What to feed an adult chukar that has swollen feet and looks scruffy and undernourished

[Madravenspeak]

I just took in an adult chukar partridge from a neighbor who is dying of bone cancer. He has been feeding him like a chicken - lettuce and bread and birdseed and cracked corn and water. Is there a vitamin supplement I can buy ( and where?) and what can I add in? I gave him sunflower seed and he seems to like that. I offered him grapes and apple but he does not seem to be going for it - gave him some dark greens - not so much. He needs to be built back up so please give me solid advice of a variety of things I can help him with...and swollen feet!

Thanks.

 

[Tony K T]

He needs a good gamebird feed.No bird can resist mealworms.Too much lettuce is not good for birds,neither is bread on a daily basis.Cracked corn is not needed in warm months as it gives them a little heat,but should be added to feed diet in the cold months.Wow he is feeding them all wrong.Glad you saved him.
Can you post pics of swollen feet?Was he/she raised on wire?
In N.H.,Tony.

 

[Madravenspeak]

How about sunflower seed? And where do I find a "good game bird feed'? We have a Tractor Supply store and Farm and Fleet. I do not have the right photo program for my digital camera - so need to try to get that for transmitting pictures. Strawberries? I found an all bird dried fruit and seed treat ( expensive but I bought it ) at Walmart - just a small amount and put it in there. It is where the toes come together ( where all three join ) that looks puffy. Raisins (?) are toxic for some animals but he is not touching the grapes. The apple had a few stabs but nothing significant. No cantalope available. What does good game bird feed consist of? And where to find it? I am in Wisconsin where they kill any bird that moves - so they must have something to make it easy for them to attract birds. Doubt there are many chukars here outside of toss and shoot farms. Chukars are an unprotected bird so probably none left.

Also, is there a way to tell his or her sex? I was thinking I should look for a companion chukar for him or her. And what combination is best? I do not want to breed them just give him or her some like companionship. This is a rescue I hope if the bird can live.

Thanks.
Patricia

 

[deserthotwings]

Glad to hear that you rescued the Chukar. Theres not much to add since Tony has about said it all. If you have a good reliable feed store in your area they should carry either Purina Game Bird Chow or Meat Bird poultry food. Both have 26-30 percent protein and that's about all that any game bird requires outside of occasional treats like meal worns and kale "no more lettuce". He needs good high protein feed and no more "junk food". Chukar Partridge are native birds to the desert southwest USA and some middle eastern countries. They are not native to Wisconsin or anywhere close to it. He probably originally came from some game breeder in your area or he escaped from a shooting preserve. He should come out ok once he gets on a good diet. Good luck and keep us posted on his progress.

 

[Bob White quail]

Yeah he problem has been keeped on wire and that can rely damages there feet if you have a little spot in your yard you should make him a little pen mabey 4 by 4 feet put a small bush and a branch so he can have a perch and yahe you can give him corn,soybeans in the cold months and even wild bird seed right now. and the reason he might be ruffled is because he might be old or he is stressed out he know some things wrong with the guy you got him from I have quail and they tell when I am herat or sad the make very cheerful noises and funny things. good luck

 

[Madravenspeak]

No - he is in about a 3 foot by four foot wire cage with newspapers and a wooden box partially enclosed in the front - and he likes to stand on the box but does not use the perch. He likes sunflower seeds - is that ok? Does not seem to go for grapes or apple or not much for the cracked corn though I will give him some through the winter. I keep my house 52 - 54 degrees at night and 62 degrees in the day in winter - so he may be warm enough?

As for sexing - I think it is inhumane for him to be all alone but do not know what sex he ( she ) is and which sex gets along with which if you are not breeding them for torture and gobbling them up as a commodity ( YE_UCH) We are the most cruel species on the planet.

 

[Bob White quail]

If he (she) is a male he will have spurs like big claw the comes out of the back of the leg. Aad depending on where you live if it is warm you should take the cage he is in right now and set it outside so he can get some fresh air and bugs I have bobwhite quail of course and when they were young the had a cage like that size and they loved it when I put grass in there if you have some long grass like the weed like grass trim some of that off with the seed part on and that will give the bird some thing to do. I f it has no spurs it is a hen if it has spurs it is cock and yeah that might be goo idea to get another one but if you have a pair you might end up with chicks. but if you get a pair depending on how much yard you have to could make a small outdoor pen for in the summer and spring and when it starts to get cold the bring them back in if you make a pen you should make it about 6 but 5 feet plant some sort of tree or bush like a cedar or even raspberries
let the grass grow up in the pen and if you want make a shed so they can come in side and if you have a a christmas tree put that in there they will like to climb in and on it and if you have cold months and just want to leave them out get some hay or straw and they will nest it and gives them some thing to do and if you think you will have a problem will critter digging in barry some wire about 18 in ground and use cedar posted for the posted it takes longer for them to rot and gives it a natural element. and if you are feeling generous buy a woodpecker feeder and some suit blocks and give them a fatty treat in the cold months and bird seed like the corn sunflower niger seed or buy some corn and mix if you feed him a cup a day mixe 3/4 cup of sun flowers with 1/4 corn and after he started eating that give half sunflower seed and half corn or what I give my quail get the purina game bird crumble. but as for the feet KEEP THE BIRD OFF WIRE but you seem to be doing a good job you can email me back at this place or at the email address by the way I am only 12 years old


[email protected]12.wi.us

 

[Madravenspeak]

Thank you SOOO much. It is so cool that you are 12 and giving advice to give the Chukar more enrichment and things to do. That is why I really would like to give him or her a companion. I will take a good look at his legs to see if there are spurs. And I am on my way to my cousin's farm for some straw and hay for a doe - so will grab some for the Chukar. I intend to fence BIG fencing for adopting black bear cubs or coyote pups or fox kits or whoever I can find that needs a home to educate the public about how wonderful these animals are because they are being killed for sport in Wisconsin. So maybe when we are doing that intensive fencing in the spring, I can find a place to put the Chukar outside. We also have a crow who was hit by a snow plow and had his wing amputated so cannot be released to freedom. Very frustrating for a crow.

Thanks a lot. I will probably need more advice and am off to get some mealy worms and "game bird" feed though this guy will never be a commodity for human use - just another beautiful manifestation of LIFE!

 

[Bob White quail]

I am happy that you love animals so much it makes me fell good that you take care of have such a good home you live in Wisconsin right if you are close to Green bay I know someone that has chukars if you find out what gender the bird is I will buy you another one for a pair and don't worry you don't have to pay me back I like animals and especially game birds and I would love to see pics f the chukar and good luck with all the animals you have !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bob White quail]

Cool you get to take care of a deer that seems like that would be fun love to to see pics of that animal to I went deer shining last night and saw 63 deer but not one of them was reel close so that has to be fun