Training birds for a Johnny house

[SetterNut]

I will have the opportunity to have some land with one or more Johnny houses on it for training.

I want to be able to shoot some birds over my dogs this spring and summer if needed. So to do that in KS there are a couple of options from what I can see. Using non native birds like Chukar or Hun, or getting a commercial dog training permit.

Could some of you that have experience with Chukar or Huns as training birds in a Johnny house give me your opinion on them. Whats the +/- on them Vs quail

Thanks

[DonF]

I wouldn't mess with any other pen raised game bird than quail. One of the bob while type or valley quail. Valley's are expensive but I knew people in the valley that used them and they loved them. They claimed that they recall much better than bob white's. The drawback is cost, I guess they are pretty expensive. I've heard chukars will recall and from what I've seen with them at AKC trials, they really call back good. At the end of the day there is always a bunch of birds around the pen on the outside and another group around the watering area. Two problems I have with them is first off, they just like to run around to much. Get your dog on a bird then go to flush and a lot of them stay on the ground and run, even those from flight pens. The other problem for me is cost. I think I paid .59 ea for day old bob white last year. Kept a bunch for breeders and going to try incubating my own this year. Adult bob white's around here run about 5-6 dollars a bird. Chukar run about $9 up a bird. If you keep a bunch around, the chukars are gonna eat more than bob white's. If there's not that many food won't make a lot of difference. All the trialer's I know here train on either chukar or bob white depending on which bird their benue use's. AKC and AF use chukar and NSTRA use's bob white.

Next to pigeons, bob white are my favorite traing bird.

[topher40]

The commercial dog training permit is inexpensive, about the price of 4-5 mature quail. Buy it and forget about fooling with anything else. I do it and cant see a reason to not.

[SetterNut]

The commercial dog training permit is inexpensive, about the price of 4-5 mature quail. Buy it and forget about fooling with anything else. I do it and cant see a reason to not.

Chris, have you used Johnny houses? Do you like using them?

[topher40]

I dont much these days but have. They are very convenient and you dont have to transport birds to the fields you are going to work the dogs in. I am different though since I have thousands of birds here at the house at my disposal. Needless to say I dont really need Johny houses to keep them in. I pay the $21 or so for the permit and easily shoot 3-400 birds a year, at any time I want. So for me it is well worth the money for the permit to do it legally.

[birdogg42]

Use Tennessee reds. They aren't native to Kansas.

Mike

[SetterNut]

Use Tennessee reds. They aren't native to Kansas.

Mike

I will have to look to see how the KDWP classifies TN Reds.
But I think the thing to do is as Chris suggested, buy the commercial dog training license, and then it doesn't matter as far as shooting some.

[Brazosvalleyvizslas]

I'm pretty sure that Tn. Reds are Bobwhites. Atleast in Cali they are.

[Stoneface]

Reds are considered bobs in Missouri, too.

I've used a johnny house, but I'm not crazy about how most folks use them. Even when I did have quail in them I would take the birds out, go to where we'd be training and fly them in that area. Hardly ever flew them from the johnny house. I lost tons of them and the johnny house birds seem to get weak real fast. Reds are notably better than Bobs for training, though, and recall better, too.

[SetterNut]

From my understanding, a well designed Johnny house is set up so that they have to fly up to a perch to see out. In other words you want a fairly tall house. The flying up helps keep them in condition.

[rschmeider]

From my understanding, a well designed Johnny house is set up so that they have to fly up to a perch to see out. In other words you want a fairly tall house. The flying up helps keep them in condition.

+1 ...I also have 2 total recallers,they pay for them self..the recallers cut my bird cost in half...I used to raise 300 birds for my johnny houses..Now 150.

[winchestermodel50]

I had great success raising chukars and they did well in the johnny box, but I never recalled one. I live West of Wichita,Ks. and the hawks killed every chukar ever released from the box. I tried letting them out in pairs and one at a time. Fifteen piles of feathers later, we just planted what we had and shot them. Quail are the best option I have experienced. They seem to be much more hawk wise.

[birdogg42]

Reds are considered bobs in Missouri, too.

I've used a johnny house, but I'm not crazy about how most folks use them. Even when I did have quail in them I would take the birds out, go to where we'd be training and fly them in that area. Hardly ever flew them from the johnny house. I lost tons of them and the johnny house birds seem to get weak real fast. Reds are notably better than Bobs for training, though, and recall better, too.

