PHEASANTS IN COVERT AND AVIARY 



attained an age of eight weeks never take kindly to the covert, 

 or, at least, are a long while doing so. Directly they are 

 moved, if even to the centre of a large wood, they find their 

 way to the outside, and the most forward are soon wandering 

 over adjacent fields. Birds treated thus learn bad habits, and 

 are more difficult to retain at home, however carefully fed. 



On the other hand, Pheasants shifted to covert at six 

 weeks appear to take more kindly to it from the first, and 

 all through their short career are truly birds of the wood. 

 I quite believe that the sportsman who has small coverts and 

 a limited acreage would do well to get his birds shifted 

 as early as the age last mentioned, and he would afterwards 

 be less troubled with straying. 



The day before I shift my birds they get very light 

 feeding, and are kept in the coops late on in the morning 

 following removal. All are consequently very hungry, and 

 on being released, at once commence to feed heartily on 

 the food thrown down for them. This helps in a great 

 degree to settle them to their new quarters. It is also a 

 very good plan to treat the foster-mothers the same, as 

 some are inclined to be excited and noisy after the business 

 of removal ; but if they are hungry and are provided with 

 a good feed directly the coops are opened, peace and quiet- 

 ness is more likely to prevail. Excitement on the part of 

 the hens is sure to be communicated to the broods, so it is 

 as necessary to calm the former as the latter. 



The more quietly the work of removal is carried out the 

 better, and it is not at all necessary to talk and shout during 

 the process, which is quite alarming enough without these 

 added terrors. Also begin placing the coops down at the 

 far end of the covert so that the vehicle used does not 

 have to pass to and fro at each journey in front of coops 

 already transported to their places. 



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