vi. PHEASANT REARING (PART F) 93 



has elapsed they have not digested the large supply 

 of food, in the form of yolk of egg, which they 

 absorbed into their bodies just previous to hatching. 



Nor will the hen require feeding ; for, if attentive 

 to her duties, you could not induce her to leave her 

 brood. But should a hen be a long time in hatching 

 a couple of days, for instance you can place some 

 corn within her reach, so that she can pick it up 

 without leaving her nest. 



The hens and chicks should not be taken from the 

 nests to the rearing field till about twenty-four hours 

 after the first bird was hatched always supposing 

 the remainder appeared within a few hours of the 

 ones first out. Examine the nest twelve hours after 

 the hen has commenced to hatch ; if the eggs are all 

 empty, allow another ten hours before moving to the 

 rearing field. If there are any unhatched eggs still 

 in the nest, delay the move to the field, as the last 

 chicks to hatch should not be moved till they are dry. 

 If one or two chicks do not appear likely to come 

 out, though partly through the shell, they had better 

 be sacrificed ; as if the hen is kept too long on the 

 nest without food or exercise she is sure to turn rest- 

 less, and perhaps kill the birds that are safely 

 hatched. 



I have tried assisting chicks out of their eggs, but 

 for one successful operation have generally suffered 



