Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1903-08-27
A MISSOURI MAN EMBAR2s IN A
NOVEL AND PROFITABLE
INDUSTRY.
GAME BIRDS BEING DOMBSqICAqED
New Enterprise the Result Of a Neigh
boris Banter Peculiar Habits
of the Birds Discovered
No Divorces in the
Quail Colony.

COLUMBIA, MO-, August zO.--A new
industry with interesting possibilities
has been inaugurated by Guy Gordon,
Of Columbia. He calls it quail farm
ing, and is working on the theory that
the birds can be raised on the same
principle as barnyard poultry His
experiments have already demonstrat-
ed the fact that quails can be raised
as easily, and with as little expense as
chickens, but the question Of profit
still remains to be determined.
The quail farmer, who is son of T.
s, Gordon, proprietor of the Gordon
Hotel, is at present conducting the
work on limited scale. He has sew
eral acres of ground, Just west of the
hotel, the farm being fenced with
closely woven wire, which prevents
the escape of the birds, whose wings
are clipped at an early age. 1t is the
intention of the owner, however, to
soon remove to Arkansas, where he
will secure tract OF land large enough
to operate the farm on an extensive
system.
His first experiments have already
indicated that the venture may have
large possibilities, and he hopes to
soon have the birds on the market
at prices that may mean fortune.
His present design is to raise only
brood quails, which now sell at "a per
pair, the demand being well up with
the supply.
1t was purely by accident that
young Gordon went into the quail
business. While he was engaged in
cleaning cut chicken incubator one
day, Speed Mitchell, of Boone county,
leaned over the fence and smiled with
the cold disdain OF an old-time farmer
for new-fangled contrivances.
"Why don't you raise quails in that
thing?n said Mitchell. "An old bird
Matched a dozen back Of my barn this
week and didn't have half the trouble
about 1t as you are going to with that
business
Bring me some eggs and will, )"
said Gordon, and thought no more
about it.
But the next week Mitchell came in
with dozen eggs, fresh from quail
nest on his farm. Gordon put them
in the incubator and within twenty
one days nine Of the eggs were hatch
cd. Three of the young quails died,
but six thrived and are now full
grown.
The result was so satisfactory that
Gordon abandoned the chicken busi-
ness and now possesses big coyey OF
quails of all sizes. The youngest birds
are kept In small, wire-coyered quail
yard, but the larger ones are permitted
to play at will about the premises,
their wings having been clipped when
one month old. The youngest birds
must be handled with great caution
and careful regard for temperature.
They are hatched In the incubator at
q temperature Of 104 degrees, and
while in the care Of the mother get
along well enough in the daytime
without artificial heat. All during
the night, however, 1t is necessary to
keep a lamp burning IN the brood
house to insure temperature Of at
least 90 degrees. Like all incubator
products, the birds are surprisingly
tame, and even the full-grown quail
can be picked up and fed out Of the
hand at will.
A pair Of quails once mated are,
strangely enough, united for life. Ev-
en- after the death Of one the other is
not fit for reproduction purposes.
Gordon does not expect to market
any Of his quails for several years, and
bis present design is only to secure a
good supply for breeding purposes.
The average quail hen lays about 16
eggs per year, the setting season last
ing three months, usually from the 1st
of April to the last week in June.
AS there is a good demand for live
birds at "a per pair, the possible
profits of the business are quite
obvious. There seems no reason why
the breeding OF quails should not be-
come as important an industry as the
raising of poultry.