Scientific name: Perdix perdix
Other common names: Gray Partridge; Hungarian Partridge; English Partridge
The Grey Partridge has been widely regarded for its tolerance of open, dry, even cold climates that don't offer much game possibilities from other species. As a result, it has been introduced to the northern United States, along the Canadian border, and into Canada, where it seems to be thriving in flat agricultural lands that wouldn't be usable by native species. Despite the success of these introductions, it is worth noting that many people consider Grey Partridges to be a challenging bird to breed in captivity.
Like all partridges, these birds are tasty, making them attractive to poachers as well as to legal hunters. With potentially millions of birds remaining in the wild, they are not threatened with extinction of the species, but they have been eliminated in some areas and may now be extinct in Portugal and Liechtenstein. One subspecies has already been lost through hybridization with another.
Grey Partridges have a vaguely chicken-like profile, with strong legs that allow them to run on the ground. As the name suggests, these birds are mostly gray, with a mostly rust-colored head. Both male and female boast reddish or chestnut streaks on the flank, but the males possess a deep chestnut belly patch, which is much smaller or even absent altogether in the females.
325 - 600 grams (11.5 - 21 oz.)
2 - 5 years
Grey Patridges are reasonably tough partridges, but they are susceptible to the diseases that might impact any ground-nesting bird, especially one kept in a more crowded environment. Keep them and their home scrupulously clean. They can be especially susceptible to blackhead, a protozoan that causes kidney and liver damage. They can also pick up worms or Coccidiosis if they are not kept on a clean, dry floor. Larger operations have sometimes found it more practical to raise them on wire, although such a setting detracts somewhat from the beauty of the bird. Get a referral to a good avian or poultry veterinarian for the most up-to-date information.
Behavior / temperament:
In the wild, the handsome Grey Partridge has a reputation for being evasive and a challenge to the hunter. In captivity, they have also been known for being fast-flying birds that make escapes. Plan their housing accordingly. Many people report that their Grey Partridges are rather testy birds that need to be kept in pairs during the breeding season, to avoid fighting among themselves. Even trios of one male to two females have been problematic for some keepers.
Housing / diet:
How you house your Grey Partridges somewhat depends on their purpose. A pair or a single pet Grey Patridge can do just fine in a secure outdoor aviary, as long as this tasty bird is protected from potential predators. Birds raised for meat, eggs, or exhibition may be housed in cages in a well-ventilated birdroom or else in pens with some access to the outdoors. The pens may be more practical, since each pair will appreciate at least six by three feet of floor space. It is worth noting that if you start with very young birds, you must have rounded corners in the cage or brooder, not square ones. For whatever reason, young Grey Partridges are infamous for crowding into corners, smothering some of the birds.
Grey Partridges are frequently raised for hunting programs. These birds will need special pens, with plenty of space and cover, to allow them to acclimate to the weather and to develop their powers of flight. Partridges are tasty birds, so they also need to be protected from a large number of predators, from snakes to raccoons to various hawks and eagles. It is strongly recommended that you work with a more advanced hobbyist or even a professional breeder to make sure that you are providing a good habitat for your birds. If you free range your birds, learn how from an expert, or else you may just be putting out a food table for your local raptors.
Grey Partridges are adaptable foragers who seem to thrive on seeds and grains found in agricultural fields. The backbone of the diet is a high quality game bird or turkey crumble, but it should be supplemented with seeds (milky or sprouted as well as dry), chopped greens including deep green lettuces and chickweed, and chopped small fruit such as cherry tomatoes, grapes, and wild or cultivated berries. Clean water should be available to them at all times.
Written by Elaine Radford
classic game birds, heather uplands
Grey Partridge, Starting with the Breed
The grey partridge is one of the classic game birds of moorland and heather uplands of Britain. They are often reared in large numbers by game-keepers for hunting.
I have reared partridge on a fairly large scale as a game bird. But I will also admit to having a soft spot for this bird. If you have ever been lucky enough to see a female partridge with a line of fluffy little chicks snaking behind her on a sunny spring day, you will know exactly what I mean.
The partirdge is a relative of the peasant and this means that the birds an be reared on a large sale using similar management techniques. If you are starting out with grey partridges then you have a problem. Intensively farm-reared birds (which are the only ones you can buy) have been raised in completely unnatural conditions and have absolutely no brooding or rearing instincts. You can use them for breeding and you will get viable eggs. But it is much better to have bantam hens and to use these, when they begin to get broody to incubate the chicks.
Once hatched, keep them inside until they are strong enough then you can move them to covered rearing pens over grass (keep the 'mother' bantam with them). Make certain there is enough straw in the pen for them to hide in (they do not have the Latin name Perdix 'fearful' for nothing). After a few weeks you can start to let them out. You are dependent on the bantam during this time to help tech them how to forage. Just make certain that the coop you keep them in is over grass and supplement with mealworms and chicken feed.
Of you just want to establish a population where you are then just let them out with feeders, water and plenty of straw for hiding places nearby. They will start to form a colony. As long as you have food and shelter (and the bantam) in the coop they will return.
After about 6 weeks you have a decision to make. You can either release them into a large penned area, like pheasants or you can release into the wild.
No matter what, you cannot make partridges into house pets. They need their space and their places to hid and they need to start their own territory. But if you have enough land you can keep a few breeding pairs in a fenced-in area as long as there is enough food and cover in there. They are game birds of moorland and heathland, so if the cover afforded is bracken or heather, all the better..
From DLlE Sep 2 2012 2:51PM