502 ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION OF GROUSE 



Much previous experimentation has been carried on largely by rule of thumb. Funda- 

 mentally, one should have a sound knowledge of genetics to carry out properly selective breed- 

 ing: of nutrition, to attack intelligently the food problem: and of bird physiology and 

 psychology, to handle the pri)l)lenis arising during the mating season. Men thus qualified 

 rarely are attracted to the game breeding field. 



The rearing of grouse also suffers from a lack of manpower of a different category. Even 

 such secondary jobs as feeding and caring for breeders and young birds must be done by 

 unusually keen-eyed and intelligent individuals, capable of detecting details which, if 

 uimoticed. might cause failure in one or more of the project's intricate parts. The Investi- 

 gation once hist a bird because thoughtless workmen failed to pick up a roofing nail dropped 

 in completing a pen; another bird died from swallowing a cigarette butt carelessly tossed 

 aside by an attendant. Failure to recognize and segregate dominant and vicious males has 

 resulted in finding their subordinate companions severely scalped on many occasions. It is 

 difficult to find individuals who. once the novelty of the work has worn off, will day after 

 day attend to the innumerable details incident to keeping a grouse rearing project up to par. 

 The work is much more exacting than is that of raising pheasants, quail or ducks. 



Failure to follow through on the required details is often the greatest source of lost birds. 



Cost 



The last limiting factor to be discussed is the cost, for it is largely dependent upon the suc- 

 cess with which the difficulties previously mentioned are overcome. The possibility of obtain- 

 ing a large number of grouse over which the cost can be spread is strictly limited by the com- 

 paratively small group of eggs produced by each breeding bird. Though this number is being 

 increased by selective breeding at the Research Center, progress is slow and, therefore, 

 expensive. 



At the Catskill Experimental Station and during the early days at the Research Center when 

 every bird produced was involved in one or more experiments, costs up to S15 per adult 

 raised were to be expected. With the incorporation of the results from fruitful research in 

 the techniques followed at the Center, the cost dropped accordingly. Today it will rim between 

 $5 and $8 a bird. 



But the field is still so new that the size of the yearly crop is as yet uncertain. Therefore, 

 no breeder should undertake to raise grouse on a large scale without being financially pre- 

 pared to meet the inevitable lean years. 



SIGNIFICANCE OF ARTIFICIAL PROPAGATION 



No discussion of grouse rearing would be complete without questioning its real value. The 

 answer of course depends upon the purposes to be served by the birds thus propagated. 



If the species were in danger of extermination, there would be sufficient justification alone 

 in the rearing and maintenance of gniiise in captivity without assistance from periodic intro- 

 ductions of eggs or birds from the wild. It is possible that the eastern heath hen might have 

 been saved if the secrets of its artificial propagation had been known. 



We lack such justification for ruffed grouse propagation — for the species is at present in 



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