Introduction
Raising Red-legged partridge, commonly
referred to as the "chukar," can be an enjoyable
hobby, or if properly managed, a profitable
business.
Many bird fanciers consider the chukar one of
the easiest game birds to raise in captivity, espe-
cially when it is raised on wire to minimize
disease problems.
Initially introduced into California in the
early 1930s to help supply birds for hunting
recreation, the chukar partridge in recent years
has gained popularity as a gourmet food. The
texture and taste of cooked partridge compares
favorably with that of the Bobwhite quail.
With modern techniques it is possible to raise
chicks during any season, thus producing a mar-
ketable product all year. This has definite
monetary advantages for the producer who can
more efficiently utilize his growing facilities. It
is still recommended, however, that managers
establish dependable markets before venturing
into business on a large scale.
Distribution
The Red-legged partridge familiar to most
game bird fanciers in the United States is thought
to be a composite (hybrid) of several subspecies
of the genus Alectoris originating from central
Asia. There are at least 13 subspecies of Red-
legged or rock partridge that look alike yet have
unique traits that identify them with their re-
spective habitats.
The chukar partridge recently reclassified by
some taxonomists as belonging to the species
chukar, is presently identified as Alectoris
chukar chukar. This subspecies was first liber-
ated in California in about 1932; 20 years later
some 53,000 birds had been released in all but
four counties. As a result of these releases,
chukars are established in the desert and semi-
arid regions of northern and southern California
where yearly precipitation rarely exceeds 10
inches. The bird has been successfully estab-
lished in other western states including Nevada,
Washington, Oregon, Utah, Montana, Wyom-
ing, Idaho and Arizona.
Use of the term chukar in this leaflet is synon-
ymous with the Red-legged partridge, Alectoris
chukar chukar.
Description
The chukar can best be identified by the black
band running across the forehead through the
eyes, down the neck, and meeting as a gorget,
between the white throat feathers and upper
breast. The lower breast and back are generally
ash-gray. Feathers on the flanks are gray at the
base and have two black bands at the tip, giving
the appearance of numerous bands of black bars
flanking the side. The bill, legs and feet of both
sexes are orange-red.
Sex Determination
There is no obvious feather color dimorphism
in chukars. Consequently, sexing adult birds for
the untrained eye is most difficult. However, it
is possible to distinguish adult males from female
by body size, shape of the head (blocky appear-
ance in males) (figure 1 ) and presence of the
metatarsal spur (which can be present on some
females).
A more reliable technique for determining
sexes in partridges was developed by University
of California workers who found that examin-
ing the genital protuberance for evidence of a
rudimentary sex organ is about 9 5 percent ac-
curate for determining differences in sex. In
adult males the cone-shaped protuberance is
usually centrally located on the cloacal fold
Cooperative Extension
Division of Agricultural Sciences
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
LEAFLET 21321e
Figure 1. Side profile of the male (top) and female
(bottom). Compare the shape and size of the head.
(figure 2a). In females it is absent or two small
nodules appear off-center of the mid-region of
the fold (figure 2b). The rudimentary protuber-
ance, averaging about 2 .78 mm in diameter, is
easier to see on older birds.
Characteristics of the Chukar Egg
Partridge eggs are uniformly yellowish-white
in color, with numerous speckles of brown, of
varying sizes and shapes, appearing over most
of the shell. Eggs weigh from 16 to 25 g (average
about 2 1 g), are oblong in shape, and are an
average 4 2 mm long and 31 mm wide. Egg shell
thickness is about 0 .228 mm and shell mem-
branes about 0.047 mm. The wet proportion of
shell, yolk and albumen to total egg weight are
15.2 percent, 35.0 percent and 49.8 percent,
respectively.
E g g Care
The critical period for most hatching eggs is
the time from lay to actual setting in the incuba-
tor. Eggs should be gathered at least four times a
day and more frequently during extreme heat or
cold. Eggs must not be exposed for long periods
of time to ambient temperatures below 40° F
(4.4 ° C) and in excess of 80° F (26.7 ° C). Ideally
a uniform temperature of 55° F to 60° F should
be provided.
Proper use of nest boxes for floor-managed
breeders will greatly reduce the number of
heavily soiled eggs harvested. Slightly soiled
eggs can be cleaned with a fine-grained abrasive
pad. However, for managers who prefer to
wash all hatching eggs, a correct procedure
must be followed. Eggs must never be washed in
water colder than the temperature of the egg. A
wash water temperature of 1 1 0 ° to 120 ° F
(43.3 ° to 48.9° C ) is recommended for most
eggs and a detergent-sanitizer (any of the chlor-
ine-based disinfectants)1 added to reduce egg
shell contamination. Not more than 200 eggs
should be washed in one gallon of wash water.
