MANAGEMENT OF PHEASANTS IN AVIARIES 



sold by dealers in pheasantry requisites. If the wings have 

 been cut and then the birds are turned again into covert, they 

 are very liable to fall victims to foxes, etc. 



Protection from vermin is an important part in the manage- 

 of the pheasantry, and doubtless there are many other matters 

 that will suggest themselves to the thoughtful reader in con- 

 nection with the management of penned Pheasants, and which 

 the author may have overlooked ; nevertheless he has endeav- 

 oured to describe what may be termed the essential outlines 

 of Pheasant management when the birds are confined to pens. 



Penned Pheasants 



In connection with this subject the following contribution 

 appeared in the Gamekeeper, and being a very practical article, 

 the author has taken the liberty of reproducing it. It is as 

 follows : — 



"Directly eggs are expected from penned Pheasants, the 

 birds become doubly interesting to those engaged in looking 

 after them, and the pens are closely scanned several times a 

 day in search of the first ^^^. Perhaps this is seen in a week, 

 or at least several days before others appear, and then the 

 quantity laid gradually increases till two-thirds of the birds 

 produce an &<g^ each daily. 



" For a time this continues, granted that no cold weather 

 sets in to affect the birds and cause them to cease rapid pro- 

 duction, and then a pause occurs, and eggs come but slowly. 

 The experienced rearer is fully aware that this partial cessa- 

 tion of egg-production is perfectly natural, because it marks 

 the period when the birds if they had been leading a natural 

 life would have laid their nest of eggs, and commenced to sit. 



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