found partridge??

[littlepip]

So yesterday I was walking outside in the snow, (yes, snow!) and I came across a partridge. we don't own partridges! He's definitely a boy looking at his coloring, and didn't seem to mind when I picked him up. we have a hunting club back in the woods behind our barn, and I figured he came from there. usually the club raises game birds to shoot. He most likely got scared by something and flew over to our barn thinking it was his.
The little guy seemed cold, so I brought him inside the barn and set him up with some corn and a pail of water. I made a nest out of straw for him, and he seems to like it.
Any ideas on what partridges like to eat? Is corn ok? will he get along with my flock of ducks?

 

[ChickenLeg]

You probably could just give him some of your duck feed if you feed food with protein. Or some chicken or game bird feed. Im sure hed be happy with anything, corn just wont be enough protein. He'll live off it but Im sure he'd like some protein to keep him nice and healthy. Cheers

 

[007Sean]

You say you brought him inside the barn...did you just pick it up or herd it into the barn? If you just picked it up, I would be very suspicious that it was sick or injured!

You will want to feed it gamebird feed or a feed with 24% protien. Keep it in a dry location/pen. Keep drafts from blowing on it and of course clean, fresh water.
Gamebirds should not be raised with other poultry...especially ducks. Gamebirds can not tolerate wet, muddy conditions like ducks. Also, other poultry carry diseases that they can tolerate but will kill many of the commonly kept gamebirds.

 

[littlepip]

ok thanks. I've been keeping an eye on it. the partridge most likely flew to our barn out of fright, then thought our barn was his. the hunt club raises birds in barns with other poultry, and because of this Edward (the partridge) is somewhat domesticated.

I did pick it up. he seemed cold and VERY confused, so I don't think he was thinking straight when a giant hand grabbed him. He seems ok, has been eating, sleeping, running, calling, and of course pooping!

 

[Tony K T]

Can you post a pic?You say it's a boy by the coloring?Partridges both male and female look the same in most breeds.
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[Stepnout]

Is it safe to assume you are in the UK. I hear many hunt clubs and estates in the UK raise pheasant for hunts.could this be a female pheasant? A picture would help

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Unfortunately many places raise pheasants, than release them for hunting. They do it right around us too. Many have no clue how to feed themselves, and I'm pretty sure most die fairly quickly. My guess yours was probably grateful for your help.

 

[LamarshFish]

So yesterday I was walking outside in the snow, (yes, snow!) and I came across a partridge. we don't own partridges! He's definitely a boy looking at his coloring, and didn't seem to mind when I picked him up. we have a hunting club back in the woods behind our barn, and I figured he came from there. usually the club raises game birds to shoot. He most likely got scared by something and flew over to our barn thinking it was his.
The little guy seemed cold, so I brought him inside the barn and set him up with some corn and a pail of water. I made a nest out of straw for him, and he seems to like it.
Any ideas on what partridges like to eat? Is corn ok? will he get along with my flock of ducks?

I don't think an all corn diet is appropriate. Partridges need to be fed like any other game bird, a 22% min protein feed, which commercially is usually pelletized or crumbles. If you cannot find a true game bird feed (sometimes also called game bird and turkey feed), you can also use a non medicated meat bird pellet or crumble, as most are around 22% protein, and they also usually include some pre and pro biotics.

Do you know what kind of partridge it is? I would guess a hungarian, unless it is a chukar (also known as the red legged partridge). Try to find out which it is, because if it is a chukar, it will not survive if kept on the moist midwest dirt, there are some worms they can contract from that which will kill them--they need dry dirt like that in the high altitude, dry mountain west (like their native lands in the high deserts of the middle east), and because you don't have that in Minnesota, keep the bird raised up on something like 1/2" hardware cloth. My chukars are kept in a normal chicken coop, but with a built up raised hardware cloth floor, and they are almost 5 years old (ridiculous, mine are also game bird preserve rescues lol). I don't know a lot about Huns, so if it is a hun you should look up whether they need to be kept off of wet midwest dirt like the chuckars do.

As far as getting along with your ducks, I would say if it is a chukar, then do not mix it with any other bird. Chukars are absolute savages, they will kill or attack pretty much any other bird except its mate or covey mates they were raised with. Even unfamiliar other chukars, they will kill, and they will also eat them, they are cannibalistic I believe. Not sure if the same thing applies to Huns.

The hen chukars will lay eggs, about one per day starting in March going all the way to about October. If you pull them out they will keep laying, but if you don't they usually gather a clutch of about 12-14 eggs and try to set them, but even with a rooster they usually don't copulate in captivity for some reason, unlike other similar birds like quail. I had a pair for years, hen would lay, the eggs never hatched. We even tried incubating them in a normal incubator, they never hatched. Tasty eggs though, no different than a quail egg.

 

[Tony K T]

I still think pics will help.
In N.H.,Tony.