THE REARING FIELD. 49 



especially should that dire enemy " the gapes " put in 

 ater on an appearance, will be found no mean 

 advantage. 



Any field which sheep are fond of and do well upon 

 will almost invariably be found good for young phea- 

 sants, more especially the parts selected by the flock 

 for their resting place at nights. A gentle slope 

 facing the south is the best. Plenty of sun will irradiate 

 such, and sun is, as everybody knows, life, meat, and 

 drink to young chickens. But here let me interpolate 

 a word of warning, to be observed during the first few 

 days that the very young chicks are exposed to the full 

 blaze of Phoebus' s bright rays. The old hen, having 

 been so long confined in a box, will, the first time or 

 two that she feels the warmth of the sun, be anxious 

 to do a bit of scratching and dusting inside the coop 

 on her own account, for her own personal benefit ; 

 and she kicks up such a dust, and stamps about so 

 freely during this operation, that the poor little ones, 

 if they stay inside the coop, get trampled upon, and 

 consequently get driven out into the little wooden 

 yard affixed to the coop. They are too young and 

 tender to stand at first the piercing beams of a bright 

 sun, and in consequence some will get shrivelled up 

 and burnt irretrievably before the maternal ecstacies 

 are at an end, and they can regain a safe and welcome 

 shelter. To avoid this catastrophe, keep your coops 

 turned away from the sun for the first day or two, 

 during the hours when he shineth strongest, or else 



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