ARTIFICIAL INCUBATION 



same purpose, but they are all practically based upon the same 

 principle. 



It is necessary to issue one word of caution in connection 

 with the transference of Pheasant chicks from the incubator, 

 and that is to substitute the chickens gradually for the eggs 

 under the broody hens, one half of the dummy eggs being 

 removed and then the other half, the substitution being 

 concurrent. See that the broody hens are free from lice, 

 otherwise the chicks will be infected, and this will materially 

 check their growth. 



Concerning artificial incubation of Pheasant eggs, it may 

 be of interest to refer to the opinions of several head-keepers 

 which are given in the Gamekeeper of January 1909, the 

 editors of that paper offering a prize for the best essay 

 upon the subject, the winner being Mr Stewart Smith, but 

 as two other letters are also meritorious, the author has taken 

 the liberty of reproducing them in the order named. 



The following is Stewart Smith's essay : — 



" The perfecting of the incubator to its present state of 

 efficiency has quite revolutionised the art of rearing Pheasants. 

 One is nothing (no pun intended) nowadays if not up to 

 date, and no keeper who proposes to be in the forefront at 

 his occupation can afford to be without one or more of these 

 useful machines, according to the number of birds he is 

 supposed to rear. 



" I have experimented with incubators in various ways, and 

 I may just as well say it now, personally I do not approve 

 of putting Pheasant eggs in them for the whole period of 

 incubation. The plan I have found invariably to be the most 

 successful is to set the eggs under the ordinary broody hens 

 until they are chipped, then remove all except two or three 

 that are left with each hen, and place them carefully in the 



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