HI! Help! I found a Chukar!

[eggandbean]

I live in Coos Bay Oregon where we have no 'feral' chukars. Found her/him in the city more or less but near a park. Have space for her, half a garage, 18 x 15 x 8 ft high enclosure and a large low-ish grass enclosure. Dug around and figured out food. Since these are such social birds should I get another chukar? I've heard they can be aggressive so I'm a bit concerned. Found someone 2 hourrs away who has chukars and will sell me one but won't take mine. Any suggestions? THANKS SO MUCH!

 

[007Sean]

Here are a few of the bird. Her/his shoulder looks like more feathers may come out. Picture of feet is because I've readthat only the males have spurs, and I've read that only the females have spurs. Hester (Hector?) has no spurs so this means it's a.....??

Chuckers and other partridges don't have what would be called a normal spur, it's more of a bump. And yes, both sexes can have bumps. Sometimes it's very hard to tell if there is a bump or not.

 

[eggandbean]

You will definitely want more than 1 if you’re going to keep this one. You just have to introduce by look but no touch same as other birds and then see how they do when breeding season arrives as it’s very difficult to determine gender in chukars

Alright...ignorant here about birds except for a parakeet when I was younger! Have a super large wire dog crate. Should I put newbie in there? For how long, and what are the behavioral signs I should watch out for when they see each other that might give me a clue as to whether they will be OK together or Not?
And, do they need heat if it dips near freezing? And, Thank you thank you thank you!

 

[muddy75]

Alright...ignorant here about birds except for a parakeet when I was younger! Have a super large wire dog crate. Should I put newbie in there? For how long, and what are the behavioral signs I should watch out for when they see each other that might give me a clue as to whether they will be OK together or Not?
And, do they need heat if it dips near freezing? And, Thank you thank you thank you!

They do not need heat and dog crate should be fine for introduction. Shouldn’t have much trouble this time of year as the mainly have aggression tendencies during breeding season. The just need gamebird food, fresh water and a secure enclosure with hideaways to get out of weather. Mine also liked to roost on top of my little coop that I keep in the aviary. They also enjoyed a hanging head of cabbage to peck at.

 

[eggandbean]

They do not need heat and dog crate should be fine for introduction. Shouldn’t have much trouble this time of year as the mainly have aggression tendencies during breeding season. The just need gamebird food, fresh water and a secure enclosure with hideaways to get out of weather. Mine also liked to roost on top of my little coop that I keep in the aviary. They also enjoyed a hanging head of cabbage to peck at.

Thanks all, for all the help! I can find virtually NO practical info on these guys...I've found a lot about raising them in bulk, natural environment etc but have so many questions. It rains here for months in the winter. I have an enclosed grassy outdoor area where Hester the chukar can go but will the ground moisture get her sick? Also, she (he/she, don't know!) is losing some feathers, 2, 3 inches long, and this is new as of yesterday. I've found three. Should I be concerned? I'm just trying to give this bird a good quality of life here so any help would be wonderful! I am etting another bird for her/hum after Thanksgiving.

 

[artbykarenehaley]

As for food, I would look into Purina's game bird feeds. The starter and breeder feeds are what I feed my button quail, and the bag has a chart with recommend feed for different species of game birds with chukar included.
It recommends feeding them flight conditioner feed until they begin to lay eggs, then switching to the game bird Breeder Layena.

 

[muddy75]

Thanks all, for all the help! I can find virtually NO practical info on these guys...I've found a lot about raising them in bulk, natural environment etc but have so many questions. It rains here for months in the winter. I have an enclosed grassy outdoor area where Hester the chukar can go but will the ground moisture get her sick? Also, she (he/she, don't know!) is losing some feathers, 2, 3 inches long, and this is new as of yesterday. I've found three. Should I be concerned? I'm just trying to give this bird a good quality of life here so any help would be wonderful! I am etting another bird for her/hum after Thanksgiving.

Chukars are very adaptable as there are wild populations in many areas of the country. The feather loss could be from molt or stress of being alone or just new environment. I wouldn’t worry too much just yet. You are welcome to post pictures of your setup for additional advice.

 

[muddy75]

I live in Coos Bay Oregon where we have no 'feral' chukars. Found her/him in the city more or less but near a park. Have space for her, half a garage, 18 x 15 x 8 ft high enclosure and a large low-ish grass enclosure. Dug around and figured out food. Since these are such social birds should I get another chukar? I've heard they can be aggressive so I'm a bit concerned. Found someone 2 hourrs away who has chukars and will sell me one but won't take mine. Any suggestions? THANKS SO MUCH!

You will definitely want more than 1 if you’re going to keep this one. You just have to introduce by look but no touch same as other birds and then see how they do when breeding season arrives as it’s very difficult to determine gender in chukars

 

[Weeg]

Congrats on your find! I know nothing about Chuckars, but I hope I can offer some help!
You'll definitly want to get at least 1 more Chuckar for your current one. 2 is even better. 2 birds is a pare, 3 birds is a flock. Plus if you loose one for any reason, you wont end up with a lone bird.
The first think your gonna want to do is find some food. I have no idea what you might want to feed since I have never owned Chukars, but usually feed stores such as TSC carry feed for chickens and ducks. No idea if they will have feed for a Chuckar, but hopefully someone more experienced will pipe in soon.

Have a super large wire dog crate. Should I put newbie in there?

A ire dog crate would work well, but keep in mind that it can take multiple weeks for birds to become accustomed to each other, so something very large like a dog run may be a better option because of the amount of space.
There really isn't anything specific to watch for. At first they will be very curious, and that will wear off eventually. I always wait at least a week, but it can take more time than that. As long as one or the other isn't acting to interested in, or aggressive towards the other through the fence, you should be good as long as they've had time to adjust.

And, do they need heat if it dips near freezing?

Like I said above I know nothing about Chuckars, but I know that other poultry such as chickens and ducks do not. Heat is never necessary unless it gets past -20 degrees. As long as your coop is ventilated correctly, and draft free, heat isn't necessary. Its actually a hazard for the birds and the coop.
Again not sure if this is the same for Chuckars as it is for other poultry.

 

[eggandbean]

Thank you!
Here's the set up. First 2 are enclosed outdoor, cement slab, she likes the mirror and the tub is full of sand because I read that it is how they bathe in the wild. Next one is chickenwire grassy area tricked out with rocks and driftwood. Last is inside "coop" where currently she/he spends most time. I close her/him in at night because we have raccoons and they can get into anything, bt not a closed garage door!