HELP! I don't understand...a pheasant or a partirdge or a chukar?

[rcentner]

I am feeling REALLY dumb right now and can't seem to get it...

Are pheasants, partridge and chukar the same thing? I can't seem to find out where the chukar belong in all this. I need to know so I can do research...my DH bought (unbeknownst to me) quail and chukars....now I thought Chukars were different kinds of quail but I have no idea why I thought that.
the only info I have is that I now have Chukars (4 of them), Cortunix and Gambrel and maybe a texas a & m (pretty white one that I have fallen in love with)
now I am trying to figure out what I need to feed them and how to house them. It's a cluster right now....according to my DH "just put em in with the chickens, they can eat chicken food"
I KNOW y'all feel that they shouldn't be kept together, but I have to treat these like HIS birds and let HIM realize what he has done. But in the meantime (while I am awaiting him to realize he needs to build them their own coops and runs) I need to be sure I am feeding and housing them as best I can.

 

[chickenzoo]

They are all different species. Game bird feed is best for them. I would not keep Chuckars or quail with chickens, they seem to be much more sensitive to illness. I know many that will not even raise Chuckars on the ground due to worms etc... Here in the South.Chuckars are a Partridge, but arenin the pheasant family. Texas A& M are more like the Cortinex quail, For the birds sake research should be done and proper care given. You don't feed cows meat and expect them to do well.... Nor do you give birds an inadequate diet and housing.
[=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chukar_Partridge][/]

 

[rcentner]

yea, I seem to be having a hard time getting good resources on caring for them....even on here. Thank you for your response! Is it harmful for my chickens to eat game bird food? I really want to be able to feed them all the same thing but I am working on making them a new house. (or making my DH build them a new house I mean, lol)

can I keep the Quail and Chukars together?

Wont the diseases be spread from the chicken coop to the quail area anyway? I would assume so....I doubt I can keep up with a strict "all in, all out" sort of policy when feeding and watering in the morning...I just can't see my self scrubbing in between handling chicken feed and quail feed at 5:30am in the dark and cold of winter and even now, besides the chickens have free ranged all over the yard.

Seriously, I don't want to be difficult, I realize I am not doing things perfect, but I am dealing with the cards I have been dealt

if it was up to me I would never have gotten these birds, but I have to try to make it work.

 

[gabrielle1976]

Quail can be kept in smaller pens like rabbit or whatever if you need to, Chuckers need there own space but thats about all I know about them. You could look into a all feed I sapose I heard its got protien somewhere in the middle of chicken and game bird but Im shure others will have more information. I kept my quail inside in small pens in trios with one roo and two hens, I would assume that the chuckers need a more chicken like pen but probly dont need as much room. Usually when people say animals shoudnt be together its a good idea to listen. shure save a little time and money now trying to throw everyone together but then end up loseing your birds and haveing to clean up dead stuff ect . In the end its usually better to just take the right steps in the begning. A 25 pound bag of game feed here is only like 11 or 12 dollers and it dsont sound like you have that many new birds it should last a while.

 

[chickenzoo]

Gamebird food is higher in protein. I wOuld not suggest it for the chickens as their sole diet. If you must feed all one feed, then chick starter is better than nothing for young birds.

 

[rcentner]

ok, off to get game starter then...
so no Chukars with the chickens either?
I have a bad feeling about this situation....I am not prepared to deal with this, I wonder if I can convince my DH to let me get rid of them before they die or get out of the chicken run. I say this because after I was on here I was looking out the window and discovered that one of the gambrel quail got out somehow. out of the roof where it is turkey netting prolly? I can't get him back nor can I get close enough to net him. My DH may feel differently about this when he comes home and hears we lost one already. He was hanging around the coop but after I took a shower and looked he was gone. I am very upset with the whole thing...my DH will not go to another auction with me or if he does...I am holding the bidder number at all times. Doesn't help he thinks I am nuts and put way too much into my birds.

so here I am looking like a bad mama trying to fix the situation he created

I just can't have 3 pens of birds...I already have too much on my hands with our 1 year old, if he wants to keep them I guess HE will have some birds to feed and care for cause I can't.

 

[ranit]

I am assuming these are adult birds? If so, they need around a 22% protein gamebird feed. I actually feed all my birds (quail, pheasants, peafowl and chickens) this. It doesn't hurt the chickens to have the higher protein, they just don't need it under normal circumstances so most people don't spend the extra $ it cost. I know some people who raise only chickens to show and they feed the higher protein because it helps keeps the feathers in tip top shape for showing the birds.

 

[rcentner]

I did not buy the 24% cause it was a super small bag! So I think what I got is 20%, labeled for chickens, quail, cukars and more..and no, the chukars are 10 wks old and the quail are adults (I think)
So far so good, that escaped quail is still hanging around the coop!! I almost had him yesterday and I am sure I will get him when I have help this weekend.
Thanks all for your help! DH is fixin up a dual sided rabbit like enclosure for them...I guess I can handle that