Incidence of disease antibodies in pheasants and pheasant management on game farms and ...

221 Pages·2016·4.17 MB·English

Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and
Retrospective Theses and Dissertations
Dissertations
1966
Incidence of disease antibodies in pheasants and
pheasant management on game farms and shooting
preserves in Iowa
David John Roslien
Iowa State University
Follow this and additional works at:https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd
Part of theAgriculture Commons,Animal Sciences Commons,Natural Resources and
Conservation Commons, and theNatural Resources Management and Policy Commons
Recommended Citation
Roslien, David John, "Incidence of disease antibodies in pheasants and pheasant management on game farms and shooting preserves
in Iowa " (1966).Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 5333.
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/5333
This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University
Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University
Digital Repository. For more information, please [email protected].
This dissertation has been
microfUmed exactly as received 67-2091
ROSLIEN, David John, 1937-
mCIDENCE OF DISEASE ANTIBODIES IN PHEASANTS
AND PHEASANT MANAGEMENT ON GAME FARMS
AND SHOOTING PRESERVES IN IOWA.
Iowa State University of Science and Technology,
Ph.D., 1966
Agriculture, forestry and wildlife
University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan
INCIDENCE OF DISEASE ANTIBODIES IN PHEASANTS
AND PHEASANT MANAGEMENT ON GAME FARMS
AND SHOOTING PRESERVES IN IOWA
by
David John Roslien
A Dissertation Submitted to the
Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of
The Requirements for the Degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
Major Subject: Wildlife Biology
Approved:
Signature was redacted for privacy.
In Charge of Major WorJ
Signature was redacted for privacy.
Head of Major Department
Signature was redacted for privacy.
Iowa State University
Of Science and Technology
Ames, Iowa
1966
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
I. INTRODUCTION 1
II. HISTORY OF PHEASANT FARMS AND PRESERVES 5
III. REVIEW OF LITERATURE 16
IV. PROCEDURE OF INVESTIGATION 45
V. EVALUATION OF PHEASANT FARMS 84
VI. RESULTS OF SEROLOGICAL TESTS OF PEN-REARED
PHEASANTS 113
VII. RESULTS OF EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES 137
VIII. RESULTS OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES ON PRIVATE
GAME FARMS AND HUNTING PRESERVES 141
IX. DISCUSSION 157
X. RECOMMENDATIONS 183
XI. SUMMARY 194
XII. LITERATURE CITED 197
XIII. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 214
1
I. INTRODUCTION
Wild ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus Linneaus)
occupy an important position in the sporting economy of the
United States. The pheasant is important in Iowa because it
is sought by more hunters and is shot in larger numbers than
any other game bird. In recent years lowans have killed one
to two million ring-necks annually.
The importance of the ring-necked pheasant as a harves-
table resource in Iowa has provided impetus for several re­
search projects on the bird. Lyon (1965), Klonglan (1962),
and Bolstad (1962) completed ecological studies on pheasants
during recent years. Vohs (1964) and Harris (1965) studied
pheasant genetics and physiology respectively. Fore (1959)
and Andrews (1960) investigated blood parasitism and infec­
tious diseases of wild pheasants. These recent studies fol­
lowed up "leads" obtained during earlier investigations
(Green 1937, Basket 1942, and Klonglan 1953, 1955) at the Iowa
Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit.
A great deal is known about the ecology of wild pheasants
in Iowa. Less information is available in an area of more re­
cent interest in Iowa, namely, the ecology of pen-reared
pheasants.
In 1957 the state legislature legalized game breeding and
shooting preserves in Iowa. When preserves were established
2
increased attention was directed to pen-reared pheasants
which have been hunted during a major part of each year since
then.
The present study was the first intensive research on
game farms and game breeding and shooting preserves in Iowa.
