Feeding red leg partridge

[CarlW]

The thing I was trying( badly) to explain was Grey Partridge = wild indigenous species that's far superior in every way that for some reason is in decline, Red legs well, is a sad alternative in every way, one pair of greys is worth a hen hut full of the other

I agree. Seeing a red-leg gives me no more joy than a pheasant: seeing a grey lifts one's heart. However, we have destroyed their habitat, and reintroduction programmes invariably fail. It is very sad.

 

[baguio]

I've known a few people try with them and eventually lose heart. I think @The fourth Horseman is one of the few people to succeed.

Hardly one of the few to succeed. Sandringham, Holkham, the North Norfolk coast and East Anglia in general still have reasonable numbers. They need to be looked after with the correct environment and really good predator control though. Breed early wild eggs under bantams and fostering the poults on to baron wild pairs all help keep the numbers up. Farming has to buy into them with wide headlands which is expensive. Time and money is the problem but plenty are doing quite well at keeping them 'thriving'. With our farming being is so clean and efficient we will never see the numbers of years gone by though.

 

[Dawnbuck]

The thing I was trying( badly) to explain was Grey Partridge = wild indigenous species that's far superior in every way that for some reason is in decline, Red legs well, is a sad alternative in every way, one pair of greys is worth a hen hut full of

I've known a few people try with them and eventually lose heart. I think @The fourth Horseman is one of the few people to succeed.

We have successfully released with our first efforts. We have seen two reared hens paired up with wild cock birds this spring (all our releases were tagged with a bright coloured leg ring). Wonderful to see and a joy to hear calling in the evening! Surrounding shoots have started doing the same too. Grey partridge certainly have a special place in most sportsman's hearts.

 

[Tis1979]

Incubating a load of partridge at the moment and am trying to plan how much feed I will need.

I'm planning to keep on pellets till 4 or 5 weeks old, then move into bigger pens and put on wheat.

Birds will be kept in the pens till 1st November, then released on a weekly basis to allow for a bit of walked up shooting.

Not having raised partridge before, I'm looking for advice on feeding- does the above feed plan sound prudent ?

its great to mix things up on a shoot and I'm guessing you and some friends are enjoying some walked up days. unfortunately your plans aren't likely to work out In my opinion I would speak to other local shoots and ask if they are incubating pheasant eggs and swap the chicks when they hatch out. it could be a good way of meeting like minded people too. all the very best with it.

 

[CarlW]

Hardly one of the few to succeed. Sandringham, Holkham, the North Norfolk coast and East Anglia in general still have reasonable numbers. They need to be looked after with the correct environment and really good predator control though. Breed early wild eggs under bantams and fostering the poults on to baron wild pairs all help keep the numbers up. Farming has to buy into them with wide headlands which is expensive. Time and money is the problem but plenty are doing quite well at keeping them 'thriving'. With our farming being is so clean and efficient we will never see the numbers of years gone by though.

Think I just meet all the disappointed ones.

 

[Dawnbuck]

The thing I was trying( badly) to explain was Grey Partridge = wild indigenous species that's far superior in every way that for some reason is in decline, Red legs well, is a sad alternative in every way, one pair of greys is worth a hen hut full of

I've known a few people try with them and eventually lose heart. I think @The fourth Horseman is one of the few people to succeed.

We have successfully released with our first efforts. We have seen two reared hens paired up with wild cock birds this spring (all our releases were tagged with a bright coloured leg ring). Wonderful to see and a joy to hear calling in the evening! Surrounding shoots have started doing the same too. Grey partridge certainly have a special place in most sportsman's hearts

 

[Kieranglen]

Incubating a load of partridge at the moment and am trying to plan how much feed I will need.

I'm planning to keep on pellets till 4 or 5 weeks old, then move into bigger pens and put on wheat.

Birds will be kept in the pens till 1st November, then released on a weekly basis to allow for a bit of walked up shooting.

Not having raised partridge before, I'm looking for advice on feeding- does the above feed plan sound prudent ?

They will need starter crumb chick crumb mini pellet 2 mm pellet 2.5 mm pellet 3 mm pellet and varying protein levels. Put them on wheat at all and your wasting your time basically just feed pellet all the time. Keeping them in that long also isnt very sporting at all and as others have said goes against the code of practise. We keep them in until 14-15 weeks old and then release into a pen for a night and then release and refill. Also in my opinion you will struggle to walk up partridge 1 shot and they covey will be gone, best stick to pheasants.

 

[User00025]

Hardly one of the few to succeed. Sandringham, Holkham, the North Norfolk coast and East Anglia in general still have reasonable numbers. They need to be looked after with the correct environment and really good predator control though. Breed early wild eggs under bantams and fostering the poults on to baron wild pairs all help keep the numbers up. Farming has to buy into them with wide headlands which is expensive. Time and money is the problem but plenty are doing quite well at keeping them 'thriving'. With our farming being is so clean and efficient we will never see the numbers of years gone by though.

