TWENTY-NINTH BIENNIAL REPORT. 



91 



up from the breeding pens on March 27th. In less than a month these 

 eggs would hatch. They were held as long as possible before being set 

 in order that a few more days might be had in which to have a few 

 pens ready for the young birds. 



On May 1st, the first brood of pheasants hatched and twenty-four 

 pens were finished. The race had been won and the game farm was 

 a reality. From now on, it was a mere matter of finishing more pens 

 and hatching more birds and the pheasant hens were laying quite 

 normally. But at this time, a new problem presented itself. In this 

 particular locality there was a scarcity of Rhode Island and Buff hens, 

 the kind that all game farms bank on for bird production. The writer 

 well remembers driving over one hundred miles in quest of this par- 

 ticular fowl and coming back with no hens and only a few promises 

 for the future. 



Fig. 16. Rearing pens at the State Game Farm at Yountville, showing the 

 sprinkler system which helps provide green food and cover in half of each pen. 

 Photograph by H. C. Bryant. 



The local newspapers and all organizations that could be enlisted 

 were asked to help. The response was good and in a short time it was 

 possible to set the eggs quite readily. In order to further help this 

 condition, incubators were used. Twenty-five hens would be set and at 

 the same time an incubator with 300 eggs would be started. Naturally 

 they would hatch at the same time and the incubator chicks would be 

 given to the hens for brooding and rearing. 



As the eggs began to hatch, it was discovered that the fertility was 

 below normal. This was no doubt due to the noise and confusion and 

 the lack of sufficient cover in the breeding pens. 



A cross-section of the report for the week of June 25th showed that 

 a total of 7639 pheasant eggs had been laid, 2821 birds had been 

 hatched, and there were still incubating on that date, 2354 eggs. Up 



