vi. PHEASANT REARING (PART F) 91 



hundred eggs set, and no shed or room handy, it is 

 not possible to test eggs, and you will then have to 

 take your chance. Very few pheasant eggs should be 

 unfertile, if procured under favourable conditions, and 

 properly treated by man and hen. 



The eggs will hatch from the twenty-fourth to the 

 twenty- sixth day after they are set ; and, as it is 

 necessary the hens should sit without moving just 

 when hatching, and for a day after, make a point of 

 previously feeding those hens extra well whose nests 

 contain chipped eggs, and on Indian corn only meal 

 is too easily digested to prevent the hen's appetite 

 returning as usual, and to restrain her consequent 

 inclination to leave her nest at feeding time. 



HATCHING OUT 



I have explained how a nest of eggs under a hen 

 should be arranged to hatch as nearly together as 

 possible the chief reason for this being that a hen 

 cannot nestle young chicks and sit on unhatched eggs 

 at the same time ; at all events, she will not do so for 

 long, but will often kill the birds first out if these 

 appear some time before the rest of her brood are 

 likely to do so. 



Do not touch, or feed, or in any icay interfere with 

 a hen . busy hatching. You will know when she 

 commences to hatch by noticing that some of her 