Immersion time should not exceed 3 minutes,
Figure 2. Eversion of the cloaca to show rudimentary genital protuberance of the male (2a) and its absence in the
female (2b).
1. Refer to U.C. Extension Leaflet 2629, Hatchery and
Hatching Egg Sanitation, for further information on egg
washing procedure. 2
and eggs should be thoroughly dry before being
stored.
Egg Storage
Clean eggs should be stored, large end up, on
trays or flats in a cool, well ventilated room
kept at about 55° F ( 12 .8 ° C) at a relative
humidity of 70 percent. A unique feature of par-
tridge eggs is their ability to withstand storage
up to 2 8 days without appreciably affecting
hatchability (table 1). However, most breeders
prefer to set eggs every 7 days. Further studies
at the University of California show that eggs
need not be turned daily if the storage period
does not exceed 14 days (table 2).
TABLE 1. Influence of Length of Storage Time
on Hatchability of Game Bird Eggs.
Hatchability(%)
Holding period
(days) Chukar Pheasant Coturnix
1-7 78.4 58.1 57.4
8-14 77.1 41.7 60.0
15-21 79.4 17.6 25.7
22-28 66.0 7.1 14.4
29-35 37.7 0.0 4.2
36-42 22.3 0.0 0.0
TABLE 2. Effect of Turning Eggs During Storage
on Hatchability in Game Bird Eggs.
Hatchability (%)
Holding Chukar Coturnix
period
(days) Turned* Control Turned* Control
1-7 63.0 75.5 61.4 53.4
8-14 60.8 62.0 60.0 60.0
15- 21 61.9 48.0 29.2 22.6
22-28 62.2 52.2 1 1 . 5 17.2
Average 61.9 59.4 40.5 38.3
*Eggs were turned through 90° twice a day during the hold
period.
Hatching
For the beginner, it is advisable to purchase
eggs from a well-established reputable game
bird producer who can provide a product (rea-
sonably) free of disease. A number of large
breeders in the United States provide good sale-
able stock or eggs. Contact your local farm ad-
visor or Department of Fish and Game for more
information on sources of stock.
The hatchery room should be well ventilated
and temperature maintained at about 75 ° F
(23.9° C). For sanitary reasons, the hatcher
should be kept in a separate room from the incu-
bators. Walls should be constructed of, or treated
with, a water-impervious material. Concrete
floors should slope to central drains for ease of
cleaning.
Incubation
One of the most important investments you
must make is the purchase of an incubator large
enough to maintain accurate control of temper-
ature ( ± .25° F or 0 . 15 ° C) and humidity ( ±
1.0° F or 0 .56° C). Other essential features in-
clude automatic turning of eggs and forced air
movement.
Commercial incubators for poultry can be
modified to accommodate game bird eggs. Con-
tact a representative from any commercial
incubator manufacturer for information about
different models and select the one most suitable
for your needs.
The incubator should be thoroughly cleaned
and fumigated before eggs are placed in the
machine. One popular fumigant used is formal-
dehyde gas, the product generated by mixing 60
grams (2 ¼ ounces) of potassium permanganate
with 120 cubic centimeters (½ cup) of a com-
mercial 37 percent formaldehyde solution for
each 100 cubic feet (2.83 cubic meters) of space
to be fumigated. Pour the formaldehyde over
the potassium permanganate in an earthenware
or enamelware container. Circulate the gas for
20 minutes with a fan, and then expel the gas
from the fumigation room or cabinet.2
When eggs are to be fumigated, be sure to
place them on trays large end up in the incuba-
tor that will allow adequate gas circulation for
all of them (figure 3).
The incubation period for chukar eggs is about
24 days (the range is 23 to 25 days), depending
upon age and line of stock used. The dry-bulb
and wet-bulb temperature used successfully at
Davis for both incubation and hatching is a dry-
bulb of 99.5° F (37.5° C), and a wet-bulb of 86
to 87° F (30.0 ° to 30.5° C), respectively. Eggs
are transferred to the hatcher on the 19th or
20th day of incubation.
2. Formaldehyde solution (formalin) is highly irritating.
Follow precautions on the container label. Wear goggles,
respirator, long-sleeved shirt and liquid-proof gloves when
handling the fumigant. If the fumigant chamber is within
another room. he sure the outside room is well ventilated. If
the chemical solution spills on you, wash it off immediately.
3
Figure 3. Chukar eggs set large end up on a tray
adapted for Jamesway incubators.
