project started 2004 --End who knows ??

[Michelle K linnane]

Well need to introduce the falcon to dogs while she is little so she will not be afraid the only challenge is to teach the hunting dogs do not bother the bird.
So I resort to my big dog training secret tool a fly swatter. All of my dogs are afraid of the fly swatter. So Zema is on the floor in a 1/2 a dog cage and I sit with fly swatter in hand already giving out a lick for good measure to start out with just to get Sheba on watch. She was always very interested but never did anything she always seemed to very curious.

 

[Michelle K linnane]

We introduced the bird to three dogs Rubi, Blue and Sheba. I was a little nervous after we did Sheba so Mike did Blue on the introduction and I was happy to step aside.


This is a picture of Mike introducing Zema to Blue and telling him No do not eat the big white mint! No Bad Dog

 

[Michelle K linnane]

So we start trying to get her to kill a chukar first and then a pheasant. Mike gets upset when the training do not go smooth, and if you can imagine this I am the voice of reason. Mike has all the knowledge I watch sit back and suggest. Between 30 years of dog training on my part and 30 years of bird training on his part it is a very enjoyable experience. We had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs.
We would always let zema have a blow out meal on the pheasant to try and get her going. I said to Mike can we ever get her to ride in the mule and he said never. One day when she is eating I said lets put her in the back of the mule in the bed. She did not mind at all and I said Zema is a big eater and will do anything for a meal.
So pretty soon she would eat as mike would feed her off the glove on the mule.

 

[Michelle K linnane]

This whole thing started as I wanted to be able to offer hunting with a falcon as the only game preserve in the US that does this. We do not charge the people we enjoy watching dog and falcon together so do others.
Here are two pictures with some of game preserve clients feeding Zema off the glove. Mike has her manners so good with a little supervision and guideance anyone can handle her.
The first guys name is Roman was not confortable and it shows in the photo if you look at second photo he is much better. The other person I know would be confortable right off the bat. But it has been a plast doing the training and now Zema rides back on the mule eating her kill.
This is a way of life, it is not to make a living it is loving the outdoors, and nature and what it has to offer, and sharing it wth others.

I am curious does anybody mind me going off track like this? I hope not. Not as interesting as planning board but sure was more fun for me.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

This whole thing started as I wanted to be able to offer hunting with a falcon as the only game preserve in the US that does this. We do not charge the people we enjoy watching dog and falcon together so do others.
Here are two pictures with some of game preserve clients feeding Zema off the glove. Mike has her manners so good with a little supervision and guideance anyone can handle her.
The first guys name is Roman was not confortable and it shows in the photo if you look at second photo he is much better. The other person I know would be confortable right off the bat. But it has been a plast doing the training and now Zema rides back on the mule eating her kill.
This is a way of life, it is not to make a living it is loving the outdoors, and nature and what it has to offer, and sharing it wth others.

I am curious does anybody mind me going off track like this? I hope not. Not as interesting as planning board but sure was more fun for me.

I don't mind at all, I have enjoyed reading this thread and look forward to the next post:thumbsup:

 

[PossumHound]

So we start trying to get her to kill a chukar first and then a pheasant. Mike gets upset when the training do not go smooth, and if you can imagine this I am the voice of reason. Mike has all the knowledge I watch sit back and suggest. Between 30 years of dog training on my part and 30 years of bird training on his part it is a very enjoyable experience. We had a lot of fun and a lot of laughs.
We would always let zema have a blow out meal on the pheasant to try and get her going. I said to Mike can we ever get her to ride in the mule and he said never. One day when she is eating I said lets put her in the back of the mule in the bed. She did not mind at all and I said Zema is a big eater and will do anything for a meal.
So pretty soon she would eat as mike would feed her off the glove on the mule.

Wow!!! Gorgeous pictures of that beautiful bird!


PH

 

[sandman2234]

Your title gives you permission to go on, because you are just continuely carrying on with the project you started in 2004, which was and is your dream, so keep dreaming.
Don't know how I missed seven pages of posts, but I did until tonight. Great read!

