Hatching eggs — breeding season
Fertile partridge hatching eggs — on request, in season
GIBIS has been breeding the red-legged and the grey partridge at Chatte, in the Isère, since 1951. Our fertile eggs come from the same breeding pairs as our release coveys: seasonal production from April to July, in limited numbers, on request. And because an egg is only worth as much as the incubator that receives it, we publish here the full incubation protocol we apply in our own hatchery.
April to July
Availability: a seasonal production, on request
Partridge eggs are a seasonal product, not a stock item. Our partridges come into lay in the spring, later than the pheasant hens, and collection runs from April to July depending on the year, the weather and the progress of our own incubation. We therefore publish no price and no stock online: hatching eggs — red-legged partridge and, in even smaller numbers, grey partridge of pure French strain — are offered according to the season’s availability, and priority goes to filling our own incubators. In practice, that means you should call early — from January or February — to be placed on a collection week, and an order is only confirmed once the eggs are genuinely available. We would rather say no in February than send you end-of-lay eggs in July, whose fertility and hatch rate collapse.
Collection season
April to July depending on the year. Laying starts as the days lengthen and falls away markedly at the end of the period.
Price and availability on request
No published price: quantity, species and price are set case by case, on 04 76 38 31 01 or by e-mail.
Book from January-February
Numbers are limited and committed first to our own covey production. Grey partridge goes first: book before laying starts.
Dispatch within 48 hours, or collection
Daily collection, dispatch within 48 hours in insulated packaging depending on destination and quantity; collection at the farm preferred.
No hatch guarantee
We guarantee the origin and the freshness of the eggs, never the result: hatching depends on your incubator and on how you run it.
Incubation guide
Incubating a partridge egg successfully: the full protocol
The partridge egg is small, its shell is hard for its size, and the margins for error are narrow. Allow 23 to 24 days of incubation for the red-legged partridge and 24 to 25 days for the grey — about 24 days in practice, with transfer to the hatcher three days before the expected hatch date. The benchmarks below are those we apply in our own hatchery, for forced-air incubators. Two factors govern everything else: the stability of the temperature and the regularity of turning — on an egg of this size, a deviation that a domestic hen’s egg would forgive is paid for immediately.
- Duration: 23-24 days (red-legged), 24-25 days (grey)
- Plan the transfer to the hatcher three days before the hatch date: on day 20-21 for the red-legged, day 21-22 for the grey.
- Temperature: 37.7 °C then 37.2 °C
- 37.7 °C in a forced-air incubator during the incubation phase, then lowered to 37.2 °C from transfer to hatching. Always cross-check the display with a calibrated thermometer placed at egg level.
- Humidity: 45-55 % then 65-75 %
- 45 to 55 % relative humidity during incubation, then 65 to 75 % for the last three days so that the chicks do not stick to the membranes.
- Turning: 4 to 6 times a day
- Tilting to 45°, at least 4 to 6 times a day, until transfer to the hatcher. An interruption of more than 24 hours is enough for the embryo to stick to the shell.
- Candling: around day 7 and day 14
- A first candling around day 7 reveals the clear (infertile) eggs; a second around day 14 allows dead embryos to be removed before they contaminate the batch. The speckled shell of the partridge calls for a powerful candling lamp.
- Hatching: stop turning at transfer
- Three days before hatching: turning stopped, eggs laid flat in the hatcher, humidity raised, lid left closed. Partridge chicks are tiny and tire quickly: any handling after transfer costs hatches.
When the eggs arrive: the first 24 hours
Transport shakes up the air cell, and the partridge egg, smaller than the pheasant’s, is all the more sensitive to it. An egg set immediately after a journey always gives poorer results than a rested egg. On arrival, unpack without delay, check every egg for breakage and cracks, then let them rest for 24 hours, point down, in a cool room (15 to 18 °C), out of draughts and sunlight. Do not wash them: the cuticle covering the shell is a sanitary barrier, and brushing or wetting it opens the door to bacteria. Then run the incubator empty for several hours, check that the temperature is stable, and load. Report any breakage found when you open the parcel, with photographs: it is the only way for us to improve our packing.
24 hours’ rest, point down
Time for the air cell to settle after transport. It is the single step that makes the greatest difference to the hatch rate.
15 to 18 °C, sheltered
A cool, ventilated room — never the refrigerator, never near a radiator or a sunlit window.
Do not wash the eggs
The cuticle protects the embryo. A soiled egg is brushed dry, very lightly, or is not incubated at all.
Run the incubator empty first
Several hours of stabilisation before loading, with calibrated thermometer and hygrometer checked at egg level.
Three generations of breeders
Where our partridge eggs come from
Our hatching eggs come from the same breeding pens as the partridges we deliver to shooting clubs: red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) selected on conformation, wary temperament and flying ability, and grey partridge (Perdix perdix) of pure French strain, with no crossing with foreign stock — genetics that we are among the few breeders to maintain, and whose availability as eggs is therefore very limited. Pairs are matched in low-density pens, the eggs collected daily, graded — dirty, cracked, misshapen or off-size eggs are discarded — and stored cool until they are set. If your aim is a release rather than a breeding project, it is often better to start from 14-week coveys or adult birds: the final yield is more certain than starting from the egg. And if you are looking for pheasant eggs, the same service exists on the pheasant side: see our pheasant hatching eggs page, which sets out the incubation protocol specific to the pheasant (24 days, different humidity).
Hunting strains, not ornamental birds
Hard-flying red-legged partridge and grey partridge of pure French strain: bloodlines selected for the field, not for the ornamental aviary.
Breeding pairs under supervision
Pairing in low-density pens, with breeding stock renewed and selected on conformation, behaviour and fertility.
Grey partridge: very limited numbers
The pure French strain is our conservation priority: the eggs available for sale are scarce and booked early.
Grading at collection
Daily collection, grading on cleanliness, size and shell integrity, and cool storage before setting.
Registered game farm
GIBIS is a category A game breeding establishment, registered in the Isère under no. 38001, with a farm register and veterinary monitoring.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you sell fertile partridge eggs?
Where can I find red-legged partridge hatching eggs?
How long does a partridge egg take to incubate?
What temperature and humidity are needed to incubate partridge eggs?
What should be done with the eggs on arrival, before setting them?
What hatch rate can be expected from partridge eggs?
Can a partridge incubate her own eggs?
How much does a partridge egg cost?
Do you need authorisation to rear partridges from hatching eggs?
See also
Let us talk about your season before it starts
Red-legged or grey partridge eggs, 14-week coveys or adult birds: tell us about your project and the period you have in mind. Answers and availability by telephone on 04 76 38 31 01 or by e-mail.