Characterisation and typification of the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) game farms in Spain

Abstract

variables related to structure and marketing. A structured survey was carried out on 63 farms in 2008. A multiple correspondence analysis performed to characterise the farms yielded two dimensions. First dimension explained 45.1% of the variance and included the variables age of the farm and number of pairs in the breeding flock. Second dimension explained 35.9% of the variance and included the variables the farm sells hatching eggs and the farm has a hunting preserve where releasing part of the partridges produced. A cluster analysis differentiated three farm typologies. Farm type 1 included 36 complete-cycle farms mainly established until 1996, most of them having 1 to 999 pairs in the breeding flock. Farm type 2 included 11 farms without breeding flock established since 2003. Farm type 3 included 16 complete cycle farms established between 1997 and 2002, most of them being the highest with 1,000 onwards breeding pairs, and carrying out artificial photoperiod supplementation of the breeding pairs. Half of the farms in this group sell hatching egg, have ever exported partridges, and most of them have a hunting preserve where releasing part of the production. The establishment of red-legged partridge game farms increased until 2002, declining thereafter and shifting towards the second farm type without breeding flock. This alternative poultry production system could have reached its development maturity and is a sub-sector well established in Spain, despite being only four decades old.