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Well, I finally released the remaining 5 (we had lost two to injury and one to suspected gapeworm - a big problem with game birds) at the beginning of the week. Took them up the track a way from our property and let them fly off.
Later that day, the smallest was already back, just hanging around the chick coops, but after 24 hours I stopped seeing it. However, two of the larger ones turned up the next day and have been hanging around since then with the laying bantams who have a large enclosure out in one of the paddocks.
Each morning they are there when I go to let out and feed, and they are also there for the evening corn treat. Imagine my surprise though, when I went to shut the birds up tonight, opened the lid to check on a couple of birds and a partridge flew out. It had been roosting in with the bantams. I needed to check over a couple of hens which I did, one at a time. As I went to shut the lid for the second time, I noticed a small brown shape roosting ON TOP of a white hen - the second partridge, sitting on top of the hen that had brooded and raised them. Quite amazing. It didn't move and I left it in the house for the night. I wonder if they will go to bed regularly with the bantams, especially as the weather starts to get colder.
Later that day, the smallest was already back, just hanging around the chick coops, but after 24 hours I stopped seeing it. However, two of the larger ones turned up the next day and have been hanging around since then with the laying bantams who have a large enclosure out in one of the paddocks.
Each morning they are there when I go to let out and feed, and they are also there for the evening corn treat. Imagine my surprise though, when I went to shut the birds up tonight, opened the lid to check on a couple of birds and a partridge flew out. It had been roosting in with the bantams. I needed to check over a couple of hens which I did, one at a time. As I went to shut the lid for the second time, I noticed a small brown shape roosting ON TOP of a white hen - the second partridge, sitting on top of the hen that had brooded and raised them. Quite amazing. It didn't move and I left it in the house for the night. I wonder if they will go to bed regularly with the bantams, especially as the weather starts to get colder.
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