Effects of Housing Type and Breeding System on the Reproductive Capacity of the Red-Legged Partridge (Alectoris rufa)

Abstract

Current methods of intensive breeding of the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) are based on "industrial" laying practices, including removal and artificial incubation of eggs. These procedures can alter the reproductive behavior and physiology of the birds and, therefore, may not be suitable for use in breeding programs designed to increase wild populations. This study aimed to determine the effects of intensive housing and breeding methods on the laying capacity and reproductive behavior of the red-legged partridge. In Experiment 1, 70 pairs from a commercial game farm were randomly allocated into three treatment groups and placed in differing designs of breeding cages: 8 m2 cages with solid sides (n = 30), 4 m2 cages with solid sides (n = 30), and 4 m2 cages with mesh sides (n = 10). The number of eggs laid was recorded each week. In Experiment 2, 30 pairs, placed in 30 closed 8 m2 cages, were used. Fifteen pairs were birds reared under the intensive system used on game farms, and the other 15 pairs were birds adopted by pairs of foster parents when they were less than 48 h old. The total number of eggs laid during the reproductive period was recorded. In Experiment 1, egg production was greater in pairs housed in 8 m2 cages. There were no differences in egg production between birds housed in closed or open 4 m2 cages. In Experiment 2, the rearing method did not affect egg production. In both experiments, regardless of rearing history or cage type, the numbers of eggs laid were considerably higher than published figures for wild red-legged partridges. This fact, together with the absence of incubation by 100% of the females, indicates the considerable physiological and behavioral modifications that red-legged partridges have undergone due to domestication.

Corticosterone in feathers is a long‐term, integrated measure of avian stress physiology

“…2004). Both male and female red‐legged partridges incubate eggs and care for young (Cramp & Simmons 1980; Gaudioso et al . 2002), and seasonal declines in plasma and feather CORT levels were similar in both sexes in our study.…”

Does early antipredator training increase the suitability of captive red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) for releasing?

“…Understanding that wild birds display better antipredator behavior than farm-reared birds (Pérez et al, 2010), each pair consisted of a farm-reared female and a wild male that were trapped in the wild complying with Spanish law. These birds were previously paired in seminatural breeding cages (early February, following the same methodology mentioned by Gaudioso et al, 2002) and maintained with their brood until their own chicks were 8 to 9 d old. Parent pairs were chosen because of the possible effects of parental behavior on antipredator patterns, not yet studied in the red-legged partridge but well documented in a similar study on domestic hens (Gallus gallus; Palleroni et al, 2005).…”

“…Some projects on seminatural rearing have been conducted over the past few decades (Gaudioso et al, 2002;Buner and Aebischer, 2008), and it has been demonstrated that birds' antipredatory behavior, survival, and breeding success can be improved (Buner and Schaub, 2008;Buner et al, 2011), though these methods are costly, which hampers their viability. On the other hand, an experiment conducted on rock partridge (Alectoris graeca) chicks raised under intensive rearing methods (Zaccaroni et al, 2007) suggests that the use of lowcost treatments that cause an early fear experience in chicks result in better predator avoidance.…”

Study of survival, dispersal and home range of autumn-released red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa)

“…In addition, the imprinting process that the birds undergo causes long-term physiological and ethological modifications that consequently result in serious problems of adaptation and integration in the wild (Lucio, 1992;Gaudioso et al, 2002).…”