Domestic partridges. Chick care. Preparing for breeding

The world of partridges includes several main species known in Russia and in Asian countries. To date, several species of this bird are known, which have become almost domestic. Red (fire) and colored (variegated) partridges are little known, and rare farmers or amateurs have achieved significant success in keeping them.

Sand and stone (mountain) partridges are successfully bred in households and farms. As can be assumed, the breeding of chukarok originates precisely in the regions where it was known in its natural environment, in the natural. These are, respectively, mountains and foothill regions. In this regard, the North Caucasus of Russia occupies a leading position in the country.

Ptarmigan partridge: external description

This bird usually has striped wings, with an alternating black and white pattern, a gray back, and two black stripes covering the neck and sides of the head. The white spot below the beak reaches the middle of the chest. Birds' beaks and paws are always orange-red in color.

It is known about involuntary mutations in breeding work with chukots, when the bird acquires a pronounced white color, less often completely black.

The average weight of an adult male chucklik in captivity can reach 600 grams, the female is usually less. Their weight rarely exceeds 500-550 grams. Males are distinguished by a growth on their paws, this is a rudimentary spur.

Features of the content of keklik

This bird is gregarious, loving communication with representatives of its species, which makes its keeping relatively easy even in cages. Despite the recommendations of many experienced poultry farmers, it is possible not to build colossal aviaries for the partridge partridge, but to keep the bird in cages twice its height. It will be between 25 and 35 centimeters high.

Females from 16-18 weeks of age can lay eggs. Depending on weather conditions, natural lighting (solar activity), the egg-laying season for chukarok can stretch until the end of July. The weight of an egg is no more than 15 grams, and the number of eggs laid by one chicken per season can be 40, 50, and even 60 eggs.

In the content of chickens in the cellular version, the same methods of increasing egg production are provided as in working with chickens and quails. By shortening the day to 16 hours, you can get 3 eggs within 48 hours. Forced lighting is calculated from the average (50-80 square meters \u003d 10 watts), each tier must be illuminated by at least 10%. Keklik is very convenient to grow in quail-type cages. Juveniles up to 3 months old feel quite comfortable in low compartments, in racks. It is recommended to place chicks that have reached 6 weeks of age in cages of this geometry. Experienced experts have noticed that with a full cycle of bird cages, without walking in an open space, poultry can reach sexual maturity earlier.

Incubation and work with a chukar brood

The incubation period of the chukar egg is 23 days. There are no particular difficulties in raising chickens of this species. The main requirement for the cage for hatched young animals is space. The cage must have forced lighting, it is better to use a matte lamp of white, warm light, 45-65 W. Chicken chickens are active and conflicted, therefore it is better to settle them in as small groups as possible. On average, there should be no more than 10 individuals in a cage the size of a typical bottle container.

After collecting the eggs and before placing them in the incubator, the required ambient temperature should not be less than 13 and more than 20 degrees Celsius. In the storage compartment, the temperature should be 60% humidity, and the temperature should be 37.5 degrees Celsius. In this mode, eggs of the mountain partridge can be stored for up to three weeks, many poultry farmers say. To do this, it is imperative to turn the eggs fixed in the tray once a day. By the way, the same period will allow you to identify spoiled and unsuitable for incubation eggs. You should not send dirty eggs that have significant deviations in size to the incubator.

It is recommended that the incubator interior and trays be disinfected with an antiseptic before starting the hatching process. Up to 21 days of incubation, the air humidity should be 59-60 percent, with an average temperature of 37.6 degrees, from day 22 you need to lower the temperature to 36.5 degrees, increase the humidity to 69 percent. In this mode, the brood will be fully formed within 23-25 \u200b\u200bdays. After collecting chicks and transferring them to other containers, it is recommended to re-process all trays and the interior of the incubator.

The recommended ambient temperature for day old chicks should be at least 31 and not higher than 35 degrees. For an especially accurate temperature range, personal observations of the behavior of fry can be used: at too low temperatures, the chicks huddle together, when the comfortable temperature is exceeded, they keep at a distance from each other. Reducing the temperature by 1-2 degrees every day, it is necessary to accustom the bird to a temperature of 21 degrees Celsius by the third week.

