# Ruffed Grouse in Captivity



## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

Does anybody know where I can get some chicks? I need to start training my dogs on these birds this spring....

Just kidding! 

Actually, I've heard they're difficult, if not darn near impossible to raise in captivity. Which was I was surprised on Sunday to visit the Kellogg Bird Sanctuary and find a couple ruffed grouse in their upland game exhibit.

My daughter gravitated right to them:









... meaning they held her three year old attention for a SOLID 30 seconds!

Anyway, they were pretty neat to see. Of the birds in the exhibit (bobwhites and several pheasant varieties) the grouse seemed almost tame. They ran right up to the fence and hung out there the whole time we were around.










Neat place. I hadn't been there since I was maybe 8 or so.

KW


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## RecurveRx (Jun 21, 2004)

She seems to be a better bird finder than you. :evil:

Interesting. I too thought that raising them in captivity was an exercise in futility. It would be interesting to know if they were hatched there.


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## FindTheBird (Dec 18, 2004)

Cool! From what I've heard, it's actually possible to raise the young as long as they're old enough to be independent of the hen. I'd guess that one of the harder parts would be getting them to hook up in captivity.


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## chewy (Mar 27, 2006)

k9wernet said:


> Does anybody know where I can get some chicks? I need to start training my dogs on these birds this spring....
> 
> Just kidding!
> 
> ...


 
you will have to nest rob


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## wirehair (Oct 16, 2007)

Grouse are so cool. Thanks for posting.


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## Birddog8487 (Jul 10, 2006)

Its really not that difficult to raise the various grouse species, prairie chicken, etc. in captivity. You will find eggs, chicks, and adults for sale on the various bird websites on a fairly regular basis. Before its demise you could buy sharptails, ruffed, blue and sage grouse as well as prairie chicken eggs and adults off the Eggbid website every spring. The expense of the brood stock, lower yearly production of eggs per bird compared to other upland species, and greater space requirements are what keep these birds from being sold on a large commercial basis. An adult pair of ruffed grouse will set you back about 200.00+, prairie chicken and the rest even more. 6 grouse eggs were running about 150.00 plus shipping last year with no guaranty of fertility.


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