gi. So OE eee 
ow PHEASANT FARMING XC 
The first edition of “Pheasant Farming” was criticised by a 
lady in Kentucky as follows: ‘The subjects treated are admirably 
handled and leave no doubt in the mind of the 
amateur how to proceed, but you mention nothing of 
the ailments of pheasants and necessary treatment.” 
Under natural conditions pheasants are not subject to disease. We 
know they have no diseases in their wild state. Ninety per cent of 
the so-called diseases of common poultry is the result of unsanitary 
Not Subject 
to Disease 
quarters, improper feeding and lice both on young and old birds. 
Bear in mind that stale and decaying food and unclean drinking 
water in unclean drinking fountains are just the causes that breed 
disease germs. Pens in which birds have been kept for long periods 
of time also invite disease germs. You cannot successfully keep 
full grown birds in a small pen for a year at a time. Even though 
they do not succumb to disease, they will not be in vigorous con- 
dition and the best results will not follow. This applies with greater 
force to young birds; and in the matter of feeding greater care is 
necessary, if you feed custard and similar foods. All such food not 
consumed should be removed from the pens each day. Whether 
you have many or few birds, arrange your pens so that the birds may 
have fresh ground to run on occasionally. The pen sixteen by 
thirty-two feet, with partition lengthwise through the center, as 
suggested in the preceding pages, will accomplish this end. Keep 
the pens, coops, and everything else connected with the pheasants, 
clean. ‘Then, if you use care to keep the food and drinking water 
clean, you will have no trouble with disease or lice. 
All birds in their natural state frequently indulge in a dust bath. 
Lice and dust cannot exist together. The phyrethrum powder sug- 
gested is particularly disastrous to lice. Common road dust works 
in much the same way, though perhaps less effectively; but the 
use of pyrethrum is impractical except in the case of the setting 
hens. It is an excellent plan from time to time to place a quan- 
tity of road dust in a dry portion of the pen. ‘The pheasants will 
avail themselves of its use. Even the very small birds delight to 
wallow in this dust. It will be a good plan if, in the fall of the 
year, you will store away in a dry place a few barrels of dust to use 
the next spring before dust is obtainable from the roads. 
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