PHEASANTS IN COVERT AND AVIARY 



bought for about 7s. per bushel, and an occasional feed of 

 this will materially help to prevent birds from straying ; but 

 as previously stated, no food of any kind, natural or artificial, 

 will keep birds at home, unless there is a sufficiency of it, 

 which they are able to obtain with regularity, and above all 

 have free access to water. 



The reason why Pheasants are inclined to stray after a 

 feed on acorns is due to the large amount of tannin or 

 astringent matter contained in the acorn. This creates a 

 degree of thirst, so that unless water be readily accessible, the 

 birds will wander to find it, and the habit, once acquired, like 

 every other vice, becomes chronic ; the precedent thus estab- 

 lished soon leads to others following. 



Make a point of feeding the birds early in the morning, 

 exactly at the same hour, and again at night, just about one 

 hour before they go to roost, because if the night feed is left 

 too late, this acts as another incentive to stray, it being con- 

 trary to the rules of nature to roost on an empty stomach. 



It is in the covert that the keeper has to " condition his 

 birds," and he cannot do this without an abundance of food, 

 good in quality, reasonable in quantity, regularly given, and 

 judiciously changed from one variety to another. As with 

 human beings, a change of food is distinctly beneficial, and 

 the epicurean views of the Pheasant cannot afford to be 

 ignored, otherwise it will take upon itself to search " Fresh 

 fields and pastures new." 



The majority of keepers are in favour of maize, and there 

 is no doubt that it has a higher feeding value than any other 

 cereal ; but its continued use leads to an excessive deposit of 

 fat, not only around the internal organs, but also between the 

 skin and flesh, rendering the latter rather dark in colour. It 

 has been asserted by epicures that it makes the birds tougher 

 than they ought to be. It may be given either whole or 



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