Farmers expressed an interest in helping to increase the pheasant population in 1938. Photo / Unsplash, Leonie Clough
Kem Ormond takes a look at the world of farming back in the day. In this week’s Pastures Past, she’s found newspaper articles on pheasants from 1938 and 1945.
Back in the 1930s, pheasant shooting was a popular pastime.
However, a shortage of birds meant demand for pheasant eggs was running high.
While local acclimatisation societies worked to hatch as many as they could, they struggled to keep up.
Farmers were keen to help increase numbers, offering space and equipment on their farms to hatch more pheasant eggs and rear chicks for release.
Meanwhile, in Whangarei in 1945, a pheasant – described at the time as a hermaphrodite – was shot down by a local sportsman.
This unusual bird was rarely seen, but the interest was so high that it went on display at the Northern Advocate newspaper office.
Below is a selection of historical stories from the New Zealand Herald, the Levin Daily Chronicle and the Northern Advocate.
Keenness of farmers
Strong demand for eggs
[By Telegraph–Press Association]
Wellington. Tuesday.
New Zealand Herald, July 13, 1938
Evidence of the keenness of farmers in parts of the North Island to help in breeding pheasants for liberation was referred to by the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry, yesterday.
An offer recently made to provide from the State game farm at Rotorua surplus pheasant eggs for hatching to members of rod and gun clubs in that acclimatisation district had, he said, greatly interested farmers with equipment on their farms for rearing birds.
“We shall not be able to meet the demand for eggs outside the Rotorua acclimatisation district,” said Mr Parry.
“It is that territory only in which the State game farm operates, other territories being stocked by local acclimatisation societies. It is a good sign to find among farmers a willingness to help the State to improve game shooting. If we could get enough pheasant eggs to enable us to give some to farmers, complaints now made by sportsmen of the lack of birds would be reduced to a minimum.”
Hatchings at Paraparaumu Game Farm
Levin Daily Chronicle, November 1, 1938
Last weekend, some 200 pheasant chicks were hatched at the game farm of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society in Paraparaumu.
Hatching operations at the farm are earlier than usual this year, and their success was favourably commented on by the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. W. E. Parry, yesterday.
“Game sportsmen,” the Minister said, “will be delighted to learn of the early hatching of pheasant eggs at the society’s farm. I hear the chicks are healthy and doing well. Early breeding of birds means so much to the stocking of the game territories in the future. It speaks well for the enterprise and the activities of the Wellington society, which merits the congratulations of sportsmen.”
Mr Parry said the birds at the State farm at Ngongotaha, Rotorua, were laying eggs, and eggs were being assembled in the incubators for hatching.
“With improved facilities and conditions there,” the Minister added, “we should be able this year to show results better than last year. There is now a more hopeful interest than was formerly shown in the breeding of game birds, which augurs well for the sport. A realisation is apparent among sportsmen of what it means to the sport and the country to keep the game areas stocked with birds. The Wellington society has given a praiseworthy lead which, I feel, sportsmen will hope will be advantageously followed by other societies.”
Northern Advocate, June 25, 1945
During the weekend, a Whangarei sportsman brought down a pheasant which proved to be half hen and half cock.
First seen in high paspalum with only the head and neck visible, the pheasant took to the air and was immediately dropped.
The body, tail and one leg are those of a hen, while the head, neck and other leg, which is armed with a spur, are those of a cock.
When the question of its sex was referred to the president of the Whangarei Acclimatisation Society (Mr S. J. Snow), he said that he had been notified of four or five hermaphrodite pheasants each season.
On the authority of the curator of the Christchurch Museum (Mr R. A. Falla), an authority on birds, he had been informed that hermaphroditism was not a sign of inbreeding, but rather of perfect condition and good breeding.
Hermaphrodite pheasants eventually changed into one sex or the other.
The bird is on view at the “Northern Advocate” Office, Water Street, Whangarei.
- Source: Papers Past