This year's Hatch

nybirdman · May 19, 2022

We hatch about 1k pheasant every year(our 19th) ,a few bobwhite and chukar.This year's hatch is going pretty well,about 600 hatched so far;maybe 65%.We keep breeder birds and purchased 720 eggs from a hatchery in Pa.
We bought eggs the last two years to get a jump on our weather(cold and wet in early April);so far worked out well.
We have an uplands preserve and do a little dog training.My retirement job.We have no wild birds in New York and the state only releases 30k state wide;far cry from the 1 million+(roosters harvested) in South Dakota.
We started with Labradors but quickly moved to pointers;English Pointers and now have German Short-hairs.With the pointers you have more control for inexperienced hunters.

thclimer · May 19, 2022

Do you sell your birds or use all of them for hunting/training?

oosik · May 19, 2022

My father raised, trained Llewellin setters to hunt quail. They were great for upland game birds - not so much for waterfowl.

TheMan419 · May 19, 2022

We have a commercial hunting "preserve" here in our county. They do pheasants although i think they buy their birds rather than raise them. They say it is good business during hunting season.

nybirdman · Mar 27, 2025

As of April 1,2025 I am shutting down my uplands preserve.Cost have gone way up and the dogs and I are ageing out!
Been a good run 22 years,raising birds for 35 years.

ponytug · Mar 27, 2025

That sounds like a great run!

All the best,

Peter

tacticalturnip · Mar 27, 2025

Sorry to hear that prices played such a large roll in your retirement.

BackRoad · Mar 28, 2025

I've got a friend from church that operates a similar business in Northern PA. He has built 3 or 4 cabins for hunters on the area he offers hunts and makes it a two or three day event. Raises a variety of birds also as you mentioned.

His hatchery and bird pens are close enough that I've seen some of his escaped pheasants on my property, which I'm OK with!

He stays busy during the Fall, Winter and Spring and people come from all over PA to hunt with him.

He doesn't mention the economics of it, but it keeps him busy and is a lot of work, as you well know!

Hope you're not dreading shutting down and that you can enjoy your extra time.