A Detailed Guide to Sexing Partridges: Beginners Can Learn It Quickly
I think many people have heard of the partridge, but perhaps many have not eaten it. Those who have eaten it should know that the partridge looks rather small; although it is small in size, it is complete in all its organs, and its nutritional value is also extremely high.
Methods for Identifying Male and Female Partridges
1. Holding method: Hold the chick partridge upside down by both legs with your hand. If the chick's body hangs heavy downward, the head stretches forward, and the wings spread without flapping wildly, it is generally a male partridge; if the head bends toward the chest, the body strains upward, and the wings flap wildly, it is generally a female partridge.
2. Cloaca method: Lift the chick partridge by both wings and gently turn open the cloaca. If there is a conical protrusion inside the cloaca, located in the center of the folds of the cloacal wall, it is a male partridge; otherwise, it is a female partridge.
3. Leg method: It is very difficult to distinguish male from female young partridges by appearance. After adulthood there is a slight difference, and after 3 months of age the sex differences begin to gradually appear. The main difference is that the male partridge has a flat triangular spur protruding on the inner side below the shank of both feet, but at this time the size and height of the spurs on the two sides are not symmetrical; generally, at around 4 months of age, they protrude 0.15-0.2 cm from the shank surface. Most female partridges have no flat triangular protruding spurs on either foot; a few that do have one only on one foot and not as obvious as the male's.
4. Appearance method: Although adult male and female partridges cannot be distinguished by feathers, careful observation reveals that the male partridge has a large, square head, a relatively short neck, and a slightly longer body; the female partridge is slightly smaller in size, with a somewhat slender neck and a slightly rounder body.
The Farming Value of Partridges
The partridge is a meat-type rare poultry with very high farming value. It is suitable both for intensive large-scale farming on farms and for raising by thousands of households in urban and rural areas, making it a good project for developing courtyard economy. Partridges do not have high requirements for the rearing environment, because their adaptability is very strong; they are suitable for raising in all provinces north and south of the Yangtze River in our country, and the equipment is simple, the investment cost is relatively low, and they are easy to raise and manage.
Growth Characteristics and Reproduction of Partridges
After hatching, a partridge weighs 14 grams, and thereafter grows rapidly. Meat partridges reach 500 grams in body weight after 3 months of rearing; at 90 days of age the average body weight is 500 grams, which is 40 times the birth weight, with a feed-to-meat ratio of 35:1. After 90 days of age the growth rate slows down. For raising commercial partridges, one person can manage 2000 birds and can produce 4 batches per year.
After 28 days of age, partridges enter the breeding-stock stage, and begin laying at 7-8 months of age; male partridges reach sexual maturity at 8 months. In cage rearing, the male-to-female ratio is 1:3 to 1:4. Under better rearing conditions, they lay 100-120 eggs per year. The service life of breeding partridges is 3 years. The fertilization rate is generally as high as 92%-96%. The hatching rate is 84%-91%. The incubation period of partridge eggs is 24 days. The incubation temperature: 37.8-37.2 degrees C in winter, 37-37.5 degrees C in summer. They can be hatched artificially, or hatched with a modified electric incubator.
Key Points of Partridge Farming and Management Techniques
1. Partridge rearing methods: Choose a site for building the farm that is sheltered from the wind and faces the sun, well drained, warm and dry, with a quiet environment, and good water, electricity and transportation conditions. If the rearing scale is relatively large (more than 5000 birds), it should be chosen in a place far from residential areas (more than 1000 m). Partridges before 4 weeks of age are best raised on off-ground netting; during the 4-12 week middle partridge stage, they can be raised on the floor or on off-ground netting, and males and females can be mixed. After 12 weeks of age, raise them in small groups of 1:3 to 1:4 in separate tiered cages. Sexually mature breeding partridges can be raised as a pair per cage. A exercise yard should be set up outside the partridge house. The cage-rearing area generally required for partridges is as follows: 70 birds per sq m at 0-1 week of age; 50 birds per sq m at 1-4 weeks of age; 10 birds per sq m at 4-12 weeks of age. Middle partridges also need an attached exercise yard.
2. Feed and feeding: Partridges have a wide diet, and the feed should mainly be mixed chicken feed. Growing birds consume 20 grams of feed per day; laying breeding partridges consume 25 grams of feed per day. Partridges are sensitive to moldy feed; when storing feed in large quantities or processing pellet feed, a highly effective feed mold inhibitor should be added.
3. Key points of partridge rearing and management
(1) Before 4 weeks of age they are chick partridges and should be raised in a heated brooder. Keep the temperature at 35-37 degrees C, and for older chicks it should be lowered to 26-28 degrees C. Chick partridges begin to be given water 12 hours after hatching. 1000 4-day-old chick partridges need 3 liters of water. After drinking, the chick partridges can begin to eat. Crushed complete pelleted feed can be used. To ensure their nutritional needs, an appropriate amount of cooked eggs, cod liver oil and vitamin B solution can be added. If the upper beak is curved, the tip of the beak can be clipped at 3 days of age so that the upper and lower beaks fit together.
(2) The stage after 90 days of age and rearing up to before laying is called the middle partridge. Semi-open-air or indoor free-flight rearing methods or double-layer cage rearing can be used. Feed mixed chick feed or complete pelleted chick feed. The feeding amount is 30-35 grams per bird per day. Let them drink water freely to ensure their water needs. Before laying, train the partridges so that they obey commands.
(2) Meat partridges, that is, commercial partridges, should be raised in separate groups and supplied with a comprehensive, reasonably formulated fattening feed. They can be fed dry, wet, or dry-and-wet. The suitable temperature for meat partridges is 18-25 degrees C. The rearing density is 12-16 birds per sq m of cage area, and the cage height should not exceed 30 cm. The light inside the cage should be controlled, with 20 hours of lamp lighting per day. With proper rearing methods, they can reach 500-600 grams in 2.5 months.
It is precisely because people's living standards are now continuously rising that people's demands regarding daily life and diet are also getting higher and higher, and they like to try things they usually cannot eat, or things that are relatively hard to eat. Therefore, the market demand for partridges is also gradually increasing.