Effects of hand‐rearing on physiology and anatomy in the grey partridge

Abstract

Artificial rearing may result in changes in the physiology and anatomy of gallinaceous birds. This may partially explain the poor survival of released birds. To study the effects of hand‐rearing on grey partridges Perdix perdix, we measured the anatomical and physiological characteristics of 14 wild and 15 hand‐reared partridges. Captive partridges were heavier, had relatively larger breast muscles but relatively lighter hearts and livers than wild birds. Wild birds had longer small intestines, longer caeca and relatively heavier gizzards than hand‐reared birds. They also had higher glycogen content and cytochrome‐c oxidase activity in the pectoral muscles, indicating their better flying endurance compared to hand‐reared birds. The results suggest that captivity results in altered anatomical and physiological characteristics, and hand‐reared partridges may therefore be poorly predisposed for an abrupt release into the wild.