I have had horrible experiences with chukar in the past - which, I'll admit, was more my fault than the birds (I found out they will hit cage tops and kill themselves when they are young, and when you put them in a rabbit cage tall enough to keep them safe, that at a month old they can squeeze out of the bars and show up in random places in the yard - like your porch or near your satisfied cats, that they are cannibalistic, are always high strung, etc and so forth).
But they're so pretty. And while reading pheasant information in this folder I keep checking out chukar articles, too. Just for fun. Not because I would ever want one again. Ever.
Last night I picked up a trio of chukar by accident after going out to meet up with someone about something totally different, not wanting it, and seeing the little zebra birds instead. I had already driven that far so...
Now I have questions about my new trio of chukar.
I've searched the BYC forum for any answers, found a lot of great information, but wasn't able to find this. Any help would be great.
I was told these chukar are around 2.5 years old and laid this spring and that there is one male and two females in the batch. Right now they are in a wire cage, but I plan on moving them out into a large covered pen.
1. How long do chukar lay?
2. How long do chukar lay _well_? As in the 40-50~ egg range?
3. How long do they live in captivity? This seems to vary from five years because they will keel over from the slightest disease, to 15 years according to one article.
4. Can chukar live in the same pen as pheasants? I have Jumbo Ringnecks in this pen and since the chukar will be eating the same food, I'd like to house them together.
5. Do I genuinely need a colony of around 20 birds to get the most out of chukars? Do I at least need one more trio? I use "need" in the sense of "Is that what would make them the most comfortable?".
But they're so pretty. And while reading pheasant information in this folder I keep checking out chukar articles, too. Just for fun. Not because I would ever want one again. Ever.
Last night I picked up a trio of chukar by accident after going out to meet up with someone about something totally different, not wanting it, and seeing the little zebra birds instead. I had already driven that far so...
Now I have questions about my new trio of chukar.
I've searched the BYC forum for any answers, found a lot of great information, but wasn't able to find this. Any help would be great.
I was told these chukar are around 2.5 years old and laid this spring and that there is one male and two females in the batch. Right now they are in a wire cage, but I plan on moving them out into a large covered pen.
1. How long do chukar lay?
2. How long do chukar lay _well_? As in the 40-50~ egg range?
3. How long do they live in captivity? This seems to vary from five years because they will keel over from the slightest disease, to 15 years according to one article.
4. Can chukar live in the same pen as pheasants? I have Jumbo Ringnecks in this pen and since the chukar will be eating the same food, I'd like to house them together.
5. Do I genuinely need a colony of around 20 birds to get the most out of chukars? Do I at least need one more trio? I use "need" in the sense of "Is that what would make them the most comfortable?".
