^^ ___^ 



In preparing the wet mash, the egg should gradually be decreased and 

 the pheasant meal increased as the birds get older. It is important to 

 bear in mind that egg and pheasant meal are the principal ingredients. 



Mr. Rogers uses no barley meal or rye because of the tendency of these 

 grains to sour. 



If the hens are allowed to run loose in the rearing field with their 

 broods, it is wise to take a different course each time the round of the field 

 is made at feeding time. Otherwise, they quickly learn the keeper's route 

 and the congestion that follows frequently leads to fights among them. 



PREPARATION OF WET MASH.— Chop the hard-boiled eggs and 

 mix with cracker dust as previously described. Corn meal or middlings 

 may be substituted for cracker dust. The next step is to prepare the pheas- 

 ant meal, which is put in a separate dish and moistened slightly with water 

 or milk. Work with the hands till thoroughly moist but not sloppy. 

 Now, place the moistened pheasant meal in the receptacle containing the 

 chopped egg and mix the two thoroughly by hand, adding enough corn 

 meal and middlings to make the mash crumbly. Rice may be added 

 from time to time. It checks looseness of the bowels. It should be well 

 boiled with every grain separate. In preparing it, place the grains in a 

 double boiler, filled with hot water, and boil ten minutes or more. When 

 cool, mix first with corn meal and then add to mash, working it well in. 



BONE MEAL. — Bone meal should be occasionally added to the 

 mash, but never constitute more than ten per cent, of it. 



It is impossible to give the relative amounts employed in making the 

 wet mash feed described above, as enough of each ingredient must be 

 added to constitute a dry, crumbly mass which will easily fall apart when 

 thrown upon the ground. The hard-boiled egg and pheasant meal make 

 the bulk of the mass and, as stated above, the proportions of these 

 vary with the age of the chick, the pheasant meal being increased as 

 time goes on. 



SIMPLER FEEDING POSSIBLE.— Where only a few chicks are 

 being reared and birds have free range, the mash can be considerably sim- 

 plified, the number of feeds a day cut down after the first ten days and the 

 percentage of dry feeds can be increased sooner. The insects that the birds 

 will get on the large range that is possible where only a few are reared 

 benefit them vastly more than any food that may be given them. 



Experiments conducted on a small scale in times past indicate that it 

 may be possible to rear pheasants successfully on dry feeding alone, start- 

 ing the young birds off on chick grain and adding wheat after the first week 

 to create a more stimulating ration. So far, no one breeding birds on a 

 large scale has been willing to take the risk. This is a matter which the 