The bird is active from the first hours, the chukots quickly become independent and easily get used to the feeder and drinker. For feed, it is best to use poultry compound feed with the addition of protein, as this bird will rapidly begin to lose weight with a lack of this element. The percentage of protein in special feeds (complementary foods) should not be less than 24-30% of the total weight of the product. The mass of grain (crushed) feed that a bird should receive before the age of 16-18 weeks is 3600 grams (28 grams per day).

Breeding partridges at home until recently was experimental. Today, dozens of firms specializing in this area operate in Russia. There are breeds that are considered the most prolific. Their female can lay one egg a day. There are varieties that are best assimilated in the household. Some are bred for decorative purposes, while others are successfully used to obtain high quality meat.

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Best breeds

The most popular species of partridges in Russia and neighboring countries are gray partridges; they live almost everywhere, with the exception of the northern regions. These birds are small in size. The weight of an adult individual varies from 350 to 600 g. When kept in captivity, the body weight usually does not exceed 500 g.

Among all types of partridges, the gray variety is considered the most prolific. In the clutch of the female, over 20 eggs can be found. The laying hen can lay one egg daily. Only after the bird has finished rushing does it begin to incubate.

Gray partridge

Another type of such poultry is the Red Spanish breed. This type adapts well to home conditions. Outwardly, it resembles its relative - keklik.

Red partridge

The Spanish red partridge can be seen in the wild in the mountains of Spain and France. It is mainly bred for decorative purposes.

Breeding basics

Open enclosures are also not the best solution. The fact is that the partridge not only runs fast, but also flies excellently. She also does this so noisily that it causes a lot of anxiety to her relatives.

Place organization

The best option would be enclosures, closed on all sides, equipped in a quiet place. There is a list of requirements for the room where partridges are kept:

constant warmth;
lack of drafts;
dry litter;
aviary sizes - ranging from 20 to 30 sq. m. for every 1000 birds.

Racks of cages can be installed indoors, but it is better if birds are provided with access to the aviary. You can build an aviary for them without using cages.

The aviary must be closed on all sides

Tall grass and bushes should be planted inside the enclosure. Due to this, the environment is formed as close as possible to natural habitat conditions. It is necessary to additionally provide for places for feeders and placement of water tanks. It is necessary to put them so that in the future it is possible to conveniently fill in feed, add water.

The bird may escape during feeding. To prevent this, a vestibule is certainly arranged at the entrance. Feeders should be shallow and wide. In addition to drinking bowls, it is imperative to place sand trays. Straw or hay must be placed on the floor in the cold season. Lack of natural light slows down the onset of the breeding season.

Partridge nutrition

To simplify feeding as much as possible, they purchase ready-made compound feed. Otherwise, you will have to independently calculate the proportions of the necessary cereals. The diet depends on the age characteristics of the partridges.

In the reproductive period, feeding is carried out according to the following plan:

4 weeks before laying eggs, add 50 mg of provitamin A and 10 mg of vitamin E to the feed. This amount is provided for each partridge for one feeding.
In the same period, individuals are fed with greens, carrots. The water is disinfected with a solution of pale pink potassium permanganate.
As soon as egg-laying begins, the amount of feed should be between 25 and 30 g. The ratio of crude protein, calcium and phosphorus should be as follows: 23: 2.5: 0.9 (%). The number of calories is 270.

During the unproductive period, which begins in August, the diet is as follows:

grain feed - 25 g;
juicy food in the form of cabbage and carrots 9 g each;
cottage cheese, minced meat - 2 g each;
yeast, fish oil - 2 g each;
mineral supplements - 2 g.

Two meals a day are provided for a daily period. The first time they offer food to the birds from 8:00 to 10:00 in the morning, and the second from 14 to 15:00. It is necessary to introduce a new product gradually over 10 days.

Food should be fortified and varied. As a result of the experiments, it was possible to identify those types of food that adults and chicks of partridges eat with special pleasure, without leaving leftovers and without scattering food around the enclosure. These are grains and seeds of wheat, lentils, sunflowers. They also like crushed barley, buckwheat, millet. With appetite they eat chopped vegetables and fruits: pears, apples, plums, carrots and sugar beets. Birds will not refuse cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini. For full growth, the bird needs fresh greens. Leaves of dandelion, alfalfa, nettle, clover, weeds are suitable for this.

