partridges
General: The partridge (gray patridge) belongs to the family of chickens and is a cultural follower who benefited early on from the expansion of agriculture. Because of the favorable conditions, the then common chicken birds were a popular prey. The birds were also popularly called field chickens. With the intensification of agriculture, the partridge is threatened in its entire Central European distribution area and has already become a very rare bird in many places. The partridge prefers the lowlands up to 600 m above sea level and stays in the breeding area all year round. Partridges are medium-sized poultry birds (up to 30 cm), of a compact and rounded shape with a short tail and short, strong legs. On the light gray belly there is a dark brown, horseshoe-shaped spot, which is more pronounced in the male than in the female or can also be completely absent. It is therefore very difficult to determine the sexes in nature. Partridges feed mainly on green parts of plants such as grass tips, clover, alfalfa and winter cereals. Seeds of knight's spur, knotweed, berries and other wild herbs are also welcome. We noticed that the partridges also like to nibble on lupines, so small stones are taken in to help the grains in the gizzard to digest better. Regular sand and dust bathing is an important part of comfort behavior. The nest is mostly well hidden in the ground under bushes, in grain fields and on meadows. Depending on the weather, the breeding season lasts from around mid-April to July. The female builds the nest alone and hatches the 8 to 26 eggs within about 21 to 25 days. During this time, the male keeps watch nearby. The young hatch in about an hour and leave the nest after 2-4 hours. On the first day, they feed on the yolk sac. In the first few weeks, the young almost exclusively feed on insects, primarily ants and their pupae, small beetles, aphids and caterpillars. After about 14 days, they start to flutter and fly a week later as well as the old animals. Almost exclusively plant-based food is only taken from around 9 weeks. Partridges normally only have one annual brood, but in nature approx. If 60 - 80% of the eggs are destroyed by raven birds, hedgehogs, cats and other causes, the hen is capable of several additional animals if the loss occurs at the beginning of the breeding season. If the female is disturbed while laying, it may happen that the entire clutch is scattered around the terrain. The family stays together during the winter (so-called chains) and can also join together with other chains to form so-called peoples. Winter losses are mainly due to birds of prey. In principle, the bigger the chain, the better the chances of survival for the individual animal. Mating in spring usually does not take place within the chain. Partridge chain in winter The partridge hatchlings are kept and raised in special aviaries. Due to the early confrontation with the outside climate, they are ideal for freshening up and resettling. Tips and tricks: 1. What do we feed the young animals? We feed Deuka wild and ornamental poultry starters and, depending on age, Deuka wild and ornamental poultry ripening food. The aviaries of the partridges are sown with premium wild field mixtures (with a high lupine content) and the partridges also feed on this. Wheat can also be mixed in with older animals. 2. Feeding the chicks: Partridge chicks feed primarily on animal protein in the early days. Since this has not been included in most ready-made feed mixtures since the BSE scandal, we recommend adding animal protein via ant eggs, spiders etc. when raising in the ring. If necessary, meal worms or hard-boiled eggs can also be added. Raising chicken hen is unproblematic, because with these the chicks can absorb the animal protein directly outside. Since partridges also breed in aviaries, breeding can also be done with a spring pair of partridges as parent animals. 3. Construction of aviaries for partridges: Partridge aviaries should allow each adult animal at least 4 square meters, i.e. at least 8 square meters for couples. The vegetation should not be too high, the best is a wild field vegetation with a high proportion of lupine. A roofing is not necessary, but there should be shelter as well as sunny and shady places. It is also important to have a clay court for beating, provided that the aviary is not built on sandy soils anyway. If only adult animals are kept there, a fence of 4 x 4 cm mesh size can be selected as the side limitation. A mesh size of 3 X 3 cm, at most 4 X 4 cm, is recommended for covering the aviary net. If chicks and young animals are to be reared in this aviary, a narrower mesh size should be selected as the side limitation. It is also important that fresh water is constantly available. 4. Feeding the old animals and young animals from 9 weeks: The old animals as well as the young animals from the 9th week at the latest receive the Deuka wild and ornamental poultry ripe feed with the addition of wheat grains. In addition to constantly fresh water, the animals can also benefit from the sowing of the aviaries seasonally and use the plants to ingest food. 5. Diseases and medication: A common problem in aviary keeping is the so-called "red worm", the intermediate host of which is the earthworm. If a partridge is affected, quick medication is necessary. The infestation can be seen from the fact that the partridge emaciated very quickly or gasped for air. If it is sitting around apathetically and with its plumage ruffled, it is often already too late. In the case of infestation, the entire group should be treated with PANACUR, for example, which, difficult but possible, is dissolved in the water. Infection with mycoplasma is also common. The first sign of this is watery eyes. Purulent eczema develops later under the lids, which can take on enormous dimensions and often lead to blindness. Treatment can be done here with TYLAN. If kept in outdoor aviaries, flagellaria can also occur, a tropical pathogen that is introduced by migratory birds. You can get all the medicines mentioned and alternatives from the vet. Please consider that the medicine should not be given as a precaution (as vaccination), otherwise resistance to it will develop too quickly.