Andrews (1960) visited seven game farms in 1959 and collected
blood samples from pen-reared pheasants to supplement his
work on wild birds. Little else has been done with penned
birds in Iowa,
The purpose of the study was to obtain information on
various aspects of pheasant breeding on pheasant farms and
preserves in Iowa with four principal objectives: (1) to make
a serological check of game farm pheasants for specific anti­
bodies against the infectious agents for pullorum, fowl ty­
phoid, fowl paratyphoid, paracolon, and Newcastle disease
virus, (2) to locate all pheasant farms and preserves in the
state and to study their distribution, size, annual production,
and number of years of operation, (3) to determine and to
evaluate management practices on game farms in Iowa and, (4)
to collect survey data to determine what other parasites and
diseases occur in pen-reared pheasants, and to evaluate the
incidence, prevalence and distribution of these infections and
their relative importance.
The role of diseases in wild pheasant populations is not
well known; however, references in the literature suggest
3
diseases may have an effect on wild populations of pheasants,
although in many cases direct evidence for such statements
does not exist. In Iowa interactions between wild and pen-
reared pheasant populations occur when wild birds enter farm
yards and when penned pheasants escape. Wild pheasants are
often called farm game because they occur on farms and are
common visitors to farm groves and yards during some times
of the year. Information from conservation officers and other
conservation commission personnel indicate game breeders re­
lease pen-reared pheasants into the wild to mingle with wild
populations. A proper evaluation of disease problems in
pheasants must include information from both wild and pen-
reared populations. Wild pheasants are an important resource
in Iowa and it is important to investigate factors which might
influence this resource. The condition of game farm pheasants
and the number released into the wild are two such factors
under investigation in this study.
The Iowa Conservation Commission licenses and regulates
game farms and game breeding and shooting preserves. The
formulation of sound regulatory policy is not possible without
adequate information on all aspects of pheasant breeding and
shooting in Iowa. Pheasant breeders also need information on
management, diagnostic services, and techniques of successful
game farm operation. The conservation commission has generally
not made this information available to game breeders, many of
4
which are not able to get enough information to operate
efficiently.
This study was conducted to obtain information needed by
game breeders, shooting preserve operators, and the Iowa Con­
servation Commission.
5
II. HISTORY OF PHEASANT FARMS AND PRESERVES
A. General History in Iowa
A general history of game farms and game breeding and
shooting preserves in Iowa is presented as a basic ground work
to the present study. Such information has not previously
been assembled in a single paper. The Summary presented here
is based on such literature as could be located. Success and/
or failure of game breeding establishments throughout past
years provides an indication of what problems may have existed
and how these problems may have been solved. The relationship
of these problems, past and present, to game breeding is of
major interest at the present time.
A published history on the number of game farms in Iowa
since 1932 can be found in the biennial reports of the Iowa
Fish and Game Commission (1932-1963). This source refers to
private pheasant farms in Iowa as early as 1930. The history
of game breeding and shooting preserves in the state is well
defined from the time of enactment of the Iowa game breeding
and shooting preserve law in 1957.
B. History of State Game Farm
In recent times all game farms in Iowa, with the excep­
tion of the Iowa State Game Farm at Boone, Iowa, have been
privately owned. Conservation Commission game farms at Lan­
sing and Clive, Iowa, have not operated since the 1930's.
6
The Iowa Wildlife Research and Exhibit Station (formerly
called Iowa State Game Farm) has been the largest game farm
in the state during the past 30 years. Records of pheasant
production at this farm have been published biennially since
1938 and a summary of this information is presented (Table 1).
In 1940, 45,000 pheasant chicks were hatched at the
State Game Farm but production decreased gradually to 3,500
birds in 1961. No pheasants were hatched or reared by the
Conservation Commission Station in 1962 and the ring-neck
pheasant production program has operated on a limited basis
since then.
In 1932 the biennial report states that game farms oper­
ated at Clive and Lansing curtailed operations because a
recently conducted game survey indicated better results were
obtained if birds and eggs were purchased from commercial
game breeders. From 1932-1938 private game breeders supplied
parent stock whenever needed for release. Commission game bird
stocking programs during the period were limited to introduc­
ing parent stock into areas where pheasants previously existed,
but where they had subsequently been reduced to low levels.
This supposed need for parent stock was limited to local 4-H
club pheasant egg projects until about 1935 when a series of
unfavorable drought years coupled with the severe winter of
1935-36 reduced wild pheasant populations in Iowa. The hunting
season was closed in 1936-37. Even so, poor production the