Mineral dressings must be poured into a separate feeder, pre-crushing. Such a mixture includes ready-made additives, sand, calcium gluconate, chalk, eggshells. Digestion in partridges is arranged in such a way that raw grain in their body is absorbed better than heat-treated grain. They digest mash with chopped grass well. In winter, you can offer them viburnum berries, lingonberries, mountain ash. Both underfeeding and overfeeding are harmful to the same extent. Newborn chicks in the first two days are fed with the yolk of a chicken egg, hard-boiled and rubbed through a coarse sieve. After that, a crumb of white bread soaked in milk is gradually introduced into their diet. Only after this begins a gradual transition to adult nutrition.

Getting offspring

Breeding partridges at home, a male and a female are placed in the same cage. This is done in early spring. They are seated around July. The time is chosen when the extended daylight hours are established, lasting at least 15 hours.

The female can produce about 15 eggs. Incubation lasts up to 26 days. If for some reason the female chases the male, bites him, then he should be replaced with another individual.

After starting to lay eggs, you can wait for the chicks to hatch naturally or use an incubator. In the first case, the eggs laid by the partridge are transferred to a basket of 30 cm in size.Pre-put dry straw on the bottom. The eggs should be directed with the blunt end towards the ground and change their position once every 2 days. The female is allowed to incubate them until the chicks appear. The hen is then sent back to the house.

To make the process easier, you can buy an incubator. Fertilized eggs with no damage to the shell structure should be placed inside the equipment. Small specimens should not be put there, as there is a risk of getting an underdeveloped chick.

An ovoscope is used to determine if the egg is fertilized. Displacement of the yolk, blood stains, two yolks at the same time should not be visible inside. The optimum temperature inside the incubator should be +37.6 degrees. This mark is desirable in the first 12 days. In the future, its gradual decrease is permissible. By the last day, the temperature is reduced to +37.2 degrees. During the entire incubation period, the humidity level should be above 60%. In the last two days, it should not fall below 80%.

How to raise chicks?

As soon as the chicks hatch from the eggs, they should spend the first day with a hen. After that, they are transplanted into a separate basket or special cage. If incubation breeding takes place, move the chicks to the specified location immediately after hatching, waiting for them to dry.

You can do it differently by moving the chicks to the hen during incubation in a cage with an aviary specially equipped for this. After 6 days, the adult can be separated from the brood.

In terms of feeding chicks, you can adhere to the following system:

On the first day, boil the egg, chop the yolk, sprinkle it and place it in the feeder.
On the second day, add dandelion, cabbage, nettle and yarrow to the feed, just as thoroughly chop everything.
On the third day, the introduction of a special puree is allowed. It consists of equal amounts of cooked meat and cottage cheese without salt. An alternative is milk and egg porridge. If possible, adding ants to the feed of young birds will only benefit them.

A similar diet is followed until the chicks reach one month of age. Then they are gradually transferred to adult feed and placed in a common poultry house. It is necessary to feed the chicks every day at the same hours. It is advisable to do this in the morning from 9:00 to 10:00 and in the evening from 16:00 to 17:00.

Benefits of breeding partridges

The following advantages of breeding partridges at home can be highlighted for both personal needs and business:

birds do not require special care, and therefore their maintenance involves much less cost;
when breeding, you can get not only meat, but also eggs;
meat products are distinguished by their high taste.

Regardless of the competition, you can profit from your business. The breeding process in itself is a fun activity for poultry lovers.

Diseases

Atrophy of the stomach muscles is a common disease in young animals. The disease is a consequence of the regular use of monotonous mealy food. A lack of fine gravel, sand in the feeders can also lead to pathology. Often you have to deal with vitamin deficiency caused by a deficiency of vitamins of group B, as well as A, D. To prevent this, it is necessary to regularly give partridges fresh greens, carrots and other vegetables rich in vitamin A.

Sometimes there are serious health problems. They relate to the respiratory system and are the result of keeping birds in a room with insufficient ventilation.

