The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-07-27
about the task Of caring for DE ia.

| hatch pheaSantS ana 10 eggs are IN
one of them at the present time.
When the quail begins TO peck at the
| shell, preparatory to coming through,
| the eggs, in some instances, are la
ken away from the hens and placed
in the incubators to hatch out. This
plan has been followed for the pur-
pose of protecting the tender little
chicks that are very apt to be killed
as the mother bird moves about with
the eggs and little birds under her.
No breeders are used in connection
with the incubators. The chicks,
when Matched, are distributed among
the hens which are just starting in
with newly Matched chicks. Thus far
under the bantams, 1870 quail have
been Matched and 1871 eggs are now
being Matched,
Reeves Pheasants Raised With Little
Trouble.
Less trouble has been experienced
in raising pheasants than in the rails
ing of any of the other birds. The
farm was stocked with SO pairs of
Reeves ,pheasants and from these
birds a remarkably large number of
eggs have been secured, in the same
manner as from the quail, the birds
not being allowed to hatch them.
Rhode Island Reds are the hens that
have been found to give the best sat
isfaction in Matching these pleas
ants, helped along by the incubators.
The pheasant birds have laid from so
to So eggs apiece during the season.
In he x,flI cfa hn irdC prodaaa
only 80 to so eggs. From these 1900
birds have been Matched and it is ex-
pected that this will be increased to
make the total 1000 by the end of the
summer. At present there are nearly
700 pheasant eggs being Matched I'M
der hens on the farm. In each of the
coops which hold the Reeves pleas
ants three hens and a cock bird are
inclosed. No attempt has been made
to provide any sort of shelter from
the weather for the pheasants, nor
will any be provided in the coming
winter Experience in other game
farms of the state has shown that
pheasants do not want artificial pro-
lection and they will not take advan-
| tage of such protection when it is
provided them.
Broods of Wild Virginia Turkeys.
Sportsmen could ask for no more
interesting sight than the broods of
wild turkeys that are wandering
around the Wilbraham game farm,
testifying to the fact that Virginia
wild turkeys can be successfully rails
ed in captivity and set free to null
tiply in the woods of Massachusetts.
Robert o. Morris of Springfield
brought from Virginia a hen turkey,
Wildly, as she is called, and present
ed the bird to the farm A tom tur
key of the same breed was then Sc
cured, and from this single pair AZ
wild turkeys were Matched. Common
domestic hens were set upon the eggs
as they were taken from Wildys
nest. but Wildly herself was allowed
to hatch out and care for her last
eggs, laid late in the spring season.
OF the ~ turkeys Matched, 40 are
alive and in good condition.
IL Is a funny sight to see one of
the domestic hens strutting about
with a family of turkeys. nearly
grown. that are larger than the fos-
ter-mother whom they are following.
Apparently the hens find nothing in
congrous in mothering chicks that
are as large as themselves or larger.
They work on the plan that their ia
miles need their care for a certain
period of time. regardless of what de
velopment they may make before that
period is over In general appear
ance these wild turkeys are like the
common domestic turkeys, grown for
use at the Thanksgiving table. Their
tails, however. are a light brown. and
make the distinguishing mark for
which sportsmen look.
Rearing Wild Hungarian Partridge.
The commissioners and the caretak-
er at the game farm are especially
proud of three wild Hungarian par
fridge that have been raised on the
farm. These three, fine looking.
strong young birds. represent great
accomplishment for the farm. Only
those who know of the great Difficult
ty of raising birds of this type will
appreciate what has been done in
rearing them. partridge nest with
Ia eggs was found on Bear mountain
in Lee in the spring, and all the eggs
were brought to the game farm.
where they were placed under hens.
Every egg Matched. but the Difficult
ties then began. Some of the dead
birds were sent TO Harvard Univer-
sity TO be analysed by an expert who
works for the commissioners when
such tasks are to be done. Ii was
found that the partridge. or ruffled
grouse, as they are sometimes called,
had died of Indigestion. Immediately
the food of the chickens was chang
ed. and the three that were then left
alive have since thrived. IL is be-
lieved that in another year partridge
could be successfully raised by fol-
lowing the methods that have been
used with the three chicks that sur
vived the first mistake in feeding.
What to feed the wild birds is a
problem on which depends much Of
the success in raising the chicks. II
the chicks that have just been hatch
ed are TO have any chance of starting
a career with a prospect of long life.
they must be given only one kind of
food. This consists of maggots. The
most disagreeable part of the game
work is the necessity Of securing
maggots. A special house has been
built for the purDOe and old meat Is