The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1903-08-29
WILL
RAISE
QUAIL
Missouri Man Goes
Into il as a
Business
Will DOmesticate Them, Hatch
the Eggs in an Incubator,
and Sell sGame
Birds

and Sell sGame
Birds
Anow industry with interesting pos.
sibilities has ben inaugurated by Guy
Gordon Of Columbia. Missouri. He
calls it quail farming, and is working
on the theory that the birds can be
raised on the como principle as barn.
yard poultry. His experiments have
already demonstrated the fact that
quails can be raised as steadily. and
with os little expense as chickens. but
the question of profit still remains to
be determined.
The quail farmer who Is a son OF T.
s. Gordon, proprietor OF the Gordon
hotel, Is et present conducting the
work on a limited scale. He has sev.
eral acres of ground, just west OF the
hotel, the farm being fenced with
closely woven vie, which prevents
the escape OF the birds, whose wings
are clipped at an early age Il is the
intention of the owner. however to
soon remove to Arkansas, where he
will secure a tract OF land large
enough to operate the farm on an ex.
tensive 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 moan a fortune. His
present design Is TO raise only brood
quails, which now sell at 81 per pair.
the demand being we'll up with the
supply.
Result Of a Banter.
II was purely by accident that young
Gordon went In to the quail business
While he was engaged in cleaning out
a chicken incubator one day, Speed
Mitchell Of Boon county leaned over
the fence and smiled with the cold dis.
dain OF an old-time farmer for new.
tangled contrivances.
why don't you raise quails In that
thing?" said Mitchell "An old bird
hatched dozen back OF my barn this
week and didn't have half the trouble
about IL that you are going TO with that
business"
Bring me some eggs and | will"
said Gordon, and thought no more
about II.
The next day Mitchell came in with
n dozen eggs, fresh from a quail nest
on his farm. Gordon put them In the
Incubator and within 81 days nine OF
the eggs were hatched. Three OF the
young quails died, but six thrlved and
are now full grown.
The result was so satisfactory that
Gordon Abandoned tho chicken bust.
ness and now possesses a big covey OF
qualls OF all sizes, The youngest birds
are kept in a small wire covered 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 a careful regard for temperature
They are hntched in the incubator at
temperature OF 104 degrees, and
while in the caro- OF the mother get
along woll enough in the daytime
without artificial Feat. All during the
night however, IL is necessary TO keep
a lamp burning In the broodhouse TO
insure a emperaturo OF at least 90 de.
grees. 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.
No Divorce Among Them.
The quail breeded has one peculiar
obstacle to contend with In tho matter
OF reproduction. A pair Of quails once
mated are, strangely enough, united
for life Neither the male nor the fe
male will desert it's mate for another
and the loss OF one out OF a pair Is
equivalent TO the loss OF both. Even
after the death OF one the other is not
tt for reproduction purposes. II the
hon quail is paired with any other bird
than her original mate her eggs are
barren and are never known 10 prove
fertile under Gny conditions. This
peculiar law Of nature is serious
drawback. Gs IL Is necessary TO keep
the males and females in equal mum.
bers, but otherwise quail breeding has
many advantages over poultry.
Gordon does not expect 10 market |
any OF his queils for food purposes !
for several years. and his present de |
sign Is only to secure a good supply |
for breeding purposes. Even II he so |
desired he could not market them In |
Missouri at present without violating |
the recently enacted game law. which |
will for several years prohibit the kill.
ing, selling or buying or quails. owing
TO the scarcity OF supply in this state.
The business he Ia no. conducting
may in time prove a solution OF this
very problem as to the future supply
OF birds for sporting purposes. II
they can be raised as easily as chick
ems. cportamen need have no fear for
the future OF their sport. as II would
do away with all possibility OF the
birds becoming extinct.
The everage quail hon lays about l6
eggs per year. tho setting season
lasting three months. uDually from the
lst OF April TO the last week In June.
AS there Is a good demand for live
birds at 81 per pair, the possible
profits OF the business are quite OBJ
viOus There Seems no reason why
the breeding OF Quails should not be
come as important an Industry as the
raising OF poultry.
oil Flows In Widows Well.
The village of McGraw three miles
east OF Cortland. N. Y. which Is