Breeding for business

Breeding partridges as a business can be organized at home or in the country. It doesn't take much effort to find a market for meat and eggs. Such products are in demand and are part of the restaurant menu.

Arrangement of the premises. This will take 40,000 rubles, taking into account all the necessary work and materials.
Purchase of poultry. To purchase 4 pairs of partridges, you will have to spend up to 10,000 rubles.
Payment for staff work. If you hire specially trained people who will look after the poultry house, their wages will cost 15,000 rubles a month.

If you provide good conditions for the bird, it will be able to gain weight up to 600 g. Then profit and productivity will be at a high level. The cost of one egg reaches 13 rubles, that is, for a dozen eggs you can get 130 rubles. A poultry carcass weighing 500 g will cost the buyer 1250 rubles. Selling meat can earn 100,000 rubles. in year. This is true for the first 2 years of work. After the specified threshold is overcome, the farm will develop, bringing more and more profit.

Partridges can be caught independently or purchased from special farms. Catching of birds is carried out in winter near the feeders. For this, special devices are made from thin wooden slats or rope nets. If partridges are necessary for breeding, you can also catch them with a simple plastic bottle. To do this, cut the bottom three quarters of the length. Grain and berries are taken as bait.

They make holes by sticking a bottle into a snowdrift and pouring boiling water. After pulling out, the holes are covered with ice. Sprinkle them with snow, and spread the food on top. The trap works like this: attracted by the berries and grain, the bird plunges into the hole. After that, she can no longer get out on her own.

Not so long ago we already had the opportunity to discuss the topic - a fairly valuable object for sport hunting. Today we would like to talk with you about the domestication of these birds.

Why is this necessary? Why Domesticate Gray Partridges? And how to do it correctly - you can read about all this in our today's material.

French experience in the domestication of partridges

In order to domesticate gray partridges, since domestic experience in this matter is not enough, we suggest that you turn to French practice, and in particular to the materials of Rene Danin, who recommended to artificially hatch the chicks of the gray partridge under the brooding hen and after they grow up - to transfer them to the male of this bird for education.

How to get gray partridge eggs

In order to carry out domestication in this way, you first of all need to get eggs from gray partridges. As a rule, during field work, a lot of nests of these birds are ruined, but the gray partridge itself tries to protect them to the last, therefore, you have a real chance to get intact eggs in this way.

By the way, while mowing bread or grass, you can use one of the methods of preserving egg clutches, and make it easier for yourself to find such nests. To do this, while mowing with machines, you will need to attach pointed strips to the mower's knife bar, which, like a rare comb, will comb the grass. With the help of such a simple device, you can scare the birds out of the nest and have time to stop the car in time, find the partridge's nest and pick up eggs from it.

You can use another, simpler and more affordable way - on the eve of the harvest, several people will have to drag a heavy rope across the field, and the other 2-3 people will have to pay attention to the places from which the partridges rise and take eggs from their nests.

How to collect gray partridge eggs correctly

Please note that eggs from each nest must be placed in a separate box with cotton wool - this way, you will not allow eggs from different nests to mix, and the chicks will hatch at the same time. Such boxes of eggs will need to be placed on special straps behind the back of the egg collector.

Hatching eggs by a hen

After the eggs of the gray partridge are collected, you will need a loose hen, under which you will need to place the eggs you collected. Usually,

no more than 16-17 eggs can be laid under one hen.

Raising gray partridges by a male

You will also need a male gray partridge - the brood hen will act as the "adoptive parent", and the male himself will act as the "educator". Why, exactly? Interesting fact, but

there are always more male partridges on land than female partridges.

And, if during the mating season you inadvertently scare away the birds, and a third will fly after two - rest assured - the third is a male who seeks to take away his female from the male. This is the kind of "extra" male you can catch for the role of "educator".

After the chicks appear under your hen hen, her cage will need to be placed on an open range at a certain distance from the cage where the male partridge is kept. Both cells will also need to be fenced off with a board fence and create a common walk for them - the French called it a promenade. Wherein,

the male partridge must not see the brood hen.

