Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-09-22
nrTfnI-r erwf.vrrEt.y NEWS.
QUAIL In CAPTIVITY.
YOUNG BIRDS MATCHED AND RAlsEr
IN PHILADELPHIA


IN PHILADELPHIA.
On. Msn ua. Evidently Discovered n
Method Of rsedinE iafsnt quail SO as
to hiring Them 10 Naturity--How lie
Manages Ills Food l. n secret
II lisa fact well known 10 natufnlisis
that animals are much easier 20 talnc
than birds. That Is 10 Fay, mammalia
are more NJ to undergo tho conditions o.
captivity than tho winged aud fsaihorcd
tribcA Tho result "a that tho habits Of
many Of the most common aud Interest
ing binds aro practically unknown. The
reason IA that tho bird requires moro
freedom and air than four footed crea-
lures.
Among the birds which nro rarely seen
In captivity, although tho species is ex.
ir1mcly common, h tho quail, the popu.
lar American Bob White Although
frequent attempts have been made 10
raise thCin ~ other poultry, thoy have
generally been unsucccssful Game pro
servers have kept quail under the most
favorable conditions, aud have induced
Tho wary birds 10 lay eggs and to hatch
their young, but they eau do no more.
When once Matched, the chicks die. Tho
conclusion. therefore. has been reached
TINT tho feeding Of quail Is not properly
understood
These facts being generally recognized,
81 may he u matter Of surprise 10 many
90 learn that a Philn&nlphian has for tho
past three years becnsucccpful Ia hatch.
ing out aud raising quail. Most men
have their hobbies, and tho rearing Of
quail IA Mr. Harry Rudolph'a pct umnsc.
ment II Il such An original hobby that
It may well DO asked how ho acquired
such an idea. Mr.. Rudolph a thor.
ough sportsman. and, 10 quote his own
words, "would rather run than eat"
Quail and pheasant shooting Is hs de-
light, and hs confescs that h. always
had a fancy fof the game little Bob
White. About three yean ago he was
given - brace Of live quail while gun.
ming at Ecwkirk station, In New jersey.
These wcro tho nucleus Of his present
stock. lilo brought them 10 his home,
aud lifted up a cage for thom In his littlo
back lot.
now Im STARTED.
Ilo gradually acquired q few other
birds. which paired OH and commenced
to lay and hatch eggs during the sum.
mcr. The small onos were successfully
Matched out, but died very shortly after.
Mr.. Rudolph determined 10 discover tho
cause Of their early demise, aud. know.
ing It must DO lack Of proper food. do
tormined TO watch the habits Of the old.
CT birds and experiment upon them with
varieties OF grain and insect food.
In spite OF tho amusement 81 his
friends, who considered his attempt i'm.
possible. Mr.. Rudolph act TO work Ia
earnest TO raiso quail. and, after numor-
Gus failures, was able. In hissecond year,
TO successfully hatch aud raise brood
OF quail. lilo had hit upon tho right
method Of feeding them, and the young
birds were as strong and healthy ~ Thorn
under natural conditions. Since then
he reckona that CO per cent. o; his young
hiros have boon successfully brought To
maturity. As statistics show that hard.
ly 90 per cent. ofwild game birds attain
their full size. owing 10 tho number II
their natural foes, such a. hawks and
verinin, this Is an extremely good rec.
ord.
In email yard, scarcely twenty feet
square, Mr.. Rudolph keeps his pets.
The inclosuro Do thut IN On three side,
by u wooden fence. and ON the fourth by
the rear wall Of the house. Around tho
borders are beds Of gcranium and small
shrubs. In tho center is patch Of
grns, with q tall plant In the middle.
On one side OF tho lot are the cages, In
which three brace arc paired oil in sep
nrato coops.
nAIslNu ouAu.
In the fourth cage h lonely and dis
consulate hen, while running loose about
tho yard uro two cocks and hen with
three chicks. Tho latter are n romnrk.
able brood. They werp Matched, with
five Others, on the sth Of July, which is
nearly one month ahead Of the breeding
season. The doiuuct ones woIe killed 10y
the Indictment weather or some other
cause common 10 infant quail, but tho
survivors rumain perfectly healthy.
When the next brood Is born, tho
chicks loose In the yard, together with
tue parent birds, viii be- shut up 10 make
room for tho newcomers. Owing to tho
extreme pugnacity Of tho cocks IL is im.
possible to let moro than one pair loose
at a time, or tho lives Of tho birds would
be endangered. Tho pairing OF Of two
cocks with one hon, although rare, Is oc-
casionally found The two male birds
who champion the little mother hen live
In peace and harmony, and both work
together at making the nests and take
their turn In sitting on tho eggs,
The principal food which Mr.. Rudolph
gives TO his pets is grain; grasshoppers
also form part OF their dietary. But tho
secret by which lac manages TO raise tho
young Mr. Rudolph refuses to reveal.
lie says that It is something natural to
the birds IN wild life. but beyond that
ho will not commit himself The quail
are very fond Of heinpsecd, but they get
30 fat ON It that It's value a. wholesome
food Is very small. II would soon Kin
them of II Is useful, however, IN feed.
lng hens which have been sitting In or
Ger 10 bring them back TO their proper
Observation-Disclosures Ledger.
a Waitress netort.
Cunon once 80 far forgot hImseli as
20 tell a witness, whose evidence ho