REARING THE YOUNG BIRDS. 79 
destroyed by the boiling process. In my opinion, much depends on the nature of 
the food upon which the chicks are fed as to whether they should have water or 
not; if they are fed on dry food, and the weather is warm and dry, they will 
require water, but it must be very clean, and given only once a day, and must 
not remain before them longer than to allow each bird to have a little. If the 
birds are fed on moist scalded food, they will not require any water unless the 
weather is very hot, when a little may be given as before stated. The water must 
be spring or stream water, and I should advise it being given at noon. It must 
also be remembered that birds reared on heavy clay land will require less water than 
those reared on sandy or gravel soil; attention must also be paid to the amount of 
dew which falls, supposing the birds are set at liberty before the dew has time 
to evaporate. Those who argue that nature should be the guide on this point must 
recollect that the rearing of pheasants by hand is altogether an artificial process, 
and that therefore nature cannot be strictly followed with regard to water any more 
than with regard to food.’ A well-known game preserver writes on the subject 
as follows :—‘‘ My keeper is a very successful breeder and rearer of pheasants. It 
seems to me (for I watched his proceedings very closely) that he gives the birds 
the very smallest supply of water. He carries a bottle in his pocket when he 
feeds, and puts about a wineglassful into each hen’s saucer. ~The’ hens seem 
thirsty enough, and leave but little for the young birds. He feeds very sparingly 
but frequently, throwing the food wide. The food for a long time was rice with 
chopped boiled egg, ants’ nests, and a very few gentles. He has brought up a 
great many pheasants and birds for me. One year, strange to say, out of 211 he 
did not lose one. Certainly the season was favourable. Little water, and food 
thrown wide round the coops, seems to be his system.” 
Inquiry is frequently made as to the cost of rearing pheasants in numbers. 
It is very difficult to state even an approximate sum, so much depends on the 
conditions under which they are raised. For food only until they are ready to go 
into the coverts, an average amount of from 1s. to 1s. 6d. per head may be 
stated. Mr. T. C. Cade writes: “The result of my own observations in two years 
(1870 and 1878) is as follow:—In 1870 my keeper’s bill for four hundred birds 
wag, eggs, £5 6s. 6d.; bread, £1 12s. 44d.; milk, £2 11s. 8d.; suet, 13s. 6d.; 
‘ secrets,’ 7s. 6d.—£10 11s. 64d. To this must be added Indian corn, meal, and 
rabbits; but I cannot give the exact quantity of each, as dogs were fed from the 
meal barrel, and the rabbits were not counted; £9 8s. is, I consider, a fair 
estimate of the cost of what was used for the birds—making a total of £20 for 
four hundred, or 1s. each. About the ‘secrets’ I can say nothing, except that 
none are required. 
“In 1878, for three hundred under my supervision, the cost was, very 
coarse Scotch meal, £9 15s, 6d.; milk, £3; eggs, £1 15s.; rennet, 2s. 8d.; 
