PHEASANTS 281 



After birds have begun to lay in March and April, the next 

 stage is to place the eggs under hens in sitting boxes. These 

 are of two kinds : boxes in which the front opens out to a 

 small wired-in network enclosure in which the foster-mother 

 can feed when she is inclined ; and the other sort, in which the 

 only opening is from the top lid (which both kinds have), and 

 from which the incubating broody has to be lifted by hand and 

 then tethered to a peg while she feeds and waters. This is a 

 tedious process when there may be from 500 to 1 500 hens to 

 treat every day. It is generally believed that the best kind of 

 nest is one made upon the bare earth under these sitting boxes. 

 That may very well be where there are no rats, but where this 

 kind of vermin exists the author prefers a false bottom of turf 

 to the boxes, with a real bottom of small mesh wire netting, 

 which in no way interferes with the benefit eggs derive from 

 moistened mother earth, but effectually prevents losses from 

 rats, stoats, moles, and hedgehogs, although the latter would 

 not be likely to make subterranean visits in any case. 



The pheasant coop is another article of furniture the 

 preserver cannot get on without. It is quite a light, simple, and 

 handy contrivance, with a backwards slanting roof, three boarded 

 sides, no bottom, and a sparred front, the centre bar being 

 movable that is, sliding upwards through the roof. These 

 pens are set out in the rearing-field before the eggs hatch. 

 That ensures the birds being brought from the nests to dry 

 ground. For a few days the chicks have to be protected from 

 themselves, and prevented from running away from their foster- 

 parents. This is best done by the use of two boards about 

 6 inches high, which are placed so as to form a triangle with the 

 opening of the coop as its base. Then the coop must be very 

 well ventilated, for it has to have a shutter, one that is always 

 closed at night, and the young birds are best not allowed to 

 wander about in wet grass before the dew is off in the morning, 

 so that they sometimes have to be fed, and then again shut up 

 until the morning sun has done its work, but this is only when 

 they are very young. 



The field chosen for laying pens, as a matter of human 



