatched chicks can deal with drops in temperature the closer they get to hatching. If the same accident had happened in the first week of the incubation, things would have been dismally different. As it was, just two chicks died when the incubator went off, and six out of twelve hatched the following evening. Two eggs were infertile and two others had died early on in the process, so we decided that the success rate wasn’t all that bad, accidents aside.

The little birds are now making merry, and are growing at an incredible rate. They are supposed to be fully grown at six weeks, and it’s not hard to see that happening…

With the shooting season started, losing pheasants and other game birds to neighbouring grounds can be infuriating for any gamekeeper. To keep birds, and attract new ones, game bird attractants are the best bet for keeping numbers consistent throughout the season. Game bird attractants have always been an important part of gamekeeping with most recipes being a closely guarded secret and passed from one generation to the next.

Deriving from the anise plant, aniseed provides some of the best results when attracting game birds. With its pungent smell and liquorice-like flavour, commonly used in drinks and dishes around the Mediterranean, pheasants go wild for it with its scent attracting them from far afield. Donald used an aniseed based product on an area he’d only ever seen 3 cock pheasants and was surprised by the results it yielded.

“It worked very well; I mixed some aniseed in with some regular feed and spread it over the patch of ground where I’d seen a few before. I hoped to attract more birds to the area and by the next day their numbers had tripled! More and more showed up over the next week or so. They got quite excited by the aniseed in the feed.”

Solway Feeders produces and sells a range of Solway Game Master brand aniseed oil based products specifically designed for the attraction of pheasants, among others birds. Starting at 100ml of concentrated oil up to 5 litres of mixed solution; aniseed oil can be mixed into food, with 1 litre doing up to a tonne of feed, to keep game birds coming back. Some choose to mix 1 litre of aniseed oil with 5 litres of vegetable oil to make it last even longer and without losing its effectiveness. We also supply Gamekeep Bird Puller, a secret blend of herbs and spices with proven success globally.

While these work well as an attractant, they are not a food substitute and should always be mixed with feed. Due to both its price and high level of performance, many find these to be a very cost effective way of keeping flocks well stocked.

Spiral feeders are a unique and effective way for feeding poultry or game birds. Designed with practicality in mind; the spiral feeder is easy to use and install, makes the birds work for their food, reduces waste and keeps pests at bay.

Filling with grain (whole wheat or barley) or standard poultry/gamebird pellets from the container above, the spiral feeder keeps birds active, and out of trouble, by making them work for their feed. Once they see the feed contained within; they will naturally begin to peck the spring to get at it. The feeder looks to get a definitive peck from the bird before it releases any food to the ground beneath for the birds to eat. With this in place, birds are quick to learn how to use the feeder and no feed is left to waste on the ground.

With the birds feeding from the spiral only when they need to; there is little, if any, feed left on the ground unguarded for pests to snap up. Rats, mice, squirrels and even pigeons can all be attracted by the allure of a free meal at the expense of anyone rearing poultry or game. The spiral feeder helps deter pests as the only time feed is on the ground is when birds are around to contest it. When there are no birds about; the feeder is very stable and unyielding to the weak peck of the pigeon or the scratching of a squirrel and out of the reach of mice and rats.

To turn any bucket, barrel or container into a spiral feeding system; the spiral feeder nozzle is ideal. To fit one, simply drill a 5cm hole in the bottom of your chosen container and place the feeder in from above. The plastic washer provided stops the spiral spring falling all the way through. When the feeder is full, the weight of the feed keeps it locked firmly in place. Once attached, place the feeder at the right height for the birds to feed easily and leave them to it.

With its ease of use and inherent benefits; the spiral feeder is great method for feeding both poultry and game birds.

To keep game birds as wild as possible while keeping them on your land can be quite a challenge. Too much contact can lead to them being more difficult to flush out and a degree of domestication which has no value on a shoot. Leaving them to their own devices can cause its own issues with the birds taking off for greener pastures nearby. A great solution to this problem is to use ATV feeders to limit human contact while keeping the birds happy.

