THE INCUBATOR-BROODER METHOD OF RAISING GROUSE 475 



Particular care should be taken to see that the birds are free of lice or mites which might 

 infect the grouse chicks upon hatching. It is common practice to dust the bantams thoroughly 

 with pure pyrethrum powder several times well in advance of the hatch. 



The hen should be fed and watered each day at a point a little to one side of the nest. 

 Unless the weather is warm and the eggs well along towards hatching, the time off the nest for 

 feeding should not exceed ten to 15 minutes. 



Construction of Hatching Coop and Nest. A hatching coop to enclose nest and broody ban- 

 tam may be improvised from material at hand. Good ventilation and the ability to close 

 the coop securely at night to keep out predators are prerequisites. At the Catskill Station, 

 where most eggs were hatched by bantams, simple pens two feet square, built in series with 

 removable tops but without bottoms, proved reasonably satisfactory. One may also use the 

 ordinary pheasant hatching coops for this purpose. 



The nest may be built inside a wooden frame 12 inches square and about 4 inches deep. 

 The earth should be hollowed slightly and dampened before being lined lightly with dry 

 grass. 



Care of Eggs. Cleanliness in and about the nest is a small item but important. Clean eggs 

 hatch better. Chicks, soon after they are dry, start picking at their surroundings. Dirty 

 conditions foster disease. Soiled eggs may be cleaned off with a damp cloth, taking care 

 not to use much water. 



During a prolonged dry spell, the eggs occasionally should be sprinkled lightly with luke- 

 warm water while the hen is feeding. 



Grouse eggs under outdoor conditions normally hatch in about 23y2 days, usually pipping 

 from six to 12 hours before hatching. At this time it is wise to build up the nest frame with 

 boards six inches high to prevent the chicks from straying. 



As the hatch progresses, leaving the egg shells in the nest helps to prevent the hen from 

 sitting too heavily on the delicate new arrivals. Though the hen should not be unduly dis- 

 turbed during hatching, one may transfer groups of chicks to a pre-heated brooder, as soon 

 as they are dry. To leave them in the nest longer is to run unnecessary risk from trampling. 

 Furthermore, most hens are carriers of such diseases as coccidiosis or blackhead, to which 

 young grouse are extremely susceptible. Occasionally, too, a bantam, disappointed at the 

 hatch, may destroy the entire brood with a few sharp pecks. 



Great care should be exercised to avoid chilling while conveying the chicks to the brooder. 

 The hover under which they are to be placed should be regulated and pre-heated and all else 

 made ready to receive the birds before they are transferred. 



The hen never should be allowed to hover the newly hatched chicks for any length of time. 

 Any attempt to rear the young grouse with a bantam foster mother is almost foredoomed to 

 failure. Unnecessary risks result from intermingling the very occasional bird, thus raised, 

 with other grouse, for it is a likely carrier of disease. 



The Incubator Method 



In the light of yesteryear's experiences with bantams, by far the most satisfactory way of 

 hatching any quantity of grouse eggs is with an incubator, skillfully operated. But grouse 

 eggs are so valuable that this method should be used only by an individual well versed in 

 incubation techniques. 



