This study reports the first successful husbandry and breeding in captivity of wild-caught greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). In October 2003, 21 hatch-year greater sage-grouse were trapped in northwestern Nevada and transported to Fort Collins, Colorado. We held grouse in pens at the United States Department of Agriculture's National Wildlife Research Center for 8 months. We offered a varied diet, including native food items such as sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata and A. tripartita) and yarrow (Achillea millefolium). We housed grouse in a large flight pen and allowed to them free range as one flock. Mortality rate was 16.7%. Several of the grouse exhibited breeding behavior, and 13eggs were laid. We describe the techniques used to house and feed wild-caught sage-grouse. This study has conservation implications for captive breeding of this species of concern.
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Artemisia
Centrocercus urophasianus
husbandry
sage-grouse
West Nile virus