Seminatural game farming is seasonable in some respects, but it fits in most advantageously as a part of a year-round program of propagation. It is a more technical pursuit than ordinary game breeding, and there are no trained men available. It requires large tracts of high-grade game lands, and development over a period of years. As such, it is doubtful whether most State departments can afford to undertake this method. It is properly a case for private initiative, private risk, and private profit. But in the course of its development many useful things will be learned which have direct application to public conservation work.

Our own experiments with wild waterfowl have shown definitely that this seminatural production is feasible. While our efforts thus far have been confined to some 25 acres, we anticipate the opportunity in the near future to demonstrate the method on a large scale. Reports on the project will be made from time to time.

MODERN METHODS OF QUAIL BREEDING

(By M. O. PoYNER, superintendent, Middle Island State Game Farm, N. Y.) The topic which has been assigned to me for discussion is one about which much has been written during the past 5 or 6 years. During these years several developments have been made which have practically revolutionized the artificial propagation of quail. All of them tend toward lower production cost. These developments might best be shown by a comparison of the old and modern methods. These improvements may be classified as follows: (1) Methods of handling laying stock; (2) Brooding; (3) Feeding.

1. METHOD OF HANDLING LAYING STOCK

Several years ago, when quail farming was a new industry, the laying stock was invariably held throughout the year on the ground. In the winter, holding pens approximately 20 by 50 feet were used in which were held from 20 to 40 birds. Much expense was involved in the construction of this pen both for labor and materials and also in maintaining proper sanitation. In the spring, the birds were transferred to laying pens approximately 6 by 10 feet, the birds still being kept on the ground. It was necessary to have a good sod on which to place the pens and enough space so that the position of the pens could be changed frequently. This was done in an effort to insure sanitation and also to afford the birds green vegetation. The same land was usually not used more often than once every 3 years. Between times, it was plowed and seeded and left idle in an effort to reduce disease hazards. This system made it necessary to have two types of pens. Consequently, one was idle about 6 months of the year. This method proved unsatisfactory for several reasons. First, because there were losses of large numbers of birds from disease. Blackhead and quail disease took an enormous toll both in the winter holding pen and in the laying field. These losses were caused primarily by the birds being on the ground and coming in contact with the droppings. Second, because of the

expense.

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As a result of numerous experiments carried out by various breeders, our modern combination wire-bottom laying and holding pen has evolved. There are many different types of pen, but the principle is essentially the same in all. Today, the same pen is used in the winter for holding that is used in the summer for laying. The pens we use are 4 by 8 feet with a 2-foot shelter and food coop on one end under which is placed a metal_dropping pan. We successfully hold 15 to 30 birds in each pen. It has not been found necessary to move these pens either during the breeding season or during the winter. This type pen has reduced the cost of quail production because of: First, smaller amount of material used in construction; second, reduced acreage required both for holding pens and for laying pens; third, reduced labor required to take care of a given number of quail; fourth, lowered mortality from disease.

For quite some time, it was doubtful that fertility and egg production from the breeders on wire would be normal. However, time has proven this method to be satisfactory, though it is undetermined whether it will, in time, lower the vitality of the birds so produced. In 1932 we placed a small percent of our laying stock on wire as an experiment-also placing the same number of birds in pens on the ground as a check. The parentage of the two lots of birds was essentially the same. The feed for both lots was the same except that the birds on wire were fed lettuce twice weekly. While the results from the birds on wire were not as satisfactory as from those on the ground the experiment showed definite possibilities. A comparison of our results to results of like experiments on other farms seemed to indicate a lack of nutritional balance in the diet of the birds on wire. The following year, we repeated the above experiment changing the ration of the birds on wire so that it included a higher percentage of minerals and vitamins. This proved so satisfactory, that in 1934 we placed half our laying stock on wire and in 1935 practically all. The ration in 1934 and 1935 consisted of a commercial breeder's mash to which was added 15 percent dehydrated alfalfa leaf meal and 3 percent meat scrap and 5 percent bone meal.

2. BROODING

Several years ago, most bobwhite quail were reared in the small brooder originated by Mr. W. B. Coleman, the well-known dean of quail breeders. This brooder was wire-bottom and, normally, held from 15 to 20 birds. This method, though proving a boon to quail breeding, left much to be desired from a mass production standpoint because of the large amount of labor required to take care of the birds and because of the expense involved in building large numbers of these brooders. Also, we in the north found it difficult to heat these brooders economically.

The two-section 200-bird quail colony house, originally introduced in 1931 by L. G. MacNamara and successfully used by him, has been enlarged and improved and in 1936 we find a good many farms successfully using the newer type brooder. We at the New York State game farm for the past 2 years have been using three large 10-section colony houses, each section having a capacity of 200 quail.

