OTHER USEFUL ANIMALS 



697 



Young quail should be fed four times 

 a day until they are one month old, after 

 which three meals are enough. By this 

 time they will eat whole or cracked 

 wheat, millet or other grain food. An 

 excellent food for all of the birds after 

 the nesting season is over may be ob- 

 tained by exposing a piece of liver or 

 fresh meat to the flies. The maggots 

 soon become so numerous that they may 

 be collected in large quantities by let- 

 ting them fall into a box containing 

 bran or sawdust. The farmer boy who 

 is interested in such matters may stock 

 the farm nicely with quail or may even 

 make a little pin money if he is so in- 



Eig. 447 THE SAGE GROUSE OF THE WEST- 

 ERN PLAINS 



clincd. The quail may be induced to 

 lay 40 to 60 eggs per year in two 

 clutches. They may become infested 

 with lice and one infectious disease ap- 

 peared in captivity. Quail for breeding 

 purposes cost $2 to $12 a pair. The 

 crested species of the Pacific coast are 

 the most beautiful, but bob-white is by 

 no means an unpleasant sight. 



PRAIRIE CHICKENS 



The prairie chicken has become one 

 of the favorite game birds of the central 

 states, but has become greatly reduced 

 in numbers in late years. It has been 

 found desirable, therefore, to raise them 

 artificially and those who have engaged 

 in the business have found it profitable. 

 Live prairie chickens sell for about $4 

 a pair and may be raised for $1 a pair. 

 The prairie chicken lays about 25 eggs 

 a year and the fertility of the eggs is 

 good. The eggs may be hatched under 

 bantam hens and the young kept with 

 the foster mothers for about a month. 

 The older birds are commonly kept in 



enclosures sown to alfalfa, wheat, bar- 

 ley, and oats. The feed most strongly 

 recommended by Darlington is maggots 

 and flies with the addition of a handful 

 of grain from time to time. This sys- 

 tem of feeding may be continued for 

 three months, after which the maggots 

 may be fed, mixed in mash containing 

 several grains. From this time on the 

 maggots in the ration may be gradually 

 reduced. The experience of Audubon 

 and others shows clearly that the prairie 

 chicken may be easily domesticated. If 

 caught when young the wings may be 

 clipped, after which the birds may be 

 fed corn and other grains. When this 

 is done the birds frequently remain in 

 the vicinity of the house and are thus 

 a source of considerable pleasure and 

 profit. 



PHEASANTS 



About 25 foreign species of pheasants 

 have been imported and reared in the 

 United States and at least three species 

 have been reared for game purposes. 

 There are the English, Ringneck, and 

 Golden pheasants. The Chinese or 

 Ringneck pheasant (Phasianus torqua- 

 tus) was introduced into Oregon about 

 30 years ago, where it was cared for un- 

 der confinement and finally turned loose 

 as a game bird. They have multiplied 

 until they now are an important game 

 bird in the state. They have also been 

 introduced successfully along the At- 

 lantic coast where they have mixed with 

 English and other varieties of pheasants. 

 They are smaller than the English 

 pheasant, lay more eggs and wander 

 more. The last named habit renders 

 them better adapted to use as game birds 

 than for domestication. The males of 

 the common English pheasant weigh 

 about 3 pounds, and this species is there- 

 fore a valuable bird for meat. It is 

 also easily reared in domestication. The 

 Golden, Silver, Eeeves' and Lady Am- 

 herst pheasants are far more conspicu- 

 ous for their beautiful plumage, and are 

 not difficult to raise. 



All pheasants require about the same 

 care and attention. A site for a house 

 should be selected on a southern expos- 

 ure. There should be both inside and 

 outside pens, the inside pens with board 

 floors and the outside ones with a high, 

 strong wire screen to confine the birds 

 and to keep out dogs, cats and other 

 pests. The pheasant hens will lay from 



