Evening journal., 1900-03-27
RAISING OF PHEASANTS.
EGGS INcU5ATED BY LITTLE
BANTAM HENS.


Experiments With Mechanical lneu-
bators Have Proved a Failure
Why It is Economy to Use the Do
mestoated Hen for Setting.
The Eastern Shore English pleas
ant preserve OF Mr. John Harrison,
on the Chesapeake shore. in Dorches-
ter County. has been entirely re-
stocked with a vigorous lot Of birds
taken from the wild on the ranges
OF De Guise, in New York State. Mr..
Busick. manager OF this extensive
Maryland game preserve. had much
difficulty last year In securing a
strong stock OF pheasants. the fatal
dificult operation Of bringing the
introduction of new birds to the rang.
es.
Thlrty-hve 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.
ly the breeding stock
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 a state OF maturity on a large
scale Pheasants are probably more
difficult to propagate than any other
bird grown in this country. and In
producing them successfully a scien-
tific knowledge OF the subject Is most
essential. The practical methods In
use at the hatcheries of THE Moors'
differ materially in many respects
from those pursued by many OF the
large Northern fanclers.
The breeding pens at "The Moors"
cover over an acre OF ground. and
are furnished with dense artificial
coyerts 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 a large stock OF good
sitters Is required IN the Matching
house during the incuhating season.
Experiments ana mechanical incu
bators IN this department proved a
failure, and after several breeds ol
chickens. including the leghorn and
games, had been given a trial will
( the delicate pheasant eggs. Sea
brights and bantams were awarded
the contract Of bringing out tn,
young birds from the shells. Aftei
Matching the hens are kept with tn,
young birds until the youngsters star
out a full covering Of feathers. II
large ranges covered and inclosec
young birds begin active life, remain
ing under the protection OF the wir'
until their legs and wings are stronl
enough to enable them to escape tn
hawks and carnivorous animals
among which the opossum, weasel an
mink figure conspicuously, and all q
which seem TO regard pheasant mea
with high favor. When reared in thes
contracted ranges the birds ar
their keeper much of the time, AM
become as tame as chickens; but
strange to say, when they are liber
ated from the pens their wild instinc
comes suddenly to them, and one o
two days is sufficient TO make them a
wild as il they we're reared by thel
mothers in the wild state without tn
aid of man.
The object Of incubating and rear
ing the young pheasants with bantam
hens is to keep the pheasant hen
laying during the time when. IL the
were allowed TO retain the eggs, the.
would be occupied with sitting. A
the current price of pheasant egg
for Matching purposes is from 50 Z
Sc per dozen, it is great economy I
utilize the domesticated chickens Il
doing the work for the pheasant hens
Baltimore Sun.