42 FISH AND GAME COMMISSION 



reared and released throngli ttese pens become eommumty property, and 

 receive more protection. 



At the present time the Bureau of Game Farms is serving 129 com- 

 munities in the State with more being under consideration. 



FIELD DOG TRIALS 



It is generally conceded by all well informed sportsmen that the 

 hunting dog is a real factor in upland game bird conservation. The 

 hunter who shoots over a good dog leaves no cripples and actually saves 

 time as well as birds. 



For this reason the Bureau of Game Farms has always taken a keen 

 interest in field trials and the use of more good dogs in the field. 



And at the same time we are fully aware of some abuses along the 

 lines of promotion and commercialism that has crept into this fine sport. 



FERTILITY-HATCHABILITY- BROODING LOSS 



On the average, fertility of game birds' eggs runs about 85 per cent 

 and the average hatchability for the past two years was 60 per cent of 

 all eggs set for the season. 



In the past few years this hatching percentage has been raised each 

 season due to better mechanics and local hatching information. Generally 

 speaking heat, moisture, and ventilation, or better yet the proper com- 

 bination of these factors, causes an egg to hatch a strong healthy chick. 

 All well informed men fully agree that incubation is always a local prob- 

 lem and must be worked out with local atmospheric conditions considered. 



For many years, in fact going back to the old English and Scotch 

 game breeders, it was a general rule that 2i eggs from the laying pens 

 were required to put one bird in the field. Even with modern methods 

 and fine equipment this rule still holds good. 



Xot all eggs are fertile. Some are cracked, or have faulty shells and 

 must be discarded. So when infertile and faulty shelled eggs are dis- 

 carded, and to this list is added dead germ-embryos that die m the 

 process of incubation, we can readily see why it takes two and a half, or 

 even three eggs from the laving pens to put one fully developed bird in 

 the field. 



After the chicks are hatched there is a small loss in the process of 

 brooding, and still another small loss in the rearing pen before final 

 release. When all these factors are considered it is easy to see why it 

 requires 2-| to 3 eggs from the laying pens to put one matured bird in the 

 field for natural propagation. 



