i o Deer Breeding for Fine Heads 



door, so that there is plenty of room for their horns to pass 

 through without the stags having to turn their heads sideways. 



A narrow door, by constantly rubbing against the horns as 

 the stags pass in and out, prevents them, when in velvet and 

 growing, from spreading, and thus produces a narro\v type of head. 



It is indeed absolutely necessary to keep only one stag with 

 each lot of hinds, when in a paddock, as otherwise the stags kill 

 one another, and likewise injure the hinds by fighting over them 

 and hustling them about. 



All two-year-old stags should be removed for the same reason 

 and not kept within sight, or even hearing, of a stag with hinds, 

 or otherwise they get fighting among themselves and kill each 

 other. 



I once tried keeping smaller deer and antelopes in the same 

 paddock with a big stag and his hinds, but the stag killed them 

 all. Here it may be mentioned as a curious circumstance that a 

 stag is apt to kill a hind newly turned into his paddock. I have 

 had this happen several times, and never could account for it ; 

 the stag seemed to take a dislike to the stranger the moment she 

 was put in, whereas with another hind he would be perfectly 

 friendly as soon as she was introduced into the paddock. This is 

 a risk for which the breeder must always be on the look-out ; 

 and when a new hind is introduced, the pair should be closely 

 watched to see if the stag will be friendly. The stag is more 

 likely to become so if the introduction takes place when he has shed 

 his horns, so that he may have time to get accustomed to her 

 before his new horns grow. 



When kept in a park where the ground is uneven, or where there 



