Evening journal., 1900-02-03
REARING OF PHEASANTS.
WORK DONE AT THE Mo0Rs'
IN DORCHESTER COUNTY.
BANTAM HENS DO THE INcUBAT-
ING WHILE THE WILD BIRDS
KEEP LAYING EGGs-RUNs AMI

ING WHILE THE WILD BIRDS
KEEP LAYING EGGs-RUNs AND
RANGES.
The appended article from Church
Greek. Ma, Will be CT interest to Nil-
luinston spOrtsmen:
The Eastern shore English pheasant
preserve Vi John Harrison, IN tle
/ Cnesapeake shore In Dorchester cOun-
ity, mas been entirely resIoeked with
a vigorous lot oil binds taken from the
wild on the ranges OF DE Gulse IN Now
/ York Stale. Mr.. busick, manager OF
this extensive Maryland preserve, had
dlniculty last year In securing strong
stock OK pheasants, the iatal snow OF
70 having necessltated the introduce
don Oh new bros TO the ranges.
Inirty-Ave new breeds VI the pure
lrinsneck or English strain have ar
rived at The MooIs' and are now In
~ inter quarters in the breeding
pens. About a hundred wild b.rds re
also in the natural covers and will ala
materially the breeding stock.
Dir. Busick Is an exceptionally sue
cesslul pheasant iancler and Is prob
ably the only enc on this side OF the
bay who has successfully pursued the
'dlAicuit operation Of bringing the birds
to a state of maturity on a large scale
Pneasan.s are probably more difficult
% prUpu gate than any other bird grown
ia this country, and in producing them
successfully a scientific knowledge OF
the subject is most essential. The
practical methods in use at the hatch.
cries Of THE Moors" differ materially
10 many respects from those pursued
by many Of the large Northern fan
ciers.
The breeding pens at "The Moors'
cover over an acre of ground and "a
furnished with dense artificial covert
OF green cedar. Each of these runs is
occupied during the Spring and sum
liner months by six females and cecil
b' q, and from these pens come all ia,
eggs used In the plant Eggs on beilE
taken from the pens are intrusted e
lie care Of bantam hens, Of which .
large stock of good sitters Is required
IN the Matching houses during the in
cyhating season.
Experiments with mechanical incu
b9tOrs In this department proved TAIL
IRE. and after several breeds of chick
ems. including the Leghorn and games
bed been given a trial with the deli
cate pheasant eggs. Seabrights anC
bantans were awarded the contract D
bringing out the young birds from thu
ahells. After Matching the hens arr
kent with the young birds until thl
youngsters start out a full covering %
feathers. In large ranges covered ont
I. irclosed with inch mesh pouli
wire the young birds begin active lie
remaining under the protection Of tn
wire until their legs and wings ar
strong enough to enable them to es
cape the hawks and carnivorous ani
mails. among which the opossum, wea
sci and mink figure conspicuously, an
lar Of which seem to REGARD pheasan
meat with high favor. When reared (
these contracted ranges the birds ar
necessarily thrown in contact wit
; tleir keerer much Of the time and be
come as tame as chickens; but, strang
"a say. when thew are liberated fror
5 The rens their wild instinct comes sud
denly to them and one or two days ar
sufficient to make them as wild IS
they were reared by their mothers L
the wild state without the aid Of mor
The object of incubating and rearin
J The young pheasants with bantam hen
Is to keep the pheasant hens layin
during the time when, If they were ~
r.aFafa tho thew won