Never again will I do chukar . . .

[chickenwhisperer]

So once they get to maturity, they pretty much pick each other to death.
I have lost so many birds in the last 2 weeks to this it aint even funny . . .

I have seperated them, I have tried to seperate by sex as best I could.
I seperated by extent-of-picking, and I seperated by putting pickERS in together . . .

Chukars are a pain-in-the-@$$, I am planning on processing them all next Sunday, one . . . more . . . week . . .


I wont even get into the amount of food they require . . .


I think if they were all debeaked, things would be different, but that is a lot of trouble for a few meals.
Coturnix are way easier, and when all is said and done there aint that much difference in size.

The chukar are just about at the month mark for eating rabbit pellets, for taste, like my quail.

I cant wait till they are gone . . .

 

[SamG347]

Wow...I hate hearing all these people having negative expirences with chukar. Never had a problem myself.

 

[aprophet]

have you got any tips Sam

 

[spectrumranch]

Quote:
I agree, we have never had any big problems raising chukars. I think they are one of the easiest birds to raise.

 

[SamG347]

Like Randy said I consider them pretty easy. Just give them 20% or higher feed....a decent sized pen...even then I have seen them kept in very small pens. And plenty of fresh water and you shouldn't have a problem. Just make sure you dont mix birds from different batches until fall/winter.
Other than that I didn't do anything special. I have always had good luck though raising quail...pheasant...chukar...etc.

 

[Pidgey104]

I didnt have any troble with Chucker either. But I had 5 and had them in the bottom of my pigeon coop.

 

[chickenwhisperer]

They hatch great, they raise up just fine, all the way till they decide they are crowded one day . . .

I had them in small cages like the UCdavis pdf, but they just started picking, and then wouldnt stop.

Its all good again now that I reclassified them all and changed them to wire-only cages.
They are getting their feathers back and looking alot better.

Havent lost one since I switched them up, but they still a PIA.

I loved raising them, and its definately been a learning experience, but I think they just too wild for cages in my backyard.
I might just maybe keep a trio around and see how that goes, I plan to process the rest this weekend.

 

[Mrs MIA]

They just need lots of room... and I've found that a chicken rooster in the pen with them keeps the pecking order calm.

 

[Royd Wood]

Mrs. AK-Bird-Brain :

They just need lots of room... and I've found that a chicken rooster in the pen with them keeps the pecking order calm.

Thats very interesting Thanks for that and might well try it if we have probs

Sorry to hear that Chickenwhisperer - each year I keep extending my pens with more cover and its made a big difference​

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
I know a breeder close to me that does the same thing with pigeons and chukars