Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1900-06-29
ROCKVILLE MARYLAND. FRIDAY MORNING. So
RAISING OF PHEASANTS.
EGGS sNcueATED ~ LITTLE
BANTAM HENS.


Experiments With Mechanical Incu-
batofs Have Proved Failure
Why 4 Il Economy to Use the Do
mestleated Hen for Setting.
The Eastern shore, English pleas
ant preserve Of Mr.. John Harrison,
on the Chesapeake shore in Dorchda.
ter County. has been entirely re-
stocked with = vigorous lot Of birds
taken from the wild on tho ranges
OF pa 0ulse. in New York State. Mr.
Bust manager Of this extensive
Mari ~ samp preserve, had much
ditiicH last year IN securing q
ntrof s<1k of ph6aH&hts, tho fatal
difficult operation OF bringing the
Introduction of new birds to the rang.
es
Thlrty-flve new breeds of the pure
ringneck or English strain have ar.
rived at THE Moors." and are now In
winter quarters in the breeding pens.
About 100 wild birds are also In the
natural covers, and will aid material
~ tho pIecuihB slOCh
Mr., Busick Is an exceptionally sue
cessful pheasant fancier, and is prob
ably the only one ON this side of the
Bay who has successfully pursued the
difficult operation of bringing the
birds to state OF maturity on large
scale. Pheasants are probably more
difficult to propagate than any other
bird grown In this country, and In
producing them successfully sclen.
tific knowledge Of the subject Is most
essential. The practical methods In
use at the hatcheries of THE Moors"
diner materially In many respects
from those pursued by many Of the
large Northern fanciers.
The breeding pens at "The Moors"
cover over an acre OF ground, and
are furnished with dense artificial
coverts OF green cedar. Each OF these
runs Is occupied during the spring
and summer months by six females
and a cock bird. and from these pens
come all the eggs used In the plant.
Eggs, on being taken from the pens,
are entrusted to the care OF bantam
hens. OF which large stock of good
sitters is required In the Matching
house during the incubating season.
Experiments and mechanical lncu.
bators in this department proved a
failure and after several breeds of
chickens, including the leghorn ana
games. had been given a trial with
the delicate pheasant eggs Sea.
brights and bantams were awarded
the contract of bringing out the
young birds from the shells. After
Matching the hens are kept with the
young birds until the youngsters start
'ut a full covering Of feathers. In
arge ranges covered and inclosed
Young birds begin active ilfo remain.
"a" Dpier the protection OF The wire
1htb 1st' lAg- at..i = ~ - ~, tlvons
enough 70 enable Nthen % escape tho
hawks and carnIvorous animals,
among which the opossum. weasel and
mink figure conspicuously, and all OF
which seem to regard pheasant meat
with high favor. When reared In these
ranges the birds are
necessarily thrown in contact with
their keeper much OF the time, and
become as tame as chickens; but,
to say, when they are liber-
ated from the pens their wild instinct
comes suddenly to them, and one or
Two days is sufficient to make them as
wild as II they were reared by their
In the wild state without the
aid OF man.
The object of incubating and rear.
Ing the young pheasants with bantam
hens is to keep the pheasant hens
laying during the time when, II they
were allowed to retain the eggs, they
would be occupied with sitting. As
the current price OF pheasant eggs
for Matching purposes is from 50 to
SO per dozen, It Is great economy to
utilize the domestlcated chickens In
doing the work for the pheasant hens
Sun.