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Mountain partridge is practically unknown in the European part of Our Country as a poultry. This bird is kept in areas where it is found in the wild in the mountains. But they do not breed, but catch wild chicks in nature. Although in Western Asia the keklik as a poultry is much more popular than quails. After the collapse of the Union in Our Country, they are kept only in the Caucasus. At the same time, the content of a keklik from quails or chickens does not fundamentally differ. Due to its size, the keklik needs more space than quails, but less than chickens. Despite the fact that kecliks belong to the pheasant family, which also includes other representatives of domesticated chickens, that is, chickens, pheasants, turkeys and peacocks, there is no particular difference in the content of mountain partridges and chickens.
Perhaps the low popularity of mountain partridges is explained by the fact that previously they could only be seen in zoos, where these birds lived in enclosures and led a lifestyle similar to the natural one. Until now, there is a belief that the keklik needs an aviary for life. In fact, this is not so. Partridges may well live in a cage that is only twice the height of a keklik.
The only difficulty: when kept in a cage, a keklik, like a quail, will not sit on eggs, and an incubator will have to be used to breed these partridges. Kekliks living in enclosures can hatch chicks themselves.
Types of kekliks and their habitats
In nature, there are 7 species of mountain partridges, of which the Asian keklik has the maximum range. It is this partridge that is kept in captivity in the Caucasus, Western Asia and Tajikistan.
Stone Partridge or Keklik:
The range of the Asian mountain partridge stretches from the Caucasus to the Pamirs, so it is most likely that the Asian keklik will be able to find it for keeping in the poultry house.
Asian kelik, photo.
In Tibet, the range of the Asiatic keklik is in contact with the habitat area of the Przewalski keklik or the Tibetan mountain partridge.
In the west, the range of the Asian partridge borders on the range of the European partridge, distributed throughout southern Europe, excluding southwestern France and the Iberian Peninsula.
All three types of birds are very similar to each other.
A fourth species of stone partridge lives on the Iberian Peninsula: the red partridge.
It already clearly differs from the other three in the color of the pen.
Across the Strait of Gibraltar in northwest Africa, the Barbary rock partridge can be found.
This species is also difficult to confuse with others.
The ranges of the other two species of keliks border on each other, but are cut off from the other five by the Arabian deserts. These two species live in the southwest of the Arabian Peninsula.
Arabian keklik
It is very similar in color to the European and Asian partridge, but black cheeks will not let you make a mistake.
Black-headed kelik
The black cap and the absence of an “arrow” in front of the eyes also will not allow this species to be confused with any other.
Maintenance and care
From a biologist’s point of view, a partridge is a chicken. True, a chicken with an absurd character. Therefore, kecliks can be fed in the same way as ordinary chickens, but they cannot be kept together with other birds. When kept together with quails, partridges will beat quails, and when kept with chickens, chickens will already start chasing kekliks, since chickens are several times larger. In addition, chickens also do not differ indulgence towards a weaker opponent.
Although the partridge is little known in Our Country, nevertheless, there are enough lovers of these birds in the world for breeding work to be carried out on wild species. In captivity, they contain not only mountain, but also sand partridges. Color variations of these species have already been bred. Sometimes there is a spontaneous mutation of the genes responsible for the color and then you can get white partridges.
A mutation that gives a black color (melanism) is much less common.
Feeding is the same as for chickens, but taking into account the increased need for protein. Kekliks can be given compound feed for broilers.
When kept in an aviary in conditions close to natural, the female partridge can make a nest herself and hatch the chicks. When kept in a cage, partridges do not incubate eggs, and in this case an incubator is used for breeding.
Female kecliks start laying eggs from 4 months. The weight of the egg is not more than 15 g. During the season, the partridge can lay from 40 to 60 eggs.
By manipulating the lighting, a partridge can be made to lay 3 eggs in 48 hours.
Incubation and rearing of chicks
Cake eggs can be stored for up to 3 weeks before incubation, provided that the temperature in the storage is kept in the range of 13 – 20 ° C and humidity at 60%. Such long-term storage at the same time will make it possible to identify eggs that have microcracks and are unsuitable for incubation. Eggs of medium size and no visible defects on the shell are selected for incubation.
The incubation of keklik eggs lasts 23-25 days. The first time the temperature in the incubator is maintained at 37,6°C at a humidity of 60%. From the 22nd day, the temperature is reduced to 36,5°C, and the humidity is increased to 70%.
The chicks are very mobile, so after hatching they are caught and placed in brooders with a temperature of 31 to 35°C. But with temperature it is better to focus on the behavior of the chicks. If the chicks huddle together, they are cold. Even young kekliks are rather conflicted and prefer to stay away from each other in comfortable conditions. If huddled together, then you need to increase the temperature in the brooder.
Young partridges are very active and quickly become independent. Due to conflict, it is necessary to strictly observe the norms of the required areas for each chick. On an area of 0,25 m², no more than 10 freshly hatched chicks can be kept together. The birds must have enough space so that in the event of a conflict, the loser can run away. Although with a sufficient area of uXNUMXbuXNUMXbkeeping in one room, even chicks of different ages can be kept together.
Feeding hatched partridges
In nature, young animals feed on insects, which they are quite capable of catching themselves. In the training manuals involving the cultivation of mountain partridges for subsequent resettlement in hunting grounds, it is proposed to feed the chicks with grasshoppers, flies, locusts, ants and other insects. Considering that each chick will need at least 30 insects per day, this type of feed is unacceptable when breeding kecliks in the backyard.
But you need to take into account the increased need of young partridges for animal protein. Therefore, chicks are given starter feed for broiler chickens, which also need a lot of protein during the growth period. Finely chopped boiled egg, cottage cheese, blood and meat and bone meal can be added to the compound feed.
If you want the chicks to grow up tame, they are hand-fed. In this case, it is more convenient to give insects to young partridges, after removing the hard parts (legs from grasshoppers, elytra from beetles).
How to tell a male from a female
Up to 4 months, it is impossible to distinguish a male from a female in a keklik. At 4 months, the males become clearly larger, and a pink spot appears on the metatarsus – the place where the spur will erupt. At 5 months, the color changes somewhat. In males, 11 stripes appear on the sides, in females 9-10.
But it is guaranteed that the sex of the bird can be determined when the males begin to show.
Results
Kekliks, in addition to delicious meat and eggs, have a decorative appearance that can surprise neighbors and friends. An exotic bird will inevitably attract attention, and keeping and breeding these partridges is no more difficult than quails or guinea fowls. The fashion for quails is now on the wane, perhaps the keklik will win the sympathy of poultry farmers next.