STATE GAME FARM NEAR ROTORUA

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 113, 6 February 1937, Page 8

STATE GAME FARM NEAR ROTORUA

Successful first Season Dominion Special Service. Rotorua, February 5. Set so close to natural conditions that the young pheasants can hear the call of their wild kin on the hillsides, the State game farm at Ngongotaha, six miles from Rotorua, is well ahead with its work of providing game birds for next season’s sportsmen.’ Mr. J. Digby, who for years has successfully bred ami reared pheasants for the North Canterburv Acclimatisation Society, is in charge of operations. As late as September 1, 1936, rhe site of the present, farm was covered with scrub and fern as the surrounding areas now are. Since then, buildings, pens and coops have been built, parent birds and eggs secured, and the task of hatching and rearing young pheasants proceeded with. lii spite of the late start there are now nearly 900 young pheasants in various stages of development on the farm, while the curator plans to raise 1100 before the end of this breeding season,. Of the chicks raised at the Government farm so far, 350 have been from incubators and brooders and the rest from settings made under hens. There are at present only 50 breeding birds on the farm, some being locally bred and some Imported from England. The egg suppty has been augmented by a batch of 500 obtained from Mr. H. Hardcastle, Rotorua.

The 50 young pheasants, which are more than'two months and a half old, are growing into good birds. They have a good deal of freedom in a holding pen of netting 50 yards square. The liens still call them to feed there, but, at this stage, they are developing much of the shyness ami alertness characteristic of their species, which is to stand them in good stead against their enemies, natural ami human. After they are 16 weeks old they will be well developed birds and will be liberated. The liberating of the birds calls for as much knowledge ami care as the breeding of them. This is n point at which many pheasant-raising experiments have broken down. All the birds from the farm, except stock birds, will this year be liberated in tlie Rotorua acclimatisation district, which is under the direct control of the Department of Internal Affairs. Already this area is well stocked, for it is not unusual to come upon three or four birds along the roadside in the course of a tenmite ride. But the Minister aims to make this district as renowned for its shooting as it now is for its troutflshing. Indeed, the new farm is also to be the site of a new trout hatchery, which, it is expected, will be established before next stripping season. One of the advantages of the locality, which, including the uncleared portion, is 13 acres in area, is that a stream runs through it from the spring which supplies Ngongotaha village with water. This water is valuable for the raising of both pheasants and fish.