Genetics is so important in the wild...lol

in 1905 the chatams had eaten all the wild Weka so 12 birds were sent to the chatams as a gift from the population of canterbury

Since that time and despite continued harvesting the population is now estimated at 60000

two populations have been returned to the canterbury area with 14 birds and 14 birds repectively being brought back the last in 2005, as the east coast buff weka is now extinct on the mainland

the prodgeny from these birds is what rodger is talking about farming

reef is right they taste nice but are an aquired taste...much like mutton birds...hint hint reef.

but I still prefer tegal tree top or other wise

there are how ever more clinical endagered birds in the area such as the chatam wood pidgeon and the chatam snipe and rock wren

as for your comments about genetics tell that to ol blue and for those of you who are wondering about how I got this info I was on the recovery team for these birds and several others and I continue to be involved with this program and several others.

the worst thing about cooking weka is that they defend them selves by shitting and running...ever been covered in weka defication...I would not recomend it

lets now talk about the 11 chamois release around 1911 that made up the 100000 that now roam or the 7 hymalain thar released in 1907 that are so critically endangered in their homelands that we shoot them and leave the carcase to rot.

how about perhaps the fact that the arapawa goat and pig is near extinction because doc cull them to 100 animals every year but they have been id'd as having genetically unique dna and are prbbably the oldest purest domesticated animals in the world much like the auckland island cattle...oh thats right they were shot to death in 99 by DOC cullers. sorry oh well another unique animal gone

You know, when I first heard of this, I though it was a ridiculous idea. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense. I think it doesn't appeal to us from a moral standpoint, but I'm sure some people initially thought that about chickens/pigs/sheep etc, and no one can say that doesn't work. I think it would be at risk of exploitation, but I also think that those people will get out of the circle pretty quickly when they realize that the quick buck they thought it was just simply isn't there.

I'd like to see more about it in the media. I'm sure the majority of people could be convinced.

Yes Pigs, goats, cats, dogs, rats, ferret, possum, trout, and carp are all introduced and these have smashed our native species to bits, and it doesn't help with clearing our lowland and forestry for agriculture, dairy and the venison markets.

I agree its not a dumb idea at all - my father tried kereru back in the day with miro berries and all i can come up with is rabbit/chicken with stuffed with plum jam....not the same so i'm told. The restaurants will have their own unique dish to wash down with our fine kiwi wine and the tourists would give it a try. Plus those in dairy these don't produce as much fart gas or CO2 like our cows?

Mahurangi Institute in Warkworth now breed Koura and Eel for the market and train individuals from other countries so as to help relieve some pressure from the last remaining wild stock. Excellent intiative by them with successful results. The govt Mr Bolger and Key have both agreed that this institute will help NZ and its stock immensely.....so why not DOC?Why not let us farm our native birds? toooo preccciousss.....

+1 Nav

and the list can go on

chicken fed on miro berries tastes almost the same

What is the possability of a disease forming in captive reared species? then we couldnt release them, and we would be in a bigger mess then what we started in?

no worse than say salmonella or champhyliobacta(sorry re spelling Alan) in store bought chooks or the pseudomonas that grows on the inside of water coolers or that water bottle that those skinny young things carry around with them charlie

What is the possability of a disease forming in captive reared species? then we couldnt release them, and we would be in a bigger mess then what we started in?

that is always a possibility

a greater possibility is migratory bird species bringinj in disease

or something arriving in 1 of the 1,000's of unchecked containers

oh don't forget the unquarantined humans possible carriers of zoomotic diseases

Bacterial diseases don't form---they exist and are spread. Salmonella is present in the sparrow population in Canterbury and can be carried by just about every animal you can think of including wild lizard populations and commercial poultry, and the pidgeons in the square used to be loaded with psitticosis (parrot fever). Campylobacter is frequently carried by birds and that is one reason it was not cultured in labs for a long time. Birds have a higher body temperatuture than us and they had no success until they raised the incubation temperature. You should always assume that animals carry diseases, and we don't quarantine humans arriving or returning to NZ (unless they have obvious signs of a quarantinable disease). There were only 7 internationally quarantinable diseases and now that smallpox has been iradicated there are only 6.

interesting...i didnt know smallpox had been irrdicated

I think the last case in the world was from a laboratory in England and the guy running it committed suicide.

Its ok to bring in other species but Oh no you can't touch our own. Take a look on trademe and see what changes hands -Plants, animals, fish and invertes - our native plants get distributed and the rest is introduced. I bet half them goldfish end up in our local waterways - take a look at how the US is struggling with managing discarded pet pythons. Waikato river may as well be named catfish alley cmon our chinese bruthas go hard and fish em out!!

Whats the harm of having a pet weka go bush - the only thing that is gonna happen to him is that it'll get eaten by a cat, dog, ferret or pig.

Does anyone know if we can keep our native birds as pets?

Far as I understand, Smallpox is Eradicated in nature, but small amounts are kept locked up in some vault somewhere for research.

The last case was where it crossed the moat and got through a hole in the fence.

that was right alan, apparently no one thought smallpox could swim

and they didn't have a fence checking program in place

I think there are some great advantages in farming native species in that we don't have to go to ridiculous lengths to give them an appropriate environment. I have thought for a long time Australians should give up on eating beef and farm kangaroo, they'd use so much less water.

Does anyone know if we can keep our native birds as pets?

not as house pets, a fewsuch as kakariki and kea may be kept in aviaries so long as you have a permit from DOC

not only that you wouldnt be able to take them from the wild? just like geckos...

I think there are some great advantages in farming native species in that we don't have to go to ridiculous lengths to give them an appropriate environment. I have thought for a long time Australians should give up on eating beef and farm kangaroo, they'd use so much less water.

we should be farming kangaroo here its delicous much better than beef

In Aus possiums stay in control because of the harsh environment, but kangaroo's are still manage to be a pest, can you imagine what they would do here

wallabies are already here, not far from you spoon

they are already a problem

as suphew said kangaroos would be a bigger problem

yea ive heard that about wallabies ive also heard that they dont taste so flash ( a division of the company i work for is into pest control and the guys who work there have tryed everything they have shot! rough buggers they are)

haven't tried wallaby but you are right roo is nice

it is indeed (about the roo)

And about the breeding of birds

A friend of mine in Holland is breeding the Kakariki with great success

It's a shame we can't do that here, it is a really nice bird and pretty easy to breed as well

can do it here just need permit

wallabys were released by one family I think there was a bounty on them at one stage and they were nearly shot into history.

lol a few yeasr ago we exported wallabys back to Australia becasue they were so rare there...lol

go figure

You can breed kakariki here if you have a permit