MONTHLY WILDLIFE RESEARCH LETTER 
Vol. 2, No. 6 
Page 3 
than they did during the 1957-58 season. Adult males averaged 16.2 pounds and 
juvenile males 11.1 pounds. Parous females averaged 13.2 pounds and nulliparous 
females 10. U pounds. 
Condition factors, a reflection of the animal's body condition, for 
the past two seasons also indicate that all groups were in poorer condition 
during the 1958-59 season than during the 1957-58 season. As expected, adult 
males had the best body condition each year. They were followed by parous 
females and then juvenile males and nulliparous females. 
W-61-R-2 F. Greeley, J. Ellis 
The experiment on the effects of different amounts of calcium in the 
diets of laying hen pheasants was concluded in the first week of June. On April 
13, 9 hens had been killed while they were still eating a high level of calcium 
and some had started laying eggs; on April 2h, 26 hens were killed after those 
placed on low calcium diets on April 13 had ceased laying for 3-h days; on June 
3-5, 20 hens were killed, a large series of eggs having been layed by those 
birds on higher levels of calcium. Four hens died during the experiment. 
All birds were autopsied. Counts of ovulated follicles were made on 
all but two hens; the follicle counts indicated that, among hens on low calcium 
diets, about twice as many ovulations occurred as there were eggs found although 
the eggs were collected twice daily. Some of this discrepancy may have resulted 
from ovulation and resorbtion of eggs in the body cavity, eggs layed without 
shells or membranes and being lost through the wire floors (rats thrived beneath 
the pens and may have eaten such yolks and whites), or errors in counting 
ovulated follicles. Among hens fed sufficient calcium to continue laying, fewer 
ovulated follicles were counted than there were eggs found, but among hens fed 
less calcium, more ovulated follicles were counted than there were eggs found. 
Evidence that the birds fed low calcium diets had eaten eggs was rarely found. 
All hens had large, unovulated follicles and unresorbed, ovulated follicles 
indicative of recent laying, however. Most hens, regardless of the amount of 
calcium in the diet, had new eggs, with shells, in the oviduct. In spite of 
possible errors in counting ovulated follicles, it seems evident that more eggs 
were ovulated by hens on low amounts of calcium than could be accounted for 
by the number of eggs laid. Nevertheless, it was evident that low calcium in 
the diet did restrict egg production. 
Field data from the Neoga and Bellmont areas indicates that pheasant 
brood production is down when compared with 1958. On the Neoga area 16 pheasant 
broods had been located by the end of June, 1958. This year, however, four 
broods have been located; two were observed by project personnel, and two were 
reported by farmers. The broods ranged in size from 1 to 15 chicks; average 
size was 8.5 chicks per brood, approximately the same as recorded in 1958. Ages 
of the pheasant chicks ranged from 1 to 8 weeks; average age was 5 weeks. 
