# easiest gamebird?



## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

which game bird is the most user friendly to raise? which is the most robust?

thinking tractors or free range w/flight hobbles.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Raising for meat?


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

Cyngbaeld said:


> Raising for meat?


yes, although i would consider eating eggs as well


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Then you don't want any of the bantams. 
Games aren't the best layers, usually, but if you are wanting meat and occasional eggs and good broodies, the true Cornish might be your best bet since they are pretty large and readily available. There isn't much difference between the varieties except color. They are slow growing and may not tractor well but do ok on range. Males will sometimes fight. They don't fly well after the first few months, though they do ok to get to the roosts. I've never had one go over a fence.


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

i meant gamebirds not game birds. thank you for the information though.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

You mean, like pheasants? Probably the ring necked, but you can't exactly tractor or free range them.


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

birddog trainers use a kind of hobble on pigeons that makes them fly short distances like quail & pheasant. if used on such game birds, they would fly super short distances so it might be worth trying. plus if i wound up selling to hunting preserves they would be super flyers, maybe better than wild birds.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Hunting preserves have special requirements for the birds. You have to raise them so they are wild and not accustomed to seeing you bringing food. It isn't very easy.


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

preserves use dogs so as long as the bird can fly well & is afraid of dogs they're good. but i'd be more inclined to eat them my self.


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## JasoninMN (Feb 24, 2006)

Ring-neck pheasants are a PIA to raise. They need a lot of space per bird and love to cannibalism each other. You can colony rear them though, one rooster to many hens. don't be surprised if you still need blinders on them. I haven't seen them hobbled before but I imagine even a hobbled pheasant would run and pheasants prefer to run over flying. You hobble the legs they will just run away slower.A easy way to make a bird unable to fly as far is to tape the flight feathers together. I have seen that done before on pigeons. Now game preserves want flight conditioned birds so the more they fly the better and that is why they are kept in flight pens before they are released. 

Bobwhites are probably the most successful attempt you could have at free range birds because they can be lured back onto a house or cage with a call bird. They can be bred as pairs or colony with 1 male to 3 females. These are my favorite game birds to raise but not much meat on them. Popular among pointer owners. 

Chukar partridge are easy, can be colony bred or in pairs. They are probably one of the best beginner game-birds. They have some mass to them. I would look at them for meat. 

Courtnix quail, another easy one. Don't do well when released though and or not usually used often for training dogs. 

All of them are hardy and will withstand cold and heat.

If you have pigeons in the area you could trap them and sell them to dog trainers. You could also raise homers for this and if they are using them on pointing dogs the birds will return home. If you want meat there are plenty of meat breeds. 

I have thief pigeons, they are trained to seduce hens are bring them back to the loft. It was a popular sport in Europe but their homing range is only about 30 miles so there has to be feral nearby to steal. Around here I get 2-5 bucks a pigeon from dog trainers.


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

the hobble is basically a drag that catches air when they fly. shouldn't affect running nearas much as flying.


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