[Poola]

My younger dog (Tom)'s paw seems finally to have healed up pretty much ( thanks for advice previously!) - and I thought it would be nice to pick up where we left off at the time of injury with some more cold game: he was starting to retrieve cold (sometimes half frozen!) partridge nicely previously. (I know something slightly warmer is about to start for most of you - and has already for those lucky enough to pick up on grouse moors! - but I'm not a member of a local shoot, and what's more I'm not sure that he's quite ready for the "real deal" yet... :wink: !)

There is a local small-scale game farm in the village which still has penned partridge, and I was wondering whether I might ask them for the odd bird. However, I'm sure I heard that it might not be so good to be using birds having died from cocci... Then again, it might be a case of beggars can't be choosers. Doubt very much, if they were to say yes, whether I could start being fussy!

Is anyone able to tell me whether there is a problem (health/anything else) with using birds having died from cocci for cold game training?? Or would I be better to give it a miss and beg around the small farm shoots near us for something that has actually been shot rather than died of other causes? Sorry if this is a basic question - and many thanks in advance for any help you can give!

 

[Contender]

Good to hear that he's on the mend 8) There isn't really a problem using birds that have died of coccsidiosis - not for your dog anyway - but by taking it away from the gamefarm (which should really dispatch of it properly) you could potentially spread the disease to other birds in the area where you take it to

The partridge season is getting very close so maybe wait until some healthy ones are shot? Where in Suffolk are you as I could get you as many rabbits as you like if you're interested?

Natasha

 

[Poola]

Hi Natasha

Many many thanks for your reply - now I understand much better! (And just as well: didn't think about spreading it, I have to say - and to think I wld probably have brought an infected bird home to my wife's chickens! 8O My life wouldn't have been worth living...!)

I'm based near Stowmarket. I think I might be better to continue with Tom on partridge for a little while, and then move on... He's ridiculously soft-mouthed (the trouble I've had getting him to hold dummies properly :lol: !), and for this reason I think (?) I'm probably best to master one thing before getting him on to s'thing bigger even if he has been doing very well. This said, this is now getting beyond my direct experience as he's the first dog I've trained - do you think that mixing and matching might be OK with partridge & smaller rabbits?

Either way, it's very very kind of you to offer rabbits . Depending on whether you think it's OK now, I'd v much like to take you up on it - whether now or later! (Where abouts are you?!)

Thanks once more!

Jim