What you say is correct and it is easy to name certain estates where success is achieved. I assume you are not of my generation when every area had a good stock of Grey's. Throughout the Midlands, Warwk's , Worc's, Leic's etc had them everywhere on mixed farm areas. I hail from Warwickshire and our small local estate could shoot up to 80 brace of wild birds for a couple of days each season. I could shoot personally a brace or two in the 50's on a few acres of marsh adjacent to the Rover factory. A lot of people in East Anglia have ideal conditions, but as you say fostering can work well if you have a good stock, Gerald Gray did this well, I have done it. The major problem now is predators which were kept to a bare minimum when I keepered Grey's. How many shoots (aside from those you name) can afford to have a man full time using bantams and checking hundreds of traps and snares twice a day, not many, therefore we won't ever see the 40's and 50's numbers again. again. At least my success was not in such a good and well stocked area, but done from scratch with just a few pairs of resident birds.

 

[Dawnbuck]

What you say is correct and it is easy to name certain estates where success is achieved. I assume you are not of my generation when every area had a good stock of Grey's. Throughout the Midlands, Warwk's , Worc's, Leic's etc had them everywhere on mixed farm areas. I hail from Warwickshire and our small local estate could shoot up to 80 brace of wild birds for a couple of days each season. I could shoot personally a brace or two in the 50's on a few acres of marsh adjacent to the Rover factory. A lot of people in East Anglia have ideal conditions, but as you say fostering can work well if you have a good stock, Gerald Gray did this well, I have done it. The major problem now is predators which were kept to a bare minimum when I keepered Grey's. How many shoots (aside from those you name) can afford to have a man full time using bantams and checking hundreds of traps and snares twice a day, not many, therefore we won't ever see the 40's and 50's numbers again. again

If only I could turn back time and go and study those days. My dad tells me just the same about the Derbyshire shoots

 

[baguio]

What you say is correct and it is easy to name certain estates where success is achieved. I assume you are not of my generation when every area had a good stock of Grey's. Throughout the Midlands, Warwk's , Worc's, Leic's etc had them everywhere on mixed farm areas. I hail from Warwickshire and our small local estate could shoot up to 80 brace of wild birds for a couple of days each season. I could shoot personally a brace or two in the 50's on a few acres of marsh adjacent to the Rover factory. A lot of people in East Anglia have ideal conditions, but as you say fostering can work well if you have a good stock, Gerald Gray did this well, I have done it. The major problem now is predators which were kept to a bare minimum when I keepered Grey's. How many shoots (aside from those you name) can afford to have a man full time using bantams and checking hundreds of traps and snares twice a day, not many, therefore we won't ever see the 40's and 50's numbers again. again

I thought that all the people who used to shoot in the 50's and 60's were now dead TBH!

 

[User00025]

I thought that all the people who used to shoot in the 50's and 60's were now dead TBH!

Two words to you second is off, guess first

 

[Dawnbuck]

They were

Two words to you second is off, guess first

 

[User00025]

If only I could turn back time and go and study those days. My dad tells me just the same about the Derbyshire shoots

They were good days Andrew, I still look after a wild bird place and we have a few Grey's. Just seeing cocks at the moment and crossing fingers. We have the usual Avian problems which will probably finish half of them. I have however got a pal that's hatching a few so any barren pairs in two weeks time may get a brood.

 

[Dawnbuck]

They were good days Andrew, I still look after a wild bird place and we have a few Grey's. Just seeing cocks at the moment and crossing fingers. We have the usual Avian problems which will probably finish half of them. I have however got a pal that's hatching a few so any barren pairs in two weeks time may get a brood.

Wonderful to hear so much cracking work going on to try and help them. I've got just over 80 ok at candling yesterday. I call them my little bumble bees when they hatch. The first time I did this, I was used to hatching chickens and thought they'd all sit looking at me when I took the lid off . I've never seen anything so small shift so quick!!!!

 

[User00025]

Wonderful to hear so much cracking work going on to try and help them. I've got just over 80 ok at candling yesterday. I call them my little bumble bees when they hatch. The first time I did this, I was used to hatching chickens and thought they'd all sit looking at me when I took the lid off . I've never seen anything so small shift so quick!!!!

If you PM me Andrew I'll explain how I used to release reared birds from banties and machines.

 

[baguio]

If you PM me Andrew I'll explain how I used to release reared birds from banties and machines.

Sounds like something that all of us whippersnappers could learn from?

 

[User00025]

Sounds like something that all of us whippersnappers could learn from?

In your case and from your posts and knowledge of good partridge manors, I probably couldn't teach you a thing. I think the applicable expression is "You can't put old heads on young shoulders".

 

[dryan]

Thanks for comments chaps. Will get some more pellets ordered. To clarify will be releasing a week before the season at approx 14 weeks old (season starts 1st Nov) in one location and then released in two other locations over subsequent weekends- can't do all in one day.

 

[steve sxs]

Not everyone will agree but plastering the countryside with red legs and pheasants doesn't help the greys, I know someone mentioned habitat but that's not the problem here

 

[Dawnbuck]

Not everyone will agree but plastering the countryside with red legs and pheasants doesn't help the greys, I know someone mentioned habitat but that's not the problem here

Very complicated. GWCT have done some fantastic work and the words of wisdom above are in keeping with the science. Super strict predator control. My understanding is that greys won't leave their young at any cost too. I spent some time laughing at a pair when out rabbiting with the HMR a few weeks back. A rabbit kept coming out to the cock bird standing guard over the feeding hen. He kept chasing the rabbit back in. Funny little things they are.