And, here the holes in the nets of both cages should be such that the chicks of the gray partridge can freely penetrate into the walk. However, do not forget to enclose the male's cage additionally with a mesh with cells of no more than 19 millimeters - this is necessary so that too small chicks do not penetrate into it. When they grow up a little, you can remove such a protective mesh.

After the male sees the chicks, he will start making inviting sounds. If he does not stop calling the chicks, then one chick is first allowed into his cage. However, you should carefully watch that the male gray partridge does not behave aggressively towards him, but, on the contrary, strives to warm him up, to take him under his wing. If there is no aggression in the behavior of the male, the net can be safely removed.

In such an adopted brood, there should not be more than 16 chicks - this is the optimal number.

As a rule, males of the gray partridge do not offend their pupils and the next day after he meets them, the cage with the hen can already be removed - now it will be the male who will take care of the babies. It will be necessary to observe the brood for another 4-5 days, in order for the male to finally get used to his new duties. After you are confident in him - you can release such a new family to the lands.

For residents of small villages, the question of earnings is always very acute. Most often, the choice falls on a small farm, animal breeding and poultry farming. Today we will touch on poultry in more detail, since the article will focus on breeding partridges at home. Any reputable restaurant uses partridges to prepare delicious dishes, while there are very few farms for breeding this bird in Russia. This means that the aspiring entrepreneur need not worry about marketing their product. Breeding partridges as a business is considered a promising and low-cost business, because you can start it even on the site of a private house or your own summer cottage.

Anyone can engage in breeding partridges at home, because partridges are unpretentious and rarely amenable to disease. But if there are no problems with the bird itself, then there may be a misunderstanding with the tax office in the absence of registration. Therefore, before you start breeding and selling partridges, you must register as an individual entrepreneur. It is necessary to select the OKVED code 01.24 - Breeding of poultry.

Breeding of partridges is considered the most promising type of poultry farming.

After the affairs with the tax office are settled, it is necessary to choose a poultry supplier from whom several pairs will be bought to start poultry farming. You may need to travel several hundred kilometers for this, but it's worth it. The gray partridge, which is ideal for home breeding, lives in Karelia, on the borders of the CIS countries and in Altai. Usually, 4-5 pairs of partridges are bought for a start. You can of course try to catch a bird while hunting, buy chicks or bird eggs, but this is a more time-consuming method.

Premises

During the day, partridges, as well as many species of domestic birds, like to walk in the fresh air, so it is necessary to equip a pen. At night, partridges can be placed in a barn. The floor in the room must be covered with dry straw or hay so that the birds do not freeze. You have to change the flooring 3-4 times a week, so in the summer you need to stock up on straw for several months in advance.

During the day, partridges must be released into the enclosure, into fresh air, and placed in the poultry house at night.

Since partridges do not tolerate a draft, it is necessary to close all the cracks and holes in the shed, this will allow the birds to feel comfortable in the room. It is best to sheathe the walls of the room with soundproofing, since partridges are very afraid of extraneous sounds. The paddock should be covered with mesh on all sides, even on top. The fact is that this bird flies well, so it will not be difficult for it to get over the fence. In addition, partridges are hunted by birds of prey such as hawks or even crows. Also, for the corral, the presence of shrubs (blackthorn or wild rose) is important, since in the natural environment this is the main shelter for birds.

The partridge enclosure should be covered with a net on all sides and on top, since the bird flies well

Pros and cons

As mentioned above, partridges are unpretentious in food and environmental conditions, which is the most important plus for a budding entrepreneur. Raising a bird is no more difficult than raising chickens or geese. The purchase of a bird will also cost a businessman a penny, the average price of an adult bird is 900 rubles. And in order to start a business, you only need a few pairs of partridges.

Growing a partridge is no more difficult than growing geese or chickens.

Problems with the sale of this type of business will not affect due to low competition. Restaurants will not mind buying meat on a regular basis, because hunters usually supply them with partridges. In addition to restaurants, private individuals can contact the entrepreneur to buy outlandish poultry meat. As we can see, breeding of partridges is a business that does not experience difficulties with sales. In addition to selling meat, you can also use it for personal purposes. After all, dietary partridge meat on the table is a guarantee of your family's health.

