Game Birds - Raising Poultry - page 243

It's important to remember that waterfowl game birds should be reared as indicated
in chapter 13 , Waterfowl. They should not be given feed with an exceptionally high
protein content, nor do they have high heat requirements. For all practical purposes,
raise them as you would domesticated ducks and geese.
The same rule applies to game bird turkeys. It is best to raise wild turkeys using
the same rearing methods and feeding practices you'd use to raise domesticated tur-
keys.
The ease with which a temperature can be maintained depends upon the temperature
of the room. It is ideal to have a room temperature in the 70 to 72°F (21-22°C) range.
Small incubators placed in rooms where the temperature is colder than that will have
trouble maintaining or even reaching the ideal incubation temperature. Do not place the
incubator in direct sunlight.
Each species of game bird requires a specific number of days for incubation. Check
the following chart for the more common species. The number of days of incubation
needed for less common species can be found online (see Resources).
Once you are certain the temperature is regulated, place the eggs inside on their sides,
unless a turner is available. In that case, place the eggs small end down. Stop turning
the eggs three to four days before hatching to allow the embryo to grow the proper way
toward the air sac.
Styrofoam tends to trap moisture, and in humid areas you must be careful to avoid
too much wetness inside the incubator. Every incubator has a water tray, the compart-
ment to which water is added to increase the humidity of the machine. If you live in a
humid area — such as the American Midwest, or anywhere east of the Mississippi River
— and you're using the small Styrofoam incubator, do not, for any species, add water
to the incubator tray to increase humidity until you reach the point at which you stop
turning the eggs. This is usually the last three days of the process for most species. The
humidity requirement for the chukar, pheasants, and quail is typically much lower than
that of chickens, turkeys, and guineas. Ducks and geese, of course, have higher humid-
ity requirements. See chapter 18 , Incubation, for specific egg-turning instructions.
More mistakes are made with game bird eggs than are made with any other species'.
This is true in part because many people begin their game bird flock with eggs rather
than hatchlings, finding the day-olds comparatively expensive. Experience with chicken
eggs can help one tackle a game bird egg hatching.