BREEDING OF GAME

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23355, 25 May 1939, Page 8

BREEDING OF GAME

30 MALLARD DUCK REARED EXPERIMENT AT PARAPARAUMU [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] WELLINGTON, Wednesday A departure in the activities at the Paraparaumu game farm is the breeding of mallard duck, says the annual report of the Wellington- Acclimatisation Society. Mr. C. A. Whitney, of Auckland, presented the society with 500 eggs, which were entrusted to a professional breeder for incubation, but for several reasons the success of this venture did not come up to the council's expectations. However, about 30 matured birds were reared and will be kept for breeding purposes. Experts say , they are a very fine lot of birds, and it is estimated that, given ordinary luck, they should produce about 500 ducks for liberation next year. The council's decision to rear mallard duck is an attempt on its part to meet the request for more game. The growing popularity of game shooting is increasing the council's problem regarding the supply of game, and it is felt that the liberation of mallard duck will,'in a measure, relieve the situation. It is well known to shooting men that there are not sufficient "duck possies" to accommodate all the guns, therefore the mallard duck, being a bird that will not decoy, and that is a frequenter of rivers and streams, must help very materially in the supply of game. Td many shooting men the mallard has a greater appeal than the grey duck; in so far that in addition to its reluctance to decoy, it may be "flushed" with a good water dog. In fact, it is an excellent bird to shoot over a dog and really conforms to the field typo of shooting .rather than that of shooting from a miamia.