Another undoubted plus of breeding partridges is the unpretentiousness of birds. Partridges easily endure the winter months, in the presence of dry litter, they have strong immunity to most typical avian diseases. The pioneers always get the tidbit, so if a businessman starts breeding partridges at the present time, when this business is considered exotic, then it will subsequently bring a stable income.

The biggest problem in breeding partridges can be infectious diseases. In order to avoid this problem, it is necessary to use high quality feed and exclude contact with other pets and birds.

Remember: During the mating season, several pairs of birds should not be allowed out for a walk together, as the males will fight among themselves. Therefore, during this period, couples must be kept in separate cages.

Planting eggs and offspring

Under natural conditions, laying of eggs in partridges usually begins at the end of April and lasts 26 days. The bird is able to incubate no more than 15 eggs at a time. Under home breeding conditions, the partridge incubates eggs from March to July, during this period the female can produce about 60 eggs. However, for this it is necessary to create comfortable conditions and observe the light regime. So, for example, starting in January, the length of daylight hours should be at least 15 hours.

The first few days the chicks should be with their mother, but then they must be transplanted into a separate cage. After a month, when they get a little stronger, they must be brought out in the sun, separately from adult birds. For growth and development, chicks need sun and warm, dry land.

The first month, partridge chicks are under the wing of their mother, and only then they go out to bask in the sun

In the first days of their life, you can feed the chicks with mashed yolk of a boiled chicken egg, you can mix dandelion or yarrow greens into it. After 2-3 days, you can start feeding them white bread, and on the fifth day you can include boiled meat in the diet. You need to feed the chicks in the morning and afternoon, gradually increasing the amount of food.

Adults feed on green herbs, fruits and bugs, as well as chicken feed

Adult partridges feed on green grasses, bugs, and chicken feed. Chalk should be placed near the feeder to ensure that the birds get enough calcium gluconate. The water in the drinker should always be clean so that the birds can quench their thirst.

The water in the drinker of birds must always be clean so that they can quench their thirst at the right time.

Expenses and income

Poultry farming is a fairly common type of farming; entrepreneurs raise chickens, geese, broilers. However, partridges are a rare agricultural business. Lack of competitors and high demand for poultry meat are the two main advantages of breeding partridges. And the minimum start-up capital against the background of high profits makes this business interesting and promising for aspiring entrepreneurs.

So let's calculate the costs of starting a business. The room can serve as a barn on the territory of a summer cottage or a country house; in order to build it, you will need to purchase lumber, slate and insulation. The cost of a small shed will amount to 30-40 thousand rubles, provided that it will be assembled by a hired person.

The purchase of 4-5 pairs of partridges will cost an entrepreneur 8-10 thousand rubles. The purchase of feed for a year will cost a businessman 15-18 thousand rubles, it will include compound feed, herbs and various bugs.

If you do not plan to take care of the partridges yourself, then you need to hire several assistants for 10-15 thousand per month. They will be engaged in feeding the birds and cleaning the premises, spending no more than 5 hours of their time per day.

Now about the income, the cost of a partridge egg is 15 rubles, at home each female can bring about 50 eggs in the first year. Consequently, 5 females will bring 250 eggs per year, 200 of which can be sent for sale, having rescued 3 thousand rubles.

The price per kilogram of partridge meat ranges from 900 to 1,000 rubles. In the first year, it will not be possible to sell meat, but from the second year the farmer will be able to sell meat in the amount of 50 to 100 thousand rubles, and annually income will only grow, along with the growth of the farm.

As we could see, breeding partridges is a promising and low-cost business. With a small investment, an entrepreneur will be able to receive a stable annual income after a couple of years. Therefore, if you have not yet decided where to start your business, then breeding partridges will be an excellent option for you.

Partridges are an excellent poultry, as they provide not only eggs, but also nutritious meat. At the same time, bird care is quite simple. Therefore, breeding partridges at home is considered a successful business. Below will be discussed the main points of keeping these birds in captivity.

This bird is small. An adult weighs approximately 350-600 g.

If we consider breeding partridges as a business, then the most important point will be choosing the right breed. Today the Pheasant family and the Partridge genus have three species:

Gray;
Central Asian. It is also called Tibetan;
Bearded.