David from jax

 

[Barton]

I enjoy reading about all of your projects.

 

[Michelle K linnane]

The floor of the pen is 2 feet off the ground. It is 8 foot high, 8 foot wide, 8foot long. We built the pens modular style, by my barn to make it easy for electric and air compressor.
Once we moved pen and lagged to the other pens we install dead man braces so you can walk along the 2 X 6 and not have it sag.

1) Design something easy to build.
Materials used all wood PT For 8 x8 section pens
6@ 20 half inch 2 X 4
12@ 24 inche 45 % ends
10@ 8 X 2 X 4
1@ 8 X 2 X 6
Takes two hours to build.

I bought scheduled 80 pipe 6 inches to go over my tractor folks to move everything with.

After using these pens a few years I do not like them. If I had to do over again I would only make them a foot off the ground and 7 foot of pen height.

What would the length be of the 45 % ends if you only wanted it a foot off the ground. The 6 2x4 that are 20 half set you height. I would make them 12 inches. What length would you cut the 45 % ends?

 

[Michelle K linnane]

After we got a few frames built we started to lag them together. There is two section which is 16 X 8 that have a roof to protect young birds and the their food from the elements. We found it easier to do wire in one big piece it take a few hand but once you have in place goes quick.

 

[Michelle K linnane]

I am not sure how many chukar or quail you can fit in the pen I do not remember the square footage per bird by my chuckar pen will hold a few. I made the top out of cattle wire panels and chicken wire. Somebody I know had two inch pvc they pulled and was going to throw out so I used that tie chicken wire to. And the top is supported with the 2 X4 from each frame it could be stronger but I have not had trouble and we have some pretty good snows here.
My plan is to add on the end sections of this pen with a drop door so it is easier to get into pen for feed and water and also catch area also I can drop door and brood two different age groups until they are same size. they can used to each other thru the wire. chukars are adults when they are 8 weeks. The addition will only be a 10 inches off the ground, and have a full size door to go in and out of.
And have a plywood floor to step into so you do not have to worry about your footing. It is h*ll to get old.
Did a duck tractor this weekend almost finished will post pics when done.
IF you look at last pic careful I combine pheasant and chukar in one pen while we did maintenance and you can see eggs it was in the spring.

 

[Michelle K linnane]

Mike the master falconry just sent me some new pictures of Zema the Falcon I am not sure if she has finished her molt yet or not but some odd color patterns. This is an email mike sent me, he is always teasing me that Jake his STUPID BLOODHOUND is a champion pheasant dog. And we kid about it all the time. So here is the email with PICs of Zema the Falcon and Jake the wonder dog(Only in his owner eyes). Poor Jake everybody hates him except Mike. Mike think Jake is very smart I am here to tell you he is not's. But Zema color pattern almost looks like a checker board. I thought you guys would enjoy seeing the new pics of Chicken Hawk(Zema nick name). Thought the bloodhound and the falcon look pretty cool together!

Michelle,
This will give you an idea of what Zema is going to look like. I would have put all of the champion pheasant dog trophies in the pictures but I didn't have time to do them all. I did manage to find time to include a picture of the famous dog for you. Don't get too jealous that this picture came out so well....

Enjoy,
Mike

 

[dsquire]

Michelle

I have just now finished reading this entire thread. I am glad to see that you did not back down when they tried to put pressure on you. Thanks for taking the time to post this story of the roadblocks you had to overcome to build your dream.

Cheers :drink:

Don

 

[JDGreenGrass]

How could anyone hate a dog like that.??

 

[Michelle K linnane]

Because to know Jake is to hate him! He is a lubricante factory with slobber and can slim you in 10 seconds. Jake is a baby and is afraid of his own shadow. The dummy really loves me, I can not go to mike house without him coming to me. Mike said he never stays around the house and when I go there I can use Jake as a foot rest. Mike thinks he is smart I have a different thoughts. But Jake runs with my labs when we go snowmobiling
and I like that, but Jake is different and is a Dummy.

