Game Farming for Pleasure or Profit 



i;> II !•: \i I'. !•: i; t k. .i o w 



of 'I'lic National Assoi-ialioti nf AiiiIiiIkiii Sociclii's 



Dri.'INd th<- \:\M ['v\\ \c;ir> ii 

 I i-i'm;irk;ililf t idc of inlcri'sl ii) 

 till' siihjrcl of ^aiiic faniiini;' 

 has arisen all ovci' the count rv. .lust 

 previous to this was a period of experi- 

 nieiitatioi). ami of skepticism on tlu' 

 j)ai't of many as to tlu' practicability 

 of the work — eoniparahle to a similar 

 period in the history of a\iati()n. Now 

 that -uccessful d(iiioii>i lai ion has been 

 maiK' by many persons, pune-farniing 

 enterjiriscs are >tartinj2: up all over tbe 

 I'nitcd States and Canada. While ef- 

 forts with some s})eeies oi' game are still 

 in tlie experimental stage, enough suc- 

 cess has been attained with various iin- 

 ptn-tant species to make proi)agation of 

 game i-learly worth while. 



Aside from any financial profit, 

 there is a distinct fascination which 

 leads many to nndertake such work. 

 There is a widespread interest in wild 

 birds, an enjoyment of their very pres- 

 ence, especially of kinds of any consid- 

 erable size or which have become scarce. 

 The hunting instinct, of pursuit and 

 ac(ptisition. is also very keen in many 

 jieople. Actually to be able to produce 

 charming wild bird life. es])ecially such 

 as is connected by association with ex- 

 hilarating sports afield, to watch the 

 birds grow up. to ha\e them thus read- 

 ily accessible in the open, with superior 

 opportunity to study aiul observe wild 

 traits, are most enjoyable. 



The ])ropagation of wild game is des- 

 tined, furthermore, to become one of 

 the most important factors in saving 

 and restoring valuable species which 

 the growth of "civilization" inevitably 

 would render extinct. It is most impor- 

 tant that legislation should enconrage 

 and promote the pro|)agation of game, 

 not obstruct it. We are just emerging 

 from a period when pi-ogress clearly has 



been I'ctarded by Well-meant but short- 

 sighted ell'orts to sav(! it. A hiinler 

 pays a dollai- for a lieensi! and kills, 

 say. a hundred liirds. it has been law- 

 ful to ha\e many dead ones, but a crime 

 to be caught with one alive and un- 

 wounded I i)\\v domestic )»oullry was 

 originally a wild species — very wild — 

 with restricted range. Thanks to 

 "'game farming" it is now the most 

 al)undant and useful species on earth. 

 Had it been ■■protected"" as wc have 

 been i)ro1ecting our game, there prol)- 

 ably would not be one left on earth to- 

 day. European countries are far ahead 

 of us in these matters. It is estimated, 

 for instance, that the pheasant popu- 

 lation of England is double that of the 

 human, the result of just a few decades 

 of broadminded legislation, allowing 

 ])eople to hold, breed, and sell game 

 that they had raised. Happily, we are 

 emerging rapidly as a nation from our 

 recent darkness, and slate aftei- state is 

 ])assing more liberal laws. 



The pro])agation of wild game re- 

 quires careful attention to details, espe- 

 cially to matters of sanitation, as wild 

 species are very susceptible to diseases 

 of uncleanliness. No one is cpialified to 

 undertake it who has not a deep inter- 

 est in the birds themselves. Always 

 begin on a small scale, and learn the 

 technique by first-hand experience. It 

 would be tbe height of folly to lay out 

 ])lans on ])aper and plunge into any 

 great game-farm ])roject. (Jame f;irm- 

 ing had l)etter begin as an adjunct to 

 other diversified farming, and make a 

 gradual and healthy increase. 



In making a beginning it is usual to 

 start with a few ring-necked pheasants 

 for a '*try-oiit."' '^Phese are easily ob- 

 tained, are hardy, less liable to disease 

 than Mime, ami ev(»rv <l(\iler can fur- 



