First time Chukar raiser, needs help

[jjchick]

Spring has finally come. I have anxiously awaited for my first Spring with my chukars for the last year. Around 12 months ago I purchased 10 chukars, in order to start breeding them for my personnal pleasure. Now the time has come. I have spent the last year reading up on them but I still have tons of questions, so I would like some advice from you all first hand. I live in southern Quebec, close to the Northern Vermont border,

1-) Taking in account my weather climat, if I stay natural and supply no extra light, when can I expect them to start laying?

2-) They are currently on turkey grower, because gamebird feed is not available in my area. Will this be OK during breeding time?

3-) I have heard that they will lay anywhere. They are currrently loose in the aviary/coop. Would I be better to put them in cages? Or will the stress of trying to catch them kill them?

4-)If I choose to leave them loose, what kind of nests can I provide for them? And how to I encourage them to use the nests?

5-) If I intend to butcher the chicks in the fall, do I keep them in cages until its time or do I let them loose in the aviary (when they are old enough)

6-) Any tips on trying to sex them?

 

[kikescove.com]

I would guess mid to late April for your climate. Providing you aren't experiencing anything way out of the ordinary. I say that becasue we are facing El Nino here in the PNW and that is causing everything to go early. I do not raise my birds on the wire, but in well planted pens. They nes on the ground where they feel they have cover. Chukars are notorious for scattering their eggs about. Are you letting them hatch them out or will you incubate? I doubt you would stress them to a point of killing them by capturing them, so that will depend on what you want to do with them. Gotta to go to work, so will be back to see what else I can answer.

 

[JJMR794]

sex them by the spurs--- males will have bigger spurs, females will have little or none...