Game Birds
The breeding facilities and practices are framed by quality assurance systems which fit our continuous improvement approach.
As registered veterinarians our priority is the care and welfare of the birds we breed and this ensures our clients are provided with quality game birds at realistic prices.
GAME BIRDS Available for purchase:
- Fertile eggs – for under a broody hen or artificial incubation
- Day old chicks – require constant temperature heat source for at least 4 weeks
- Poults – juvenile birds that are more self-sufficient, no longer requiring artificial heating
- Adult birds - ex-breeding stock, 1 year old
Key factors influencing successful release of gamebirds on your property:
Food and water supply, Habitat and Predator control
At New Zealand Game Birds we aim to supply healthy, well feathered birds ready for release into the wild at 6-7 weeks of age for ducks and pheasants, bit older for partridge. Releasing poults at this age is ideal as they are dependent on you for their food supply and tend not to stray as readily as older birds.
The ideal release habitat consists of 1/3 tall trees, 1/3 smaller shrubs and 1/3 open ground. The size of release area will depend on the number of birds you wish to release. Pheasants like warm sites with dappled light. The birds require a ready source of clean water and supplementary feeding.
The success of the released birds is greatly influenced by predator control – cats, mustelids (stoats, weasels, ferrets), and dogs are the main culprits. Future breeding success will also depend on control of egg/chick stealing predators such as hedgehogs, possums, rats etc. Regional councils will often subsidise the purchase of traps for control of pest species eg DOC200 traps. We have also found the Cat Trip Traps from TrapWorks in Te Puke long lasting and very effective for many ground dwelling species of predators.
Please check our FAQs, Information Sheet or contact us to discuss your requirements.