I got a buddy that is a conservation agent and he said u don't need a breeder or a hobby license to have or raise Tenn red quail as they are not native to Mo.

Mike

[rschmeider]

I had great success raising chukars and they did well in the johnny box, but I never recalled one. I live West of Wichita,Ks. and the hawks killed every chukar ever released from the box. I tried letting them out in pairs and one at a time. Fifteen piles of feathers later, we just planted what we had and shot them. Quail are the best option I have experienced. They seem to be much more hawk wise.

Ya..I even tried the total recaller for chukar.They ended up by the rd. trying to get a ride back to Afghanistan or feather piles ...Returned it to LSC for the quail model, thats how i requird 2 callers.

Built the phantom johnny house..Nice set up ,but to much space on the ground... My 4x3x7H house works best...25 birds any more starts a buffet here in Pa.

[Ms. Cage]

I got a buddy that is a conservation agent and he said u don't need a breeder or a hobby license to have or raise Tenn red quail as they are not native to Mo.

Same in Minnesota and Wisconsin. We find the Tenn. Reds hardier then bob whites and great flyers.

[Stoneface]

B, which agent did you talk to? I spoke with the one in Neosho and he said he would slap me with a big ol' fine. I wonder if it is not clearly defined since the Reds are just a mutation of Bobs. Maybe I'll call Jeff City.

Here is a link to the Johnny house I built. I really like it. I actually converted it to a pigeon coop. I'll also include the article below that I based mine off of. Doug is a good guy and knows his stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neA9oeBFBtM

http://kennel.homestead.com/Articles_JHouse.pdf



When I get a permanent place I plan on building something like this.



Or this.



I actually have a hoop house frame (for a green house) that a friend was going to chuck out. I told him if I could have it I'd tear it down and haul it off for him. I may just use it when I get a permanent place instead of a johnny house.

[Brazosvalleyvizslas]

Just raise Tibetan Coturnix and be done with any Interpretation of laws. Great flyers and there isn't a game warden in this country who would know what it is.

[jcbuttry8]

I have never tried chukars but I have heard they don't recall worth anything. Mike Tracy convinced me to go with huns. They bought several and had great success with recall. I bought 15 and had the same luck with them. They stink so dogs stiffened right up when they hit the scent. The advice I was given was do not handle them. They seem to die off quick if you handle them. So, I left them in the Johnny house for 3 weeks and then started releasing a few at a time. They were great flyers and didn't stick around long if the dogs got to close.

Closest thing I have worked with to wild birds since living out here. When I am ready for more birds they will be the bird of choice for me.

Joe

[codym]

+1 ...I also have 2 total recallers,they pay for them self..the recallers cut my bird cost in half...I used to raise 300 birds for my johnny houses..Now 150.[/quote]



What are total recallers? Are they the electric call that you put in the johny house? Why did it save you so many birds? I have been looking for some property to lease so I can set up a few johny houses but I havent had any luck so far.

[DonF]

+1 ...I also have 2 total recallers,they pay for them self..the recallers cut my bird cost in half...I used to raise 300 birds for my johnny houses..Now 150.

What are total recallers? Are they the electric call that you put in the johny house? Why did it save you so many birds? I have been looking for some property to lease so I can set up a few johny houses but I havent had any luck so far.[/quote]

Where did you find these total re-caller's? They sound like a must have!

[rschmeider]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o__Vh3pVkos


I think you can get the recaller from gundog supply..I have a lot of predators trying to get to the birds..The faster i can get them in the house the better.
Sometimes if birds get chases over night you can get them back in a covey quicker too..The caller has electronic eye and doesn't call at night.
I leave it on the mod that it calls every 2.5 hrs and calls really strong before dark and morning.

What sold me...I was having a few beers after training and my friend was a rep. for LCS pulled out this caller...The birds that we chased with dogs flew out of the field right for the caller.

Also if you lose all you birds the caller will get them back...I left the door on my flight pen, 100 birds and 6 birds in the back yard does not work real well..Locked up dogs and i got them all back in 2 days with a recall pen..You can let all the birds go after they make the johnny house home too.

$200 For what birds cost ...Priceless!

[BellaSpinone]

I have had good luck with Phanton kennel jh design. I added 4x4 runners underneath so I can move it around with jd gator or tractor. I built it 4 years ago. I had built two others before. Gave one away, burned the other...

I also have the electronic recall.