THE GAME BREEDER 



81 



is shaded by a large pepper tree, its fern- 

 like foliage mingled with the clusters of 

 bright scarlet berries drooping gracefully 

 over their yard. Here their cheerful, 

 genial call can be heard frequently. 



My dear reader, do you not sympa- 

 thize with me — surrounded by such de- 

 lightful climatic conditions — well located 

 to raise hundreds of these, our own 



native game birds, when I say the 

 present game breeding laws of Califor- 

 nia make it almost an impossibility. 



As we experienced so much difficulty 

 in securing a permit for our seventy-five 

 quail, I fear if we should ask for a per- 

 mit to have several hundred birds, the 

 shock would cause the untimely demise 

 of any game commissioner of California. 



QUAIL BREEDING AT THE ARDEN GAME FARM. 



By C. H. Shaw. 



You will understand, no doubt, that 

 we are not handling anything except the 

 CaHfornia Valley Quail. 



As to the size of enclosure for stock 

 birds, we have found that about 1,200 

 square feet of ground is sufficient for 

 100 birds, and this number is allowed to 

 run together as one flock. In feeding the 

 old birds, we do not use anything except 

 a mixture of broken grain and seeds, to- 

 gether with green stuff of some sort, or, 

 in lieu of the green stuff, ripe apples. 



As to nesting facilities, they should 

 have numerous places where they can 

 hide their eggs. We gather them every 

 day, and the birds will, as a rule, select 

 a different place nearly every day for 

 laying. In this climate, they begin to 

 lay about the middle of April and are 

 likely to continue up to the first of 

 August. 



We use bantam hens exclusively for 

 hatching, and do not consider that any- 

 body is warranted in attempting to brood 

 these birds artificially. The loss is too 

 great. As to feeding the young quail, 

 we do not use any of the soft foods, 

 custards, etc., which are recommended 

 by some of the breeders. We feed them 

 the same as the old birds are fed from 

 the beginning, with the exception that 

 the grains and seeds are more carefully 

 selected; also we give them green stuff 

 from the beginning. We confine the 

 brooding hen in a coop, from which the 

 young birds are allowed to range in a 

 separate enclosure, and believe this 



method is safer than allowing the hen 

 to range with them, at least during the 

 first two or three weeks. Following 

 these methods, we have this season 

 hatched fully 99 per cent, of the eggs 

 and brought to maturity 95 per cent, of 

 the birds. 



These birds are quite shy in the be- 

 ginning, becoming more and more tame 

 and easily handled as they grow older. 

 They will, of course, become just as wild 

 as anybody may desire to have them, if 

 they are liberated when they are obliged 

 to take care of themselves. 



In regard to the photographs, during 

 the last two or three weeks we have not 

 had weather which permitted obtaining 

 good pictures. We have taken a num- 

 ber of small ones, but they did not seem 

 to be good enough to warrant sending 

 them to you. At the very first oppor- 

 tunity, will try to get a professional 

 photographer to come here as you re- 

 quest and make some pictures worth 

 using, and hope to obtain them soon 

 enough so that you can have them for 

 your December number. 



How absurd it is to arrest and jail 

 breeders if they profitably look after the 

 quail and grouse and make them plenti- 

 ful. 



How absurd it "seems for the laws to 

 pennit the breeders only to look after 

 common species of game which least 

 need their attention. 



