At Sportsman Game Feeds, our aim is to support our customers in producing high quality birds and the finest stock. We appreciate the valuable hours of hard work that go into running and hosting shoots across the country, and will continue to support our customers to help them have the best season possible.
Perhaps the most important aspect of a brilliant day of shooting, is an abundance of top-quality birds, providing your guns with the sporting challenge of shooting a healthy game bird.
Why is it important to keep birds fit and healthy?
It sounds obvious, but here we outline why bird health and performance is so important for your shoot.
- Optimal condition for shooting - We want birds to be the optimal weight, have excellent feather colour and covering, and be strong enough to fly over the highest of hills.
- Keeping mortality to a minimum - Once birds arrive onto shoots, we want to keep mortality to a minimum, allowing you to hit bag numbers throughout the season. Remember, lower mortality = higher bird availability!
- Lower costs – by keeping your birds in top condition throughout the season, you should see a reduction in vet assistance and medication requirement. An optimal feeding regime will keep birds progressing through the season.
- End of season catching - Keeping on top of the health of your birds throughout the season could lead to more available birds for next season’s breeding programme, or for reintroduction to the wild.
Key Pointers and Top Tips
The Sportsman Team has come together to provide you with the key pointers that should keep your birds on track, keeping them fit and healthy throughout the shooting season.
Feed
- Continually provide birds with a regular source of feed throughout the season. This also gives them a base to return to, after a day’s shooting.
- Feed can be a mix of pellet continued from the rearing feed regime. Options include a late grower pellet such as a Sportsman Grower No.2 pellet, a Sportsman Spiced Release pellet, or a slightly lower protein pellet such as a Sportsman Maintenance pellet. Your account manager can advise on the best option for you. For added variety for the birds, seed mixes and wheat are also advised.
- Maintain optimum levels of vitamins, minerals and proteins to help birds cope with the change of weather, as well as stress caused from a day’s shooting.
Water
- Clean water should be readily available throughout the season.
- Water drinkers should be regularly cleaned to stop the build-up of bacteria.
- On the colder days, check drinkers and water lines regularly to ensure water sources are available, and are not frozen over.
Reduce disease risk/Stress
- Have biosecurity measures in place and ensure all beaters and guns are also fully briefed, to reduce any disease risks from other locations. Simple measures such as using foot dips when entering pens can make a big difference, and is particularly relevant in light of current AI outbreaks across the country.
- Pest control should be maintained to a high level, to help reduce the risk of transmitted diseases.
- Birds should be protected from predators as much as possible.
Shelter/Habitat/Environment
- Food and water should be readily available.
- Release pens should be built in areas with sufficient space, based on the number of birds held per pen.
- Release pens should have plenty of roosting trees, especially for pheasants. This will allow them to roost at night, and becomes their base to return to, following a shoot.
- Partridge release pens should be positioned in cover crops, providing them with protection and areas to group.
- Bare areas are also required for birds to be able to dust bath and dry off after wet days.
- Pop-holes should be regularly checked for obstructions / damage, so birds have easy access in and out of release pens.
Although not exhaustive, follow these key points and your birds should maintain their health and ability to perform over the shooting season.
If your birds are showing any signs of illness, or there are higher than normal unexplained mortality numbers, please contact your vet as soon as possible.
Contact your account manager for more information on what to look for in birds whilst on your rounds.
