82 



THE GAME BREEDER 



NOTES FROM THE GAME FARMS AND PRESERVES. 



A New Pheasant Breeder. 

 The Game Conservation Society. 



This is the first season I have raised 

 pheasants. I raised eight males and one 

 female. Would you advise me to pur- 

 chase females for the males, that is, pay 

 $120 for 40? I could not use all the 

 eggs, and I have no market for those I 

 would not use. Do you think if I did 

 this I could sell what I would not hatch 

 myself? 



Would you advise me to advertise? 

 One hundred and twenty dollars is a 

 considerable sum for me, and I should 

 want to be reasonably sure of a certain 

 return. 



Can I get good English ringed-neck 

 pheasants for less than $3 each for fe- 

 males. 



I am a reader of your magazine, and 



I feel that you should know just what 



to do. Any advice or information you 



may give me will be greatly appreciated. 



Freeman H. Wheeler. 



[By all means purchase the hens if you can 

 for $3.00 each. Hens have been selling for 

 $4.00 recently. An advertisement will surely 

 sell the eggs.] 



Wild Ducks Overabundant. 



Editor Game Breeder : 



I have about 600 mallards still unsold 

 —full blooded stock — and wish to sell 

 them for eating purposes. I read in 

 your paper that there was a good market 

 in New York. I am for "More Game," 

 but find I have it overstocked. 



E. B. 



Illinois. 



[We are writing to the N. Y. Con- 

 servation Commission to see if you can 

 ship to the New York market. Will 

 let you know the result. Many of our 

 members in other states now send wild 

 ducks and other game to this market. 

 You may be up against a legal absurdity, 

 but we hope this is not the case. — 

 Editor.] 



More Mallards. 



Editor Game Breeder: 



I have about 20 pairs of mallards 

 \which I would like to sell. If you hear 



of any hotel which would take them 

 please let me know. C. D. M. 



New York. 



I still have about 150 mallards to sell. 

 Clyde B. Terrell. 

 • Wisconsin. 



Mr. V. R. Fishel, Hope, Indiana, 

 writes that he would like to send some 

 of his ducks to the New York market. 



Sorry for, you, Mr. Fishel, State game 

 office reports there is a "fool law" in 

 the road. — Editor. 



Breeding Blue Pea Fowl. 



Editor Game Breeder : 



I recently read a statement that the 

 male blue pea fowl is absolutely of no 

 value for breeding purposes until three 

 years of age, at which time he arrives 

 at full plumage. I am breeding these 

 birds and last year bred a male in its 

 second year that had not grown its eye 

 feathers. I bred it with a two-year-old 

 hen with the result that the hen laid and 

 raised five peaks. 



In the ca.talog I refer to it is said 

 "The pea hen does not lay until two 

 years of age, then two eggs, and at three 

 years from three to four eggs, gradually 

 increasing until seven years of age, when 

 she lays eight eggs, after which time the 

 number of eggs grow less every year. 

 Now that is erroneous and misleading. 

 In the Spring of 1915 we hatched and 

 reared on our farm a peahen. This past 

 Spring of 1916 she was bred with a 

 three-year-old male and she laid three 

 eggs and hatched them successfully and 

 from the three eggs we raised three 

 beautiful peaks. 



The writer says that if a three-year- 

 old hen lays four eggs, she must not be! 

 disturbed until the fourth egg is laid 

 when you may take it from the nest and 

 that in about ten days she will make an- 

 other nest of four eggs, when you may 

 set her on the eight eggs, but that is 

 the limit of her laying. That is errone- 

 ous. I have one hen on our place that 

 I purchased from* C. Lovett in the Fall 



