MOVING THE COOPS, ETC. 67 



pretty sure to peck her young birds to death in order 

 to get rid of them ; at all events, she will begin to 

 object to their entering the coop at nights. Directly 

 you see any symptons of this shirking of work, be 

 very suspicious of any hen whose comb is beginning 

 to reassume a brilliant red colour; drop that hen's 

 diet, and put her on short commons at once. 



The coops in the rearing field should be arranged 

 in long parallel lines, with plenty of space between 

 them. As they will have to remain in this field until 

 they are old enough to be transported into the 

 coverts, it will be just as well to arrange the coops in 

 proper form at first starting ; and here I must dissent 

 from the plan recommended by all books that I have 

 seen published on the subject of pheasant rearing, 

 which state that the grass should be mown into lanes 

 and squares, with the coops placed in groups of four 

 at the apex of each lane. And now to explain why I 

 have to differ with former authorities. 



It is very desirable, in wet weather especially, and 

 also with very young birds, for the keeper to be able 

 to approach with his feeding tin without too many of 

 the old hens being aware of his presence for some 

 time before he reaches their particular coop. A hen, 

 upon becoming excited by any stranger or unusual 

 occurrence, jumps up from her usual motherly squat, 

 and, as she rises, she closes all her feathers tight ; 

 her chicks are most probably nestling under her 

 wings and among her breast feathers, with their little 



F 2 



