THIRTY-FIRST BIENNIAL REPORT 



91 



few cases it is possible to test hens before they are used as brood 

 mothers, but this is seldom done because of the expense and the neces- 

 sary knowledge. The tests for tuberculosis and diarrhea (B-W-D) 

 are quite simple when you have the equipment. But there are many 

 diseases like coccidiosis, extremely bad among young birds, for which 

 there is no known test. Such hazards as lice and any kind of body 

 vermin are simple to handle, but it is the invisible intestinal parasites 

 that cause the great damage. Because of these disease hazards many 

 game breeders are turning to artificial incubation and brooding. 



Fig. 32. A battery of 8 electric brooders in action at the Yountville Game Farm. 

 Tliese brooders are 8x12 feet with a 6x12 foot run for additional exercise room 

 after the birds are a week old. 



ARTIFICIAL INCUBATION AND BROODING 



During the season of 1928 a start was made at the Yountville farm 

 towards an electric program of brooding. Incubators had been used 

 for a long time in hatching game bird eggs, but the attempts at arti- 

 ficial brooding had been anything but encouraging. In most cases it 

 had proven a failure. However, with improved equipment and more 

 knowledge of feeding, another trial was made. The equipment was 

 first tested out on domestic poultry and then turkeys were tried, with 

 excellent results. From turkeys we went to ring-necked pheasants, 

 using practically the same methods as we did with turkeys, and the 

 results were more than encouraging. With the start of the 1929 

 season we had built better brooding facilities and succeeded in brooding 

 about 1500 pheasants and more turkeys. 



Encouraged by the results of the two previous years our 1930 pro- 

 gram included pheasants, turkeys, quail, and guinea fowl. All of these 

 birds respond remarkably well to electric heat and the better feeding 

 program. Judging from the results so far obtained artificial brooding 

 is here to stay and will be incorporated into all game farm programs 

 of the future. 