The dimensions of these houses are as follows: 60 feet long, 7 feet wide, 6 feet high, with a shed type roof. It is constructed of homosote board over a wood frame set on a concrete floor. It is also lined with homosote to reduce heating costs and to facilitate disinfecting. In front of each section is a detachable screen-covered runway 9 by 4 feet by 18 inches also set on a concrete floor. Each section is individually ventilated by the use of a stack ventilator in the back of the room as well as by an adjustable shutter in the upper front wall.

The hovers in these houses are constructed of sheet iron on homosote board with nicrome wire heating elements of 420 watts, each suspended from the iron. Each hover is individually thermostatically controlled. These hovers are built somewhat larger than the usual ones covering about a quarter of the floor space. About 16 inches on each end of the hover is left unheated. This hover because of its large heating surface throws a very gentle, evenly distributed heat and, because of its cooler ends, permits each bird to chose his own temperature without, however, allowing him to get dangerously far away from the heat. For the first week, birds are confined to hover area by placing a board in front of hover, keeping a temperature of 95 to 100 degrees. (The temperature is reduced 5 degrees a week until birds no longer need artificial heat which is usually the fourth or fifth week.) The second week, during the daytime, the birds are allowed the run of the house and also of the runway, providing the weather permits. At night, the birds are again confined to hover area. The third week, birds may be in or out during the day. At night, they are confined to house, but not to hover area. From there up to and including the sixth week, birds are confined to the house only at night and during stormy weather. An exception to this rule is a possible out-break of cannibalism, in which case birds are confined to a darkened house for 2 to 3 days with lights turned on at feeding time. This helps greatly in controlling cannibalism. In my mind, proper control of humidity is an important factor in successfully brooding quail. We control the humidity on our houses by the installation of two 12- by 16-inch moisture pans, covered with wire, placed under the hover in each section. With the use of these, we are able to maintain a relative humidity of approximately 60 percent. These pans are allowed to go dry after the fourteenth day for experience has shown that humidity is not so important after that time.

The advantages of this type colony house may be summarized as follows:

1. A small amount of labor is required to take care of a large number of birds.

2. The cost of construction of a house that will brood 2,000 birds is less than the construction cost of several one-section colony houses or small brooders necessary to take care of the same number of birds. 3. Reduced heating costs.

4. Our birds brooded in this type house seemed to develop more uniformly. We think this was because of the enlarged feeding space the houses afforded.

5. We have been able to control cannibalism quite satisfactorily.

3. FEEDING

So much has been written during the past 2 or 3 years about the changed and simplified feeding rations that I shall discuss this subject briefly. Our birds are fed as follows: Wet mash four times a day the first week, three times a day the second week, and twice a day the third week. A hopper of dry mash is placed before the birds the beginning of the second week and is kept before them from then on. On the 19th day fine chick scratch is added to the dry mash, one part grain to four parts mash. The proportion of grain is gradually increased until the fifth week at which time mash and grain should be separated-a hopper of each being placed before the birds. The wet mash consists of a commercial turkey grower mash to which, for the first 10 days, is added the yolk of one hard boiled egg to every 100 birds. Fine charcoal and grits are placed before the birds at the beginning of the second week and kept before them from then on. Lettuce is fed from the first.

Using the method outlined, we have been able in 4 years to increase our annual production from 4,000 to 8,600 quail and have, at the same time, materially reduced our production costs.

PENNSYLVANIA SYSTEM OF ARTIFICIAL BROODING OF RING-NECKED PHEASANTS

(By E. C. SMITH, superintendent, Fisher State Game Farm, Pennsylvania)

To present, in complete and comprehensive detail, the entire Pennsylvania system of brooding ring-neck pheasants, would, of course, be quite impossible in the short period of time allotted.

However, the following presentation, it is hoped will reveal at least the many important highlights of this phase of ring-neck pheasant propagation.

The season of 1932 was the last brooding of pheasants by the old hen method, which was not a very satisfactory one. The Pennsylvania Game Commission changed over entirely to artificial methods in 1933, which meant discarding the old style equipment and purchasing up-to-date equipment for the new method. This called for the purchase of electric incubators, hatchers, brooder houses, electric hovers, outside sun porches, wire for runs on the ground, and electrifying the whole brooder field overhead. This turned out to be a very wise decision on the part of the Game Commission.

After doing quite a lot of experimental work on the proper litter to use, we found, baled white pine shavings to be the best. We also experimented with several different makes of hovers, some to our sorrow, and found an ideal electric hover which gave us very excellent results.

BROODING

The first step in preparation for the young chicks coming to the brooder field is the brooder house. The litter is spread over the entire floor approximately 2 inches deep. The hover is then placed in the middle of the brooder house with a wire guard consisting of hardware cloth 18 inches wide, extending entirely around the hover to keep the chicks from straying too far away. On the back and sides this guard is about 3 inches away from the hover and in the front