Hand-reared Pheasants in Covert. 51 



Reynard's cunning which the hand-reared bird has 

 yet to attain by experience. 



Care should be taken to feed pheasants in 

 covert along a wide ride or on some open space, 

 because while engaged in feeding they are natu- 

 rally preoccupied, and it is a time when foxes take 

 toll of their numbers. Reynard is keen enough 

 to watch where the birds are fed, and continually 

 lurks round the feeding-places. The ordinary 

 style of feeding-stack cannot be too strongly 

 condemned, for birds feeding on one side of it are 

 perfectly at the mercy of a fox which creeps up 

 on the other side with the stack between him and 

 the birds ; he has only to dash round quickly and 

 seize one. All corn in the straw should be built 

 on staddles, this being a framework raised at least 

 two feet from the ground, so that birds feeding 

 are able to see beneath it. A stack built on 

 these, offers no means of concealment behind 

 which a fox may creep near and spring upon the 

 pheasants unawares. 



Fowls brought to covert in coops with the 

 broods require protecting from foxes. They 

 are not likely to be attacked in the day-time, 

 unless under exceptional circumstances, and at 

 night it is an excellent plan to draw the fronts of 

 two coops close together; then the hens cannot 



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