Specific Antibodies for Mycoplasma in Pheasants on Game Farms in lowa

Serums from 838 ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) reared on 28 Iowa game farms were tested for Mycoplasma gallisepticum specific antibodies. Two hundred serums reacted with tube agglutination antigen, but only eight were confirmed with the hemagglutination-inhibition test

Occurrence of Haemoproteus nettionis in Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa L.)

The protozoan Haemoproteus nettionis was found in 77 of 168 wood ducks (Aix sponsa L.) live-trapped on the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge in September, 1963. No parasitemia was found in 68 wood ducks live-trapped in July and August, 1959 at the Union Slough National Wildlife Refuge in north-central Iowa. A description of the parasite from wood ducks on the Upper Mississippi Refuge is presented

Some Blood Parasite and Disease Antibody Findings in Wild Rio Grande Turkeys Stocked in Iowa

Thirty-nine wild Rio Grande turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia), live-trapped near Sonora, Texas, were tested for various blood parasites and disease antibodies before being released in the Yellow River State Forest in Allamakee County, Iowa, in the fall and winter of 1960-61. Haemoproteus meleagridis was found in 79% of the 39 turkeys· Salmonella pullorum in 15%; and chicken embryo lethal orphan virus (CELO) antibodies in 1 of 9 birds tested for evidence of that disease. Ornithosis was found in one pooled sample of serum that involved 4 birds but it was absent in 15 birds. No evidence was detected for Salmonella typhimurium, Leucocytozoon, Trypanosoma, Plasmodium, Mycoplasma, Newcastle disease virus or western equine viral encephalmoyelitis

Blood Parasites in Relation to Pheasants and Quail in Iowa

Blood parasite investigations of ring-necked pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) and bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) were conducted in Iowa during 1957-59 and 1959-61. Wild pheasants from Winnebago, Union, Ringgold, and Adair counties, and wild quail from Ringgold and Wapello counties were checked for blood parasites. Pen-reared pheasants and quail checked for blood parasites were supplied by the State Wildlife Research and Exhibit Station at Boone and by private game clubs. Examination of blood smears from 364 pheasants and 673 bobwhite indicated no positive cases of Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon, or Plasmodium. Experiments aimed at inducing infections of Plasmodium in pheasants and Leucocytozoon in bobwhite were unsuccessful

Pheasant Farms in lowa

An investigation of privately owned pheasant farms in Iowa was conducted from 1960 to 1963. The objectives of the study were to locate all pheasant farms in the state and to study the distribution, size, annual production and years of operation of these farms. The majority of pheasant breeding operations were located in the southern half of Iowa. A total of 254 individuals reared pheasants during the study, but only 31 pheasant farms operated continuously from 1960 to 1963. The average number of farms per year was 119. A total of 84,943 pheasants was produced during the study. Large pheasant farms (over 500 birds) comprised 5% of the total number of farms, but produced 82% of the pen-reared pheasants. Most pheasant farms (88%) produced fewer than 100 birds each year. An average of 43% of the operators reared pheasants for the first time in each of the years 1960 to 1963. Pheasant breeders in Iowa varied in level of education, background, and employment. No persons depended upon a pheasant farm to supply their entire livelihood. Most operators reared pheasants as a hobby, for local stocking, or for home food consumption. A few sold birds to food processors and to commercial shooting preserves