Advice, books or links for raising chukars?

[CacaoandNilla]

I've been raising chukars for a couple months now just learning as I go. Now winter is coming and I'm not sure how to prepare for it or what kind of temps they can take.

Any experience,books or links would be great

thanks

[mobeasto123]

I had some last years ... And never again will do. Pigeons are great to have. Chukar need a lot of space they are like Springs with wings... They jump everywhere and high some gets hurts if it's not spacious enough for their crazy mind.. My trainer had some and the place they were was about 14x14 and a good 10 feet high... I don't know what other people do but for my part I prefer pigeons..

David

[birddog1968]

you'll just have to throw more feed and water to them when it gets cold....


Do a google search, couple of university websites have some good info on Chukar......very easy bird to raise.

[SHORTFAT]

I prefer to "braise" them rather than "raise" them... sorry... couldn't help it...

[CacaoandNilla]

I prefer to "braise" them rather than "raise" them... sorry... couldn't help it...

if they are too hard to raise in winter that will happen

[gotpointers]

I had them for quite a while. They were dropping off and I decided to use them before I lost them all. Ended up.hitting one a little close in and found tons of worms in the intestines. Had I wormed more I would have not had the losses I did. The eggs are near.ringneck prices. So are the birds. Until I find a deal I am going to stick to bobwhites.

[CacaoandNilla]

bump

[gotpointers]

Use the peck guards- blinders. Nothing really special to them other than Worming. In ny yard they're more durable than Bobwhites. Plenty of.meat on them. I think it may be the NM weather that helps them over the Bob's.

[Ruffshooter]

I usually keep them in winter but ran out early this year.

The best thing is keeping them on wire. Have plenty of food. They are very hearty birds. Temps not a problem around here.
I put roosting limbs in my pen and provide a corner with a cover over and straw or hay on the floor in that corner. Also I have a 24" wind and vision break around the pen. also put buckets layed side ways in there if they choose to enter. They can water off the snow so you can just bail snow into a flat type pan or something larger and they will water off that. I usually have 15 to 20 over the winter and they are in a 8 X 12 pen 6' high.

[CacaoandNilla]

what kind of temps can they handle?

[birddog1968]

They probably fine in some pretty cold temps, given some kind of windbreak and or housing to go in and out of.....that said the colder and more exposed they are the more they eat and chukars can and will try to eat you out of house and home....don't know another bird that can eat like a pen chukar. except maybe a production chicken.

[Odin]

When I had them they easily handled the cold. Around here it is often-30 celcius. I can remember a winter of 30 day where is never got above -30 and they were wine. As long as they had a palce to get off of the snow and out of the wind.

[DonF]

Take a look at the country they run wild in. Only thing I think you might get is to much snow. I prefer pigeons also. For game birds I'm keeping around Bob Whites. Chukars run around on the ground to much trying to flush them, pen raised. Quail get the heck out of Dodge. Another advantage for me is I can use my quail year round here because they don't exist in the wild here. I have had some chukars in in the past, don't care for them. If you could find them and afford them, Vaalley Quail are the best and the recall better than Bob Whites.