Will have to send this to mike his owner so he knows I called his dog a dummy in front of the entire country! This may mean WAR!!!!:laughing:

 

[Michelle K linnane]

PLEASE SOMEBODY COMMIT ME A 3RD PHEASANT PEN


Well I was not happy with the drainage inside my barn for pheasant pen and I am adding more stone and also adding a third pen. I would like to be able to brood 3 different age groups and that is not possible with out 3 pens. I am also able to save almost $6 a bird buying them at 8 weeks ready for flight pen. Well buy 300 and that is $1800 savings. I can buy my food for $10 for 50lbs. I have range feeders that hold 800lbs each and the water totes with auto watering systems. So in bagged feed I get a 1/2 ton at $200 I priced it with Cargrill and it was $400 a ton, and you must take a 2 ton minimum. So I save $1600 by having enough pen space to brood 300 it is not hard to figure pen will pay for itself pretty quick. 1200lbs of food will last
them a little while so even with $250 a food you are $1350.

So we continue on the same line as the current barn and built the base up 2 1/2 feet this will have to be dry!
It can not do any but drain.

 

[Michelle K linnane]

My idea of chicken or duck tractor.

I have kennels laying all over the place not really what I want to use for dogs. But make a great chicken or duck tractor. this was what we did last weekend. The sched 80 is good for frame for chicken wire. If I wish to place tarp on the sched 80 will hold it when it rains. We placed eye hooks to drag to fresh place every day. Cuts down food by 30%. Great to reseed after a move. Throwing in some glover and Timothy and a little lime as it is already Fertile Ground. Great pasture not bad for hay and does not grown real high.


Very often you can find old kennels for about $150 and 4 4X4 with a little hardware save time and are very predator proof takes a lot to get thru chain link. Move with ATV and not bad. Will send more pics I have two. Will make some for my new turkeys

 

[Michelle K linnane]

Being a three day holiday weekend gave me a chance to work on pheasant pen that I started last fall and did not get a chance to complete. This one is 24 wide and 70 feet long an addtion 1680 SQ feet. The other pens are 18 X 70 and can hold 84 birds. The new one will hold 112. The guy helping with the pen can not understand why I would not make the 3rd pen exactly like the last one. For an extra 6 feet I gain another 30 birds. He was worried about it looking square I do not care so long as it is well built and will hold up this is all I am concerned with.
We tried something new I did not want to bother with green house hoops this time. So I bought 4 inch flexible pipe in a roll of 100 feet for $39 from tractor supply. We laid out pipe and Glen cut with circular saw like nothing he was cutting faster then I could hold in place. You can see it is attached to main beam or ridge beam.
I bought used shed that where attached to green house only two sides and they are all PT and well built they are a little higher then I need. But we used the already built shed ways and cut to right height and save 1/2 the time it takes to do the pen. So in 2 weekends this is what we got to here. May not seem like a lot, but as you know takes time. So this last pen is 2 X 4 construction on a base. I will finish the metal outside on the barn so it all looks the same. So with the three pens when we are done will have a 8 X 52 foot barn all together. Each pen will have a place to barn so birds can come and go out as they please.
I also spread 9 1/2 ton of stone in the shed to help keep dry. Ordered more for tuesday. And of course last year I spread two inch stone and then stone dust on top of that. So again this pen should not be muddy. After we get done I running electric up there for heat lamps and lights I am done with cords.
And of course it had to rain and soak us three times in Sunday. Monday was nice but hot.
Had a good weekend with boarding kennel everybody else will not be open on Sunday and the fourth of july. That is alright I am like the statue of liberty give me you homeless, you tired, if it barks I take it. I am starting a business and need to build a customer base. If I am going to work building the pens I might as well be busy!!! The word NO is never in my phone converations with boarding clients!!! Many boarding kennels are not open on Sunday none will let you pick up on a holiday.
One of my new boarding clients told me the boarding kennel they used in the past charged $35 a day for one dog. I am $15 a day and give a multi dog discount so to board two dogs it costs $28 a day for two.
I wonder what it is like to sit at picnic all day and not have to work.