New pup and birds

As I have been reading an overwhelming theme is to let pup have un-corrected contact with birds in the field, letting him discovery his natural instincts and just have fun with birds at a young age. We own acreage close to me so I can take him to run 2-3 times a week but there are no birds there. Would yall advise planting pen raised quail or pigeons and letting him just bump them? If so where are good places to look for to purchase these?

I'd be careful about letting him catch the pen raised birds. It's a lot of fun to watch pups on birds at a young age but I think it's overrated. I started taking Cracker out to a pasture across the road where there are wild quail at about 6 months of age. Here's one of her first points.

Cracker was a September pup. I started taking her to all the NSTRA fall trials. I never really had to break her into gunfire because she heard it from a distance from the gallery. One of the most fun things you could do is to take your pup to the NSTRA trial in Giddins the last weekend in March. There will be birds left in the field after the trial on Saturday. Everyone is invited to take their dogs out to hunt them. Pick up a half dozen of the dead birds and freeze them for retrieving.

The idea of letting them chase is to let them realize( and generally they will, some sooner, others later, and I have seen one that never did), that they are not going to be able to catch those birds...the only way to keep that wonderfully intoxicating scent coming into their nostrils is to start pointing the birds.

So using stupid pen-raised birds wouldn't accomplish anything except teaching them the opposite..that they can catch the bird...then you have a problem, cause that is what they are going to want to do.

Now you could use homing pigeons and a launcher if you wanted to. As soon as you see any sign that they have scented the bird, and step toward it...hit the trigger and launch the bird. Timing is everything. I'd get my yardwork done first tho. Just a thought.

this times 2

When mine are tiny puppies I will let them catch a bird, and do what they want with it. But after that I want birds that fly well. If you have to use pen raised quail, a long check cord will slow the pup down, and you can use it to walk the pup to another area of the field after the flush. I just put out 3 or 4 birds in different areas, and move to the next area if the pup bumps, or busts a bird. They don't get to chase, and the game is over with any bird bumped. They only get to chase if I flush the bird. But like Pointer said, its easier with homing pigeons.

Letting pup chase builds there desire to hunt and find birds. Ditto on fresh caught pigeons. Your off to a great start doing this.