With over 30 years of experience as a professional dog trainer, Mark Fulmer has gained valuable insights into quail training and the effective use of Johnny Houses. These structures, resembling outhouses, are specifically designed to house and release birds for dog training.
Controlling the training environment is crucial. I prefer hand-planting birds, which allows for a more focused and effective training session. This approach helps me shape a dog's behavior and track their progress more precisely.
Maintaining a Johnny House is also an important aspect of training. Use a solid wood floor with hemp shavings for easy cleaning and incorporating a nipple watering system to ensure a clean water supply. While flight pens are great for conditioning birds, the average bird dog owner, may find it more practical to purchase birds as needed rather than raising them.
It's important to protect the birds from predators by adding overhangs to the bird houses, which helps deter feral cats and hawks, significantly reducing predation issues. Marking your birds with zip ties or bands can be helpful to track bird homing patterns, and manage bird stock as well as identifying potential problems like predation.
For more on this topic check out episode 138. Johnny Houses w/ Mark Fulmer