Adpatability

The feeder, built to order, attaches to the back of your ATV vehicle of choice including quad bikes, mules, gators, Kubotas or even your 4×4. It allows you to spread the birds’ feed over a selected route or area. Once attached; fill the hopper with your chosen feed (add aniseed based products to keep game birds coming back) and begin distributing it across the route. The feed rate can be adjusted, from the wiring loom attached to your handlebars, if you would like to give a specific patch along the route a greater feeding or less as the case may be. The spread can also be manually adjusted to match the route or to your own preferences for feedings.

Birds are Wilder

As the feed is spread across a route and not dispensed at a specific location; this keeps the birds feeding as they would in the wild. With a sparse human presence, the birds don’t begin to associate humans with getting fed and their natural instinct to fear humans remains in tack. When it comes to being flushed out by beaters for a shoot; they are more likely to take flight in a nice spread which is ideal for those taking aim. It allows for your birds to be fed by someone else if they need to be; game birds fed by hand tend to get used to one person. You will also see a significant saving in time as all you need to do is fill up the hopper and off you go on your route.  

Great Variety

Our ATV feeders are the original and the best, we supply three different feeders to cover what you need to cover your route. The Solway Mobile Feeder has a recommended holding capacity of 60kg and is ideal for short to medium routes. It fits many ATVs and is especially effective mounted on the back of a quad bike. The Solway Mule Feeder is the next level up and can hold up to 200kg of feed. It can be fitted to the carry spaces of a Gator, Polaris, Kubota and even 4×4 pickups. For those looking for the capacity of the Mule Feeder but for use with a quad bike or an ATV without the suitable carrying space; the Solway Trailfeeder is ideal. It holds up to 200kg of feed but comes in the form of a trailer as opposed to a mounted system.

The purpose of this series of writings is to introduce new comers into the very special world of hatching your own eggs and breeding your own flock. Approaching my 60th year, I am still intrigued and excited by putting an egg in the incubator and three weeks later a baby chick struggles out into the world. There is no great mystery or technical complexity involved. It is really a matter of common sense and choosing the most appropriate setup for you and the species of egg you are trying to hatch.

Until about 10 or 12 years ago there was very little choice in small incubators, just a few major brands making mainly larger type cabinet style machines. Today, May 2013, there are probably over 25 small table top machines available with 6 to 50 egg capacity, most of which are perfectly adequate and generally reliable for small scale hatching. My opinion is always to keep matters simple and small scale. There is little point in purchasing too large a machine to start with, you may not enjoy the experience (highly unlikely) but more likely you will not have the space to bring on 50 full size birds. The down side to this is that most people get hooked straight away after the first hatch and want to be in almost continuous production!

Whatever type of incubator you purchase make sure that it is compatible with UK mains voltage and CE marked, there are some very cheap imports that are not compliant with electrical safety regulations. Your incubator should come with a standard 13amp plug or Euro adaptor that plugs straight into your home sockets, if this is not so get a qualified electrician to check the electrical safety and electrical insulation. The unit will at some time have water in the base to control humidity and as we all should know water and electricity present a possible hazard of electrocution unless properly insulated. All reputable suppliers will have checked these issues before you purchase but it is your responsibility to check before use. There are also many second hand /used machines for sale in all the usual places. If you are inexperienced take someone with you who knows about their operation and use, replacement parts can be expensive and there are a lot of obsolete non repairable machine being offered for sale.

The first really important choice has to be the capacity/size of the machine. Personally I would go for something in the range of 12 to 24 egg capacity. However if I was purchasing on behalf of a child for a gift or even in the classroom I would certainly look at one of the globe style machines that take between 6 & 12 eggs.

 Next choice would be still air or forced air (fan type). The very small units, including the globe style, are still air only so the choice has been made for you. As there is very little difference in price between the two types in the next sizes I would always go for the fan assisted forced air type. This helps distribute the heat more evenly over the increased number of eggs and in my view also helps with more even humidity levels, more of which later.

You now have the choice of digital or electro-mechanical temperature setting. Again there is very little difference in cost, so always go for the digital control.