Moreover, in each subfamily of the same name, there are about 20 different genera. Therefore, the choice of breeds for breeding is very extensive. Choosing this bird as a business object in Russia, it is necessary to make an allowance for the growing region and its climatic features. It is also necessary to rely on the product to be obtained. The meat and eggs of any partridge are considered a valuable product that is in demand among the population. Moreover, the meat yield from one individual will be small here. Therefore, in order to earn money on meat products, you need to maintain a large livestock of poultry. In order for the birds to gain weight well, they must be properly fed, which is not always possible for novice poultry farmers. But the egg from the partridge will almost always be. Therefore, most often this poultry is bred for the sake of eggs.

Most often in Russia, the gray partridge is grown. However, you can also find such a variety as chukar or stone partridge. But they are rare in households. For beginner poultry farmers, it is important that the birds are undemanding to the conditions of keeping and care. Therefore, in this case, you should choose exactly those breeds that need simple maintenance at home.

Birdhouse

Keeping any species of partridges at home requires a special room - a poultry house. It should be spacious, well-heated and bright. Its maximum height is 2–2.2 m (depending on the selected variety). In this case, the area of \u200b\u200bthe premises is determined depending on the livestock. One individual should have at least 0.5 sq. m of free territory.

There should be wide, shallow feeders inside the house. Also, the partridge should be able to swim in the sand, for which special baths are installed in the poultry house. Do not forget about drinking bowls, which should always contain clean and fresh water.

The bird can be housed in cages or kept in separate sections. Each cage or section should contain individuals of approximately the same age. During cold weather, litter is spread on the floor in the room where the birds are. It is made from hay or straw.

In addition, keeping at home necessarily implies poultry walking. For these purposes, you can make a special aviary with your own hands. It is usually assembled from wooden poles and beams. A nylon mesh is stretched between them, the cells of which should be 1x1 cm, which will avoid the situation of injury to the bird during takeoffs. Due to the fact that partridges fly well, the corral should be of a closed type. The aviary is being built with a height of 2 m. Its area is determined on the basis that for 1 adult bird there are 0.5-1 sq. m.

You need to know that this bird is bred in conditions that are as close to natural as possible. Moreover, this rule applies both inside the house and in the aviary.

To keep the partridge comfortable, shrubs and shelters (for example, sheaves of hay) should be installed in the enclosure.

At the same time, it is recommended to protect part of the house from bad weather. At the beginning of the room where the partridges will be kept, you need to install a vestibule. It will exclude the possibility of birds escaping while feeding them. Many experts advise against installing cages in the house. This is due to the fact that the bird is more likely to be stressed in its cages. Therefore, an egg from such a partridge may not be obtained.

The weight of any partridge directly depends on the correctness of the chosen diet. Birds should eat fully, balanced and varied. Only in this case will their meat be rich in nutrients. The following components are used to feed partridges:

cereals (lentils, millet, buckwheat, wheat, etc.), as well as sunflower seeds;
finely chopped vegetables and fruits (for example, pears, cabbage, plums, etc.);
fresh herbs (e.g. clover, nettle, etc.)

Various mineral fertilizers are poured into a separate feeder. Knowing what to feed the partridges, you can get them a good yield of meat products. As you can see, breeding and keeping this poultry variety is not very difficult. However, here you need to follow certain rules in order to get tasty meat and eggs from a partridge.

Features of growing chicks

Chicks of any partridge appear together. They are distinguished by their mobility. In the first days of their growth, the house should be warm (+30 degrees). Food at this time is given to them in pureed form 8 times a day. As they grow, the diet of the chicks changes somewhat. Gradually, the number of feedings is reduced to three times. The cultivation of any breed of partridge depends on the correct keeping and feeding of the chicks.

Prevention and treatment of diseases

To keep the birds from getting sick, the house should always be clean. Also, care should be organized at an optimal level. Partridges, which are bred at home, must eat well.

If the partridges are sick, the veterinarian should prescribe treatment. It necessarily includes vitamin therapy to boost immunity. Breeding partridge, whose meat and eggs are valued in the world, you can create a successful business, taking into account all the points described above.

Video "Gray partridge in the nursery"

In this video, you will hear a description of the gray partridge.

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