Birds

[Steve P 0]

Ok lets just take this one to the races right now........ You have a good deal of funding and want to start breeding all those fancy and exotic birds out there that tiers have wanted for years..... what birds would you get and why???????????????

 

I am starting to branch out my business a good deal and have started with a few different things but want to go further. Currently I have a few jungle cocks and some tragopans, also going to be getting a bunch of Lavender guineas this weekend at a local swap meet I hope. May also be looking at t few other quail and may even some peacock pheasants as well, not too sure.

 

Want as much input as possible so help me out here yall'

 

Steve

[Steve P 0]

Better yet what do you believe is one of the least utilized birds out there, whether it is readily available or not??? Personally I really like a mearns quail for soft hackles, bu they are very hard to find in a fly shop, I have raised a few for myself and may be looking for some tomorrow. Would love to find some Asian blue quail as well but that may be a bit hard....

 

Steve

[deeky 0]

There are two birds that I really like the coloring of, but rarely see out there - mourning dove and chuckar partridge. Take it with the understanding that I have never actually handled either one of those, but from what I've seen in person and in pictures.... well, someday.

 

Deeky

[Steve P 0]

There are two birds that I really like the coloring of, but rarely see out there - mourning dove and chuckar partridge. Take it with the understanding that I have never actually handled either one of those, but from what I've seen in person and in pictures.... well, someday.

 

Deeky

 

 

I know I have a couple of chuckars laying around somewhere... may have a couple mourning doves as well. Chuckars would be easy but the mourning doves create an issue as they are considered a federal migratory bird so the regs on those are rather tight and hard to work with (probably why you don't see them in stores). I'll see what I can find and my shoot you a PM if can find something decent.

 

Steve

[sandflyx 0]

white pea foul, button quail, and the rare cree...

[Steve P 0]

white pea foul, button quail, and the rare cree...

 

 

Which variety of the buttons do you like??? I have seen them available on the really cheap side as far as the breeding side goes. I have also beeen thinking about getting into the dry fly hackle thing too but it takes a really good amount oftime to get a good stock started and then raise them... and not all of them are going to be viable for the market..... not sure what i want to do there but I have been looking into it and getting some prices on breeding stock. I have thought that if I did get into the genetic hackle that I would concentrate on a few very specific colors and one of those would be the all elusive cree (conranch has some amazing cree birds).

 

Steve

[smallieFanatic 0]

Bald Eagle

[Steve P 0]

Bald Eagle

 

HA I can't even begin to imagine the regs that would be involved in that......

 

Steve

[Mike Boyer 0]

Since there are 49 species of Pheasants, you have alot to choose from. The Eared Pheasants are very cool

(Blue eared, Brown eared, White eared). Do you have Temmink's Tragopans? Satyr Tragopans are beautiful.

There are six sub species of Peacock Pheasants (Bronze-tailed, Rothschild's, Grey, Germain's, Malay, and

Palawan). Something really wild would be the Great Argus Pheasant. Of course some beautiful Goldens or

Lady Amherst Pheasants would be nice. And don't forget the good old Indian Peafowl.

 

I don't know if you are interested in waterfowl, but the Mandarin Duck is a fantastic bird.

 

Good luck!

[smallieFanatic 0]

Bald Eagle

 

HA I can't even begin to imagine the regs that would be involved in that......

 

Steve

 

Well than, I guess I'll settle for Hummingbird

[Steve P 0]

OK I just got back from the swap meet and I bought 15 lavender guineas (4 males and 11 females). I bought 2 breeding pairs of peacocks one is a purple mutation of the blue indian peacock, the other is called a sky black shoulder mutation, is supposed to be a light iridescent blue color. I bought the only Copper Pheasants I have ever seen outside of pictures on the internet, got 4 of them (3 hens and 1 male) these are rather rare here in the states ats they have been breed into so many other types of pheasant.... these guys look really cool, and the tail feathers are amazing. I looked very hard at a couple pair of Argus Pheasants but the guy was a bit too high for what I wanted to spend so I passed I also passed on some decent looking Germain's Peacock Pheasants. Saw some other stuff but for now that was the extent of my buying spree. My partner bought a handful of Old English reds, and a couple other varieties of chickens. We have been trying to come up with some interesting natural colored soft hackle hens and such and really found some nice stuff today for that.

 

Currently I have 6 Tragopans 4 Temmick's and 2 Westerns. I am currently working on a deal to buy three breeding pairs of Blyth's from a Zoo that is closing down.... we are negotiating on the price and how we will arrange the shipment of the birds........ very delicate work trust me. I have been thinking about some Mandarins but have not made up my mind yet, I just don't have much water for them and really would hate to not put the in water, they are ducks after all. Also made a contact for the Blue Asian Quail today, he said he should have some more ready by the end of October.

 

Dude I would love to provide humming birds but I like them too much I would have to let them all go to feed at my feeders. I tell you what though I saw one dead in one of the hay lofts the other day and it's still laying there if you want it you're welcome to come and get it...... last time I found one and took it to the local conservation agent he told me he could write me a ticket for bringing it to him and that I better get it out of his sight and fast before he did.... we have not spoken about it since and we fish together often!!! With licenses I had to get just so I could keep some of these birds and the reporting I have to do..... believe me I cannot jeopardize that.

 

Steve

[Mike Boyer 0]

Nice group of birds you acquired. The lavender Guineas and Copper Pheasants are very cool. Too bad about the Argus.

I had no idea they were even available outside a zoo...

 

Please take good care of those Western Trags. If you accumulate any moulted feathers, I'd sure be interested.

[smallieFanatic 0]

I understand man, I was just joking :thumbsup: It sounds like you've got a great thing going though

[Steve P 0]

I know smallie.... it's fun to wish though isn't it??? I have a decent start, not to where I want to be, I need a bunch more birds though hundreds of them actually I would like to make these available on a limited basis for the fly tying market, what I havee now is simply a start on breeding stock, just need o make sure I diversify it a bit more so I don't have the inbreeding problems that are so prevalent in today's market. Argus pheasants are actually fairly readily available if you know who to talk to and all that. I have seen breeding pairs sell for around the hundred dollar mark. the two the guy had today were nice looking but a little older than I want for my program and he wanted 250 for the pair.... just a bit much for my taste. If you have the place guineas can be had on the really cheap, I bought mine today for 5 bucks a piece and they are about 6 months old so perfect for my purposes.

 

Steve

[perchjerker 0]

Have you thought about the Java green peafowl? They have beautiful green breast/neck feathers in place of blue, as found on the traditional (Indian) peafowl.

 

perchjerker