The final really important choice is manual or automatic turning of the eggs. This is probably the most challenging choice as some manual machines cannot be upgraded to automatic at a later date. The cost difference here can be £50 or even more so a little extra thought has to be given, but if you can afford it go for automatic turning. This has two quite important advantages over manual turning.  You will not disturb the eggs too much as a beginner and your eggs will be moved during the day and night which is very important if you are not at home all day. Most automatic machines have two sets of wiring and plugs so that the cradle can be switched off as required near to the hatching time without having to move the eggs.

You should now be in a position, with perhaps a little help and advice, to purchase your new incubator. It may be worthwhile if not essential to purchase a small glass thermometer and small hygrometer (humidity meter) to help set up your new machine. There are small egg sized digital thermo-hygrometers (all in one unit) which do the job very well for less than £20.

Once you have your incubator at home read all the instructions provided before plugging into the power socket. Decide where you are going put the incubator, preferably out of the way of draughts and not too close to windows or doors and not too bright light , either daylight or artificial. Top up the trough or base unit with water as indicated in the instructions. You can now connect to the power supply and set the controls to the desired temperature which is usually 37.7 degrees C, this may differ with various species but for hens or pheasants this is ok. Leave the incubator set up for at least 24 hours to settle down before you introduce any eggs. During this time check that the temperature is stable and that the humidity is within the limits suggested in the instructions based on the species you want to hatch. 

The next part of the series will be concerned with egg selection and the biology/science of incubation.

When raising pheasants from day-old chicks; there is much that must be taken into account. They must have adequate food, water, warmth, shelter and protection. To ensure your preparation for their imminent arrival; there are many things you must consider and many steps you must take.

When it comes to their brooding; the brooding house or area should be weather tight, free from draught and rodent proofed. This doesn’t have to be a solitary building but it will need to be penned off if it is part of a larger building. Make sure the area has been well cleaned and disinfected before the chicks arrive. Corrugated cardboard makes very good flooring for chicks as it gives them the proper footing they need. Flooring like newspaper is not recommended as it doesn’t provide firm footing. There should be enough room for someone to enter or reach in to change water, feed and get to any birds which need helps etc.

For a source of heat for chicks, heat lamps are easy to use and effective. A 250w bulb per 100 chicks is ideal. Preferable a red bulb as it will not be too bright and will help reduce the threat of violence and cannibalism among birds. Hang the lap roughly 18” above the floor of the brooding area.

A metal rearing circle will keep up to 750 chicks in the one place and under the lamp for the first week or so.  The circle will also exclude drafts from along the floor. Try and give the birds a good amount of space as overcrowding can cause problems such as cannibalism which can be quite a problem when rearing pheasants. Keep a thermometer in or near the pen to keep an eye on the temperature and help keep it constant.

Drinkers and feeders specifically designed for chicks is ideal; chick drinkers will prevent chicks from potentially drowning in their drinking water and chick feeders will ensure chicks don’t spoil their food by walking through it. A 2 litre drinker will be adequate for up to 25 chicks.

On day one, be sure to dip each bird’s beak into the water to be certain they drink and do something similar with their feed.

A 2kg feeder should be big enough to accommodate just as many chicks as well.  Be sure to provide more than one of each otherwise there may be squabbles as they all crowd around the one.  Keep these away from the brooding lamp; either have the lamp in the middle and the feeders and drinkers on the outskirts or have the lamps at one end and feed and water at the other.

Having lived in confinement for so long, giving a battery hen a new life as part of a family, on a smallholding or as part of a larger operation, can be very rewarding. As they have never even seen the outdoor world before; ex-battery hens are known for their curiosity, temperament and devotion to their new owners. 

Where to Get Your Hens

After being victims of intensive farming their entire lives, these one year old hens deserve something better. The British Hen Welfare Trust liaise with 29 regional centres across the UK to rescue up to 60,000 hens a year from going straight to slaughter after having never lived. To adopt hens from BHWT, you can get in touch with them directly or contact your closest centre. You can adopt between 3 and 20 hens at £3-5 per bird; this is well worth it as they are far from the end of their laying days and are such a great addition to any flock.

