Raising partridges

[RichmondHens]

Has anyone on here (? Bramble) raised partridges before? We disturbed a hen on a nest while cutting one of our paddocks and she wouldn't return to the nest (we'd wrecked her cover really so not surprising) so I collected the eggs and stuck them under one of our broodies. Broody is sitting tight and I know partridge eggs take 24 days to come off (although I've no idea what stage they are at, and haven't candled them yet), however I've been told I'll have difficulty feeding them when they come off as they won't eat crumb. I'll need to collect insects on banana skins etc.

I did it as an "experiment" so not necessarily expecting even a hatch, but just wondered if anyone had any tips?

[TEB]

All I know from the local gamekeeper (who raised 28000 partdrige and pheasant last year) that the red legged are far far easier than the grey legged.

[Nicos]

I've just found this and done a quick scan through it...

http://www.wildlifebiology.com/Downl...en-anttila.pdf


It's a bit in depth but basically seems to say that you need to supplement the food with invertebrates during the first few weeks of life, otherwise they are likely to die when released due to digestive problems.
(Remember - as with all rescue wildlife, you need to try and dehumanize them and teach them how to find food!)
I've raised several 'clutches' of young birds ( helping out a busy sanctuary) ...thrushes/swallows/pigeons/blackbirds......and the insect eating ones were given live meal worms ( expensive!!!!)

Looks like you'll need to hand rear them ?????

Nice idea- it'll be interesting to see how you/they get on!!

[Hilary B]

No experience, but a few thoughts.
I know partridge chicks need a lot of insect food when young, and they obviously need to learn how to forage in the wild, but I can't see why they would otherwise be very different from any other chicks. Apart from the food, is it so very different from the pheasants reared in their thousands (probably millions) every year by gamekeepers?
They may become 'permanent fixtures' around your growing area......

[RichmondHens]

Thanks chaps and chapesses. I'll report back in due course. Not pinning too much hope on them even hatching but there's always a spare broody knocking about here so thought I'd put one to some use ..............

[Bramble-Poultry]

go to a decent pet bird shop and you can purchase "insectivorous" food, which is basically a pack of lots of dried insects that you can mix in with their food. it isnt the cheapest option and to be fair, we raise mealworms for the hedgehogs as they love them.

its a long term prospect raising mealworms but ever so easy.

Place a good layer of bran meal in the bottom of a straight sided plastic tray, sides need to be about 2-3" deep at least Ikea drawers are great for this.

chuck in a box of live meal worms and leave them to it. occasionally (3 times a week) chuck in some apple slices or carrot etc for the moisture remove after 12 hours otherwise the bran will go mouldy.

Keep chucking in odds and sods like bread crusts etc, anything bran or grain based really and they will munch through it. They cant climb shiny plastic walls so will stay in the box uncovered. they will eventually pupate into beetles - these you need to encourage as they lay the eggs. and the cycle continues. The beetles cant climb either.

when we were really busy a few years ago with orphaned hedgehogs, we bought an ikea shelf unit with the pull out trays and had four trays of mealworms on the go!

also, try some of the smaller grains for a starter crumb as well, something like maw seed or niger. they wont take much but its a starter for them.

never reaered partridge, but i would ensure that the coop you keep them in has a soft roof, tight plastic mesh or similar as if they are like quail they can shoot up into the sky and if they hit something solid its game over boys

[RichmondHens]

Thanks Bramble - This morning 2 eggs are pipping (out of 8), so may have some youngsters to rear after all. They were obviously further on than I thought when I collected them, just couldn't bear to leave them in the field!

[Nicos]

Wow- this is getting exciting!...can you take some piccies?

Bramble- how long does it take for the mealworms to pupate/lay/hatch????...sound nice and easy and would save a fortune!!!!!

[Bramble-Poultry]

nicos - its weather / temp dependant. can take up to 4 weeks to turn to beetles and start laying. then they have to hatch into worms......

thats why we had 4 trays so we could harvest one tray and rotate them

[RichmondHens]

Well update is we have 7 babies and the last one pipping, so fingers crossed for 100% hatch. Now I have to keep up the insect intake! Will try and post some piccies soon.

[di]

Aaaaw!You really need to work out posting piccies...bet they're really cute!
Good Luck with the rearing!

[RedThorn]

good luck and fingers crossed..... btw pic's would be greatly appreciated!

[RichmondHens]

We have 8 babies - amazingly precocious compared to "normal" chicks. The last one to hatch was only out the egg a couple of hours (and still not dry) and then wanted to follow "mum" outside with the others. The other thing we've noticed is they don't cheep like normal chicks (virtually silent to avoid predation I guess) so hoping "mum" will realise this and show them how to feed. A small saucer of crushed mealworm has disappeared but possibly inside "mum" and we have arranged a pile of banana skins attracting fruit flies near "mum" too.

Have taken pics so now trying to work out how to get them on here!!

[RichmondHens]

Partridge Chick pics

OK - Here we go, hope this has worked. OH had to do this for me!!
To give you an idea of size, they are about half the size of day old bantam chicks.

[TEB]

Stunning - good luck