QUAIL PROPAGATION METHODS 27 



fertility and early egg-production. Here is the receipt used 

 by Harry T. Rogers: One third of the whole is shredded 

 (not mealed) alfalfa; scald this separately, about half an 

 hour. For the remaining two thirds mix equal parts of 

 ground corn, ground oats, middlings, and bran, scalding this 

 also separately from the alfalfa. Wet only crumbly moist, 

 never sloppy. Then mix the two, and to each pailful, or 

 twelve quarts, of the mash, mix one quart of dry bone meal. 

 Rogers begins this from March 15 to April i, and continues 

 it through the laying and moulting seasons, to September i, 

 substituting it for one of the two daily feeds, preferably in 

 the morning, as the dry grain feed stays in the crop longer. 

 This might serve to start quails to breed earlier, but other- 

 wise they lay well without it. 



The game-food dealers also make forcing-foods. Evans's 

 is his No. 6 pheasant food, and Spratt's is called egg manna. 

 Both of these are to be slightly moistened. Spratt's cordiac, 

 which is a peppery stimulant, can be added to any of these 

 mixtures now and then. These various special foods need 

 only be used with quails during laying time. 



Other Needs. In addition to the above, it is very im- 

 portant to have fine grit or gravel always before the birds, 

 otherwise they cannot properly digest their grain food. With 

 this mix in some ground charcoal and oyster shells. Rogers 

 also now and then mixes a handful of sulphur with the food. 

 He also keeps a stick of sulphur in the water, which preserves 

 its purity and is good for the birds. It does not dissolve. 

 Clean water, of course, should be accessible, and be kept in 

 the shade. In severe winter weather, when water freezes, 

 they can get along for a while with eating snow. 



Mating Monogamous. The bob-white is probably nor- 

 mally monogamous, though possibly it may become polyg- 

 amous in captivity to a limited degree. Some workers 