The Start of a New Life

Battery hens are used to a strict routine; their first day of freedom will turn their entire existence upside-down and, as such, can be a very stressful time for them. Very mundane experiences for a regular chicken are wildly alien to a battery hen. Their lives will change massively; the feel of the wind, seeing by the light of the sun or even the ability to walk further than a few centimetres are entirely new experiences. You’ll be able to tell that they’re healthy if the hens seem alert, are scratching around, feeding and drinking well. They may limp or be weak on their legs but this is due to them being unused to walking (be gentle, they will soon build up their strength). As they are used to 18 hours of light a day; they will require help adjusting to a real day and night cycle. This means they may need tempting into and out of their coop at dusk and dawn.

A New Home

When choosing housing for your ex-battery hens, or any hen, make sure they have plenty of room in both the coop and their run. It should also be very secure; you don’t want their first taste of freedom snatched away by an inconsiderate fox. Their coop should be well ventilated but not draughty and should be furnished with nice soft bedding. Remove any perches, they’ll have no experience of being on a perch and these will probably trip them up, until the hens are strong enough to use them. As both rain and bright sunlight will be new experiences; make sure they have adequate cover against the elements.

When moving the hens into their new home; keep them in their coop and run for the first two weeks. This will imprint onto them that this is their home; a concept that escapes ex-battery hens. Be sure to give them things to keep them occupied; a dust bath is essential anyway but can also keep hens amused. Hanging up CDs and mirrors (out of reach or on the other side of the cage), as well as corn and other vegetables for the hens to peck at can keep them very well entertained and out of trouble.

Finer Dining and Drinking

Having always been on fed crumbs their entire lives; mix some in with their regular feed. Keep a high crumb to feed ratio to begin with and slowly wean them off it. Tonics and apple cider vinegar can help boost the hens’ immune system and make them stronger. Be sure their feeder is covered or has a rain hat to keep their feed nice and dry. Also be sure that they have a plentiful supply of grit separate from their feed. You may have to teach them how to use a drinker as up until now they will have been to using a drip drinker. It’s a nice idea to give them a little treat in the afternoon while assuring they eat their main meal in the morning. This may consist of corn, maize, mealworms or a dried insect mix.

Healthier Than They Look

Ex-battery hens may look rather unhealthy but this is not the case as they have been well vaccinated since birth against many diseases. They are just a bit unfit but after a few months in your care they should grow back their lost feathers, have a nice red hue to their combs and generally look healthier and happier. Parasites and red mites may pose a threat as they do to any poultry. Be sure to read our guide on fighting this common problem. 

The Proverbial Pecking Order

If you already have a flock of hens, be sure to keep the ex-battery hens away from them for 2 to 3 weeks to avoid squabbles. Ex-battery hens are more than capable of defending themselves and will put up a good fight if challenged. Be sure to provide them with multiple feeders and drinkers to stop the dominant birds from denying the others food or water. If one is getting systematically bullied; remove her from the group and place her into the coop that night amongst her peers so that they all wake up together. There may be an exchange of words or pecks come dawn but let them duke it out unless blood is drawn. If you keep breaking up any fights then the process will just be drawn out longer. If worse comes to worse, anti-peck spray can be utilised to keep the peace. Once it’s all said and done, whoever comes out on top will become the guardian of the flock.

We’ve been keeping red legged partridges for the last week, and it’s been a very interesting experience. Despite the fact that these little birds are native to the south of France, they have stood up well to the wild Gallowayweather, and the little enclosure of thirty birds is withstanding wind and rain on a daily basis.

Despite their hardiness, partridges are vulnerable to a variety of diseases, and these are compounded by being kept in close quarters. As soon as they have learned where their home is, they can be released and they shouldn’t wander too far, but given that they have only been out for a week, they need to bear the pen for a few more days.

On Friday, we spotted that at least one of our partridges was scouring – producing runny yellow faeces which would indicate some degree of nasty enteritis. Enteritis is usually caused by stress and is not helped when birds are being kept on wet ground. Left unchecked, it can get worse and worse, usually ending with an outbreak of thehexamita bacteria which can cause huge and devastating mortality rates.

Caught early enough, enteritis symptoms can be treated with concentrated electrolyte tonics or mixtures designed to combat stress which can be mixed in to a water supply, but once the symptoms get out of control, your only hope is to call the vet as quickly as possible.