Embryo Mortality
A sampling of hatching eggs from each setting
should be candled on the seventh or eighth day
to check flock fertility and for other problems
that can be detected when “clear”-appearing
eggs are opened and examined for failure to
develop.
There are two peaks of embryo mortality for
chukar eggs (figure 4). The first peak occurs
between 3 to 5 days of incubation and most
mortality is due to a failure to form embryonic
structures or to a defect in embryonic and extra-
embryonic organs and tissues.
The second and largest peak in mortality is
generally associated with several critical func-
tions occurring from the 20th to 24th day. These
functions include: change in position of the em-
bryo before pipping; utilization of the remain-
ing albumen; absorption of the yolk sac, and
change from allantoic to pulmonary respiration.
Figure 4. Embryo mortality curve for the chukar.
4
Brooding
The average brooding chukar chick weighs
about 13 to 14 grams at hatch. Although amply
covered with down feathers at hatch, it is basi-
cally an incomplete homoiotherm. It requires
supplemental heat for several weeks until its
own temperature regulatory mechanism is fully
established.
Chicks can be brooded successfully in multi-
deck batteries (figure 5) or on the floor (figure
6). Most commercial chicken batteries, with
some modification to the floors, feeders and
waterers, can accommodate the smaller partridge
chicks. To reduce hock injury the floor area
immediately beneath the heating element
should be covered with a commercial poly-
ethylene matting (poly-mesh) having ¼ -inch
spacing.3 The matting is durable and can be
washed and reused for several years. The birds
should be moved into more permanent growing
cages or pens at 6 weeks.
Floor brooding is generally considered the
most economical way to start chicks. The size
and style of brooding facility will vary among
regions of the United States. The procedure,
however, is much the same, involving a separate
enclosed room, preferably with insulated walls
Figure 5. Commercial five-deck game bird battery.
Waterers and feeders are located inside unit for the
first week, then are moved to outside.
3. The polyethylene matting is normally used in Iabora-
tories hut can he cut and adapted for use as matting for
brooders. For further information contact Cole-Parmer In-
strument Company, 7425 North Oak Park Avenue, Chicago,
Illinois 60648.
and ceiling, and heat is provided by gas or elec-
tric hovers. Some managers use a raised wire-
floor system, allowing fecal material to fall
through the wire floor where it accumulates
below and is later removed mechanically. One
Pennsylvania grower uses a vinyl-coated wire
(¼ x ½ inch) that covers the entire floor area
of the brooding compartment. This floor type
greatly minimizes the incidence of foot trouble.
The vinyl mesh is also easy to clean (figure 7).
Floor brooding requires the use of a suitable
surface, preferably cement; with adequate floor
drains for cleanup. Use a litter that can absorb
moisture, serve as an insulation barrier between
bird and floor, and be economical in price. The
use of a draft shield, a cardboard circle placed
around the hover, is optional, especially when
attraction lights are used on the hover.
The capacity of the hover will determine how
many birds can be kept in each unit. A rule of
thumb is to allow 1 square foot per 5 chicks for
the first 2 weeks, then reduce it to 3 birds per
square foot to 6 weeks of age.
Figure 6. Floor brooding chukars, using a pancake
hover and draft shield.
Figure 7. Wire-floor brooding, using a ¼ x ½ inch
vinyl-coated wire floor. Approximately 600 chicks
are started in each 12 x 12 foot room. Four 1-gallon
water jars and 4 feederlids are used to start the chicks.
The pit below the floor is enclosed to conserve heat.
-Photo courtesy of Mahantongo Game Farm, Pillow,
Penn.
For the first week of brooding use a one-gallon
fount (jar) for each 200 chicks. Thereafter, the
chicks can be given access to automatic water-
ers. However, make the transition from fount to
automatic waterer a gradual one.
Chicks should be allowed from ¾ to 1 inch of
feeder space per bird. To stimulate eating, place
paper plates containing chick starter near hover;
this do in addition to supplying feed in regular
chick feeders.
Some recommended procedures for complet-
ing a successful brooding season include:
1 . Brooder area or chick battery to be thorough-
ly cleaned and disinfected before arrival of
chicks.
2. Start up hovers or battery heating units at
least 4 hours before arrival of chicks. Check
hover or battery thermometers for accuracy and
use a starting temperature of 95° F (35 ° C) and
decrease the temperature 5° F (2.8 ° C) each
week until the fourth week at which time fur-
ther supplemental heat is not needed.
3. Be certain that the brooding area is ventil-
ated enough to avoid ammonia buildup. If odor
of ammonia can be detected, then additional air
movement in the room is needed.
4. Drinking founts should be cleaned and re-
filled daily until birds are switched to an auto-
matic watering system. Keep litter dry around
drinking founts.
5. Start the birds on a chick diet containing
about 2 8 percent protein. Commercially pre-
pared turkey starter diets can be fed to most
game birds with satisfactory results. Conserve
feed by not over-filling feed hoppers.
6. Check chicks daily for cannibalism or sick-
ness. Remove dead birds immediately and dis-
pose of them in a sanitary manner (preferably an
incinerator or deep pit).
Growing Chukars
Past experience has shown that birds do best
when kept off the ground in wire-floor flight
pens. Chukars are very susceptible to blackhead
(a condition caused by a protozoan parasite that
attacks the liver and ceca) coccidiosis, and
worms, including crop, cecal and intestinal vari-
eties, that can cause severe mortality in ground
managed birds.
The growing pens can be separate from the
brooder house or attached to it in such a manner
as to allow the upper end of the flight pen to be
5
6
Figures 8a and 8b. Wire-floor flight pens for growing birds. Each section measures 12 feet x 100 feet. Feeders and
waterers are located at each end of the pen under cover.-Photo courtesy of Mabantongo Game Farm, Pillow,
Penn.
a sunporch and used by the chicks from the sec-
ond week of age on.
Flight pens can vary in size, but should be
long enough to make flight possible. A pen size
frequently used is one that is about 12 feet wide
by 100 feet long (figures 8a and 8b). The wire-
floor and partitions are covered with 1-inch
mesh. The top-wire should be a 2-inch mesh
especially in areas where snow is a common
winter product. A product frequently used as
top-netting, in place of poultry netting, is a syn-
thetic product called “Toprite” made of olefin
fibers. The product is manufactured in 2 sizes,
1- and 2-inch netting, and pieces are laced to-
gether with dacron twine or hog rings.4
Overcrowding is one major management
problem to avoid. As a rule of thumb allow each
bird approximately 2 square feet of space in the
flight pens.
A system used satisfactorily at the University
of California for growing birds is double-deck
colony cages that are kept in temperature- and
light-controlled rooms. Each colony cage mea-
sures 5 feet wide x 2.5 feet deep x 2 feet high
(figure 9). Approximately 25 birds are kept in
each unit to 16 weeks of age. The sloping floor
of each unit is constructed of ½ inch x 1 inch
welded wire, the side partitions and top made
of 1 inch x 2 inch welded wire. One automatic
water fount, mounted outside the cage, supplies
the fresh water for the growing birds. Remov-
able trays permit ease of cleaning.
Growth and Marketing
In partridge, growth is rapid during the first
12 weeks, then slows during the next 4 , and at
4 . Toprite II is a commercial product manufactured by J . A.
Cissel Company, Inc. Squankum-Yellowbrook Road, Farm-
ingdale, New Jersey 07727.
16 weeks the bird has attained approximately
9 2 percent of its adult weight (figure 10). Using
the cumulative feed conversion scale on the
right ordinate in Figure 8, a male chukar should
reach 1 pound weight at about 9 weeks and will
consume approximately 3.75 pounds of feed.
The females will attain 1 pound weight at 12
weeks, consuming about 4.5 pounds of feed.
Birds raised for shooting club activity should be
marketed at 16 to 2 0 weeks. For monetary rea-
sons birds should not be kept beyond 2 0 weeks,
unless held for special shooting club activity, in
which case an additional holding charge must
be included to cover feed and labor costs.
Special gourmet markets desire a processed
bird weighing about 1 pound (454 grams). Thus,
the average flock live weight should be about
1.32 pounds (600 grams), a weight reached at
about 2 0 weeks.
Figure 9. Double-deck colony growing pens. Waterers
and feeders are positioned at front of cage.
Figure 10. Growth curve and approximate feed con-
version (F/C) for chukars from hatch to 20 weeks.
Lighting for Growing Birds
After the first week of brooding, light is used
sparingly at low intensities (less than .05-foot
candle) to minimize cannibalism and reduce ac-
tivity in birds raised for shooting club activity.
When raised in outside flight pens the birds
should receive natural daylight only.
Birds raised for meat should be grown to the
desired marketable weight as quickly as possible.
For this purpose, cycles of intermittent lighting
(1L:2D) repeated eight times per 24 hours or a
constant period of light in excess of 2 0 hours
per day are used to produce the best growth in
partridges. For most light regimens use a low in-
tensity light of about 0.5 foot candles (5 lux).
Nutrition
The source of all tissue proteins, including
the major muscle mass of the body,
