Attempt to rear Rheas. 
19 
neigl bourhood. These e£;\qs unfortunately proved infertile or 
were more probably fertile, but there beinti^, perhaps, too many 
for the turkey to cover properly, may have got chilled. The 
result from the next seven, for which I also borrowed a turkey, 
was the same and out of the next six I managed to hatch but 
one chick with another turkey, and 1 therefore concluded I had 
given the l^rds too many eggs, though they appeared to cover 
them with ease. Anyhow, if experimenting further I would 
give each turkey only four eggs, so as to make sure the latter 
got a full share of heat. 
T succeeded in proving, however, that it is possible to get 
a turkey to sit on such large eggs and also, I think, successfully 
incubate them. Being much the same size as Emu's eggs the lat- 
ter could also be tried. The advantages of using turkeys are that 
these can be set under cover, and also you have several nests 
instead of only one to depend on. These eggs take six weeks 
to hatch and it -s rarely that we get six weeks without a few 
heavy showers, and, if these are heavy enough to flood the nest, 
either the eggs get chilled or your Rhea forsakes and in either 
case you lose the entire clutch. Whereas even if a turkey does 
forsake, and that is very unlikely, you only lose a few eggs. 
11ie turkey was very pleased with her chick, which, of 
course was not unlike a young turkey, l)ut much larger, and if 
the weather had been decent, I am sure we would have had no 
difficulty in rearing it; unfortunately it was, by this time, weli 
on in September and very cold for that time of the year, so that 
the little creature only lingered on for about a week and then 
died. We sheltered it as well as we could, but, as these creatures 
eat a great deal of green food, T felt T must keep the chick on a 
nice fresh grass run. 
My Rhea hen started laying about the second week in 
.April, generally every third day, and laid 25 eggs, each weigh- 
ing about t8 ounces. These are a beautiful bright primrose 
yellow colour when laid, but fade in a few days to a washy 
yellow, even when brought into the house. The old birdsi 
T find quite hardy, for though they have a shed they never 
use it, preferring to sit out at night even in snow. Unforunately 
this spring my cock Rhea killed his mate and T have been unable 
to find another, and would be glad to hear of